CIPA 60300 Wide Angle Lens - 11" x 14"

Works great

Serves as a rear view camera.

We owned already one of these Fresnel lenses and are still quite happy with it. We used it for years in a nearly 20' long van and now use it in a much shorter SUV. This time we needed a second lens for a slightly less long van, but now decided to buy this smaller version (8" x 6"). The van for this second fresnel lens is a few feet shorter than the original van mentioned before. Reason for deciding for this smaller size is that if you go with the next size up (12" x 8") you will have the impression being followed by another car all the time. So we first tried this larger size on the second van and found it to be too large in size. That is of course also our experience from using the large lens in the shorter SUV. Which means that in the SUV you will see constantly something by the corner of your eye in the rearview mirror, which gives the impression being followed closely all the time. However, if you (re)place it to a side of the middle which allows you to see the knees or maybe feet of someone standing only a few feet behind the car, you will have found the right or better spot. The smaller version will provide quite enough rearview, just as the next larger size up, and mind that you will always be focussed on what's behind the car when using it, regardless of the size. Experimenting with placement is more important than the size. My recommendation is to use this size (8" x 6") and don't go bigger, unless you also own a nearly 20' long van, then definitely go one step up. Lastly, if your rearview window is at an angle, e.g., 45 degrees, don't even try it. I tried that for you and can tell you that you will have a perfect view of the blue sky and nothing else. You will see the street behind your car, and also to the sides, only when it is place on a nearly vertical window or one at a very small angle of less than 10 degrees (most SUVs, but not sedans). It's a great product, holds up for many, many years and is certainly incredibly cheaper as going for those nice rearview cameras.

This wide angle lens is a Fresnel-type, which means it's made up of lots of circular grooves cast into the surface of a rubbery material. Remember old vinyl records? Like that, but clear. The "center" of the lens is actually off-center. They have a small label on the lens to indicate the top. They did that to give the user a better view down than up. You know, to keep you from running over children and pets. The view left and right is the same. You can play around with the lens when you get it and you'll see the view to the top is less than the bottom. I think this was a good idea on their part.Installation is pretty easy. I sprayed down some water on the lens and applied it slowly. This lens doesn't have any glue. It's essentially a giant decal. The "tacky" surface will stick to glass just fine. Using water helps to get rid of trapped air bubbles, making for a clean install. I chose to use some masking tape to keep the lens from sliding while the water evaporated. I took the tape off after 24 hours, but it probably takes a few days for all the water to truly escape.Mine looks great after a few days to let all the water escape from between the lens and the rear window. One edge isn't sticking down. Perhaps the lens was a bit deformed along that edge. Not a huge deal for me, just don't expect perfection when you get this. You won't see trapped air inside the car, but they're very obvious from the outside.How does it work? It works okay, but not great. The reason i give this 4 stars is because i don't think the lens is to blame. When the lens is perpendicular to the viewer (like on a vertical rear window) it works fantastic. On my hatchback, the rear window is tilted 45 degrees or so. Given this, you get a fuzzier image and you also get some extra "Glow" in parts of the lens caused by the sun and the bright sky (see my uploaded product photos). In fact, in my case, the lower 1/3 of the lens actually showed a view up! Apparently, when you tilt a Fresnel lens enough, you can get some rather unexpected optical effects. This wasn't a huge deal, as i chose to cut off the bottom portion of the lens to make it take up less space on the back window. I mostly needed it to help me see left and right as i back up. My little hatchback has nasty blind spots (huge c-pillars) which always worry me when i back up.So, if you own a vehicle such as a van or SUV, definitely buy it. It should work awesome for you on a vertical/nearly vertical rear window. On most "typical" rear car windows (like my hatchback, tilted at 45 degrees) it will work okay, but expect some anomalies in the lens that will be a bit distracting until you get used to seeing them. If you own a vehicle with a steeply tilted rear window like or Corvette or a Prius, i'd save up to buy a rear view back-up camera instead. This lens will probably do a better job blocking the little view you have to the rear. Again, i don't fault the product here. Just laws of physics.

This arrived quickly in a large cardboard envelope, which is sufficient given the soft material. It’s actually a bit floppy but quite thick. I cleaned the rear window of my motorhome, following the instructions. Then made sure the inside of the window surface was wet. I used a spray bottle. Make sure you put the smooth side against the inside of the window. You have to check this with your fingers since you cannot see which side is the smooth side . It sticks on quite easily with just the surface tension. And you can move it around to get the right spot. I mistakenly put it in the center. But since the driver’s side is on the left, this was a mistake. As I look back, because of my angle, I am seeing more what is behind me on the passenger side. It should be placed more on the driver’s side of the rear window. I placed mine fairly low down, or else I was seeing too much of the sky. If you change your mind, it is very easy to repeat the process and place it somewhere differently. I found the lens cleared up to transparency quicker than the 24 hours advertised. If you remove it and place it somewhere else, it remains clear. Unless perhaps you leave it off for a long time. When you place it on the window, there will be a lot of air bubbles. The technique in the instructions of rolling the material up and down, was quite useless. I used the same Technique as getting out air bubbles for a screen protector on a smart phone. Just slowly work the bubbles out with firm pressure using the edge of a credit card. Best to work downwards and slow firm strokes. The end product is good. Definitely gives wide angle view with minimal distortion.