What IPxx-rating should I choose?

Did you know that the IP69K-rating is the ONLY IP-rating that guarantees high-pressure and high-temperature wash-down applications? It is not only dust tight (IP6X), but is able to withstand high-pressure and steam cleaning. (IPx9K) Tested with 80℃ water at 100 bar to give you the confidence when cleaning your Comatra camera's . You also should bear in mind that the IP68-rating only protects against submersion of the object. So the next time you hose down your IP67 or IP68 camera, be gentle or it will slowly start to let the water in, and that will then fog up the lens rendering it virtually useless. We therefore opted to insure that the IP69K-rating covers our entire range of Comatra rear view camera's.

How does the protective glass affect my picture quality?

Now here's a good one, I bet you had not thought of that one, right? A commonly used protective glass is a Plexiglas-type window, which is very liable to scratches and so on.. this will give you a blurry vision after some time. What we use for our Comatra rear view camera's is a special soil repellent , "stay clean" type of mineral glass on all our camera's, it's even resistant against aggressive cleaning chemicals. We at Comatra believe that the performance of a rear view camera has to optimal under all working conditions, after all there will be a time and place where all of these feature can save lives.

Do I need a really need a Microphone?

A lot rear view camera's have this feature as well, but have you tried looking for one that also has the IP69K-rating? That's ok, we haven't found them either. It goes without saying that this feature can be a crucial one, the operator can hear what goes on before he sees it, and it's also very helpful to give the operator instructions when aiding him in a difficult maneuver.

What about a Heater?

The heater is a feature that can be very helpful in several occasions, it ensures that the lens cant fog up and it will always stay above freezing point, so that snow and ice have no effect on the performance and image quality of your camera.

Do I really need IR-led's?

If the camera needs to be very compact in size it usually does not require IR-led's, but it will still let you see enough when it's dark outside, especially when you are using back up lights. If the design of the camera allows integration of IR-led's, they let you see in complete darkness. We consider it to be a nice extra when the size of the camera is not your main priority.

What is Vibration rating?

This is also a crucial feature that you have to keep in mind when choosing right the rear view camera system that best suits your mobile blind spot application. In general it is ideal to have a vibration rating of at least 10G's. Please make sure that you compare Vibration rating and not the Mechanical shock rating. This will make sure that the camera can cope with continues vibrations of the vehicle where it is mounted on. And so it will outlive other cameras up to 5 times. This has to do with the assemble quality of our Comatra camera's and monitors in compliance with strict ISO 9001 standards. We are proud to add that our new CMT 45XB has been rated up to 30G vibration rating.

How do I choose the right monitor?

Here you have to ask yourself, what type of working conditions will my monitor have to endure? Will it have to perform in a normal environment? Or will it have to keep on performing in the toughest and dirtiest of places?

If you are going to use your monitor in a standard mobile situation, trucks, vans, and busses for instance. You can use our 5.6" or 7" DIGITAL monitor. The difference between our Comatra DIGITAL monitors and the other common ANALOG monitors is, that the DIGITAL monitors show the actual quality of the camera. They also ensure the best picture quality when introducing a external AV-Source. In addition our Comatra DIGITAL monitors were especially designed for mobile use and did received 10G vibration rating.

However, if you are going to use your rear view system in a dusty and perhaps humid environment, or think about condensation building up and freezing the electronics in wintertime. Then it's best you opt for a specially designed monitor that can handle those tortures. Our CMT 704Q-HD monitor has been designed and built exclusively for severe heavy duty usage! It comes with 20G vibration rating and the IP65 water and dust rating really ensures that absolutely no dust or moisture can enter. It even has a weatherproof speaker.

What about Lens quality?

It's a fact that the quality of the lens guarantees the outcome of the image quality, we all have seen the difference between a 5 Megapixel cell phone camera and a 5Megapixel digital camera. So we decided to ensure that even though our lenses are small, we only use the best lens glass to ensure that you can trust what you see on our Comatra rear view systems.

How do I choose the right Sensor?

The quality of the color CCD sensor is important. You should keep this in mind when you shop for your rear view system. The bigger the sensor , 1/4" or 1/3" , obviously the nicer the image quality will be. The larger the surface of the sensor, the more data it can capture. This is why we opted for the best in class Sony Super HAD 1/3" CCD Sensors on our entire Comatra camera range. Again we want to offer and guarantee our customers a reliable solution, so that the operator has a realistic view of what is going on around him, on those blind spots that often are crucial, but restricted in viewing.

Will I get a good Customer service?

Perhaps the most important factor of all. Our systems come with a 3 year factory warranty, that guarantees our customers how confident we are about the quality of our products. It is our mission to advise and assist our customers in helping them to find the ideal rear view system for their blind spot application. We therefore advise them to "dare to compare" so that you can prevent buying something ridiculously overpriced that does not live up to your expectations. And when you might think were overqualified, we are in fact a benchmark for quality. And that beats price every time.