I've a broken lens on the front left camera on my 2011 (2010MY) L322.

The price of the camera for this particular model year is >200quid, whereas the L405 spec camera is more like <100quid.

I'm wondering if the two are interchangeable, albeit with some re-working of the housings and/or amendment of the cabling - I'm guessing they could be very similar?

Does anyone know what the specs of the two cameras are?

The other option I've considered is that maybe the lens from the L322 camera can be removed and replaced (replacement lens can be obtained cheaply from AliExpress etc and typical just screw in and out)

Again, does anyone know the specs? It looks like a job to dismantle the bumper to get at the camera, so it's difficult to test!

Replying to my own thread, second sign of madness?

I found a post (in Russian) with some more information on the camera, including a detail shot of the lens itself: https://www.drive2.ru/l/539475656119943896/

Adding it here in case it helps anyone.

I suspect they use the same/similar camera system.
If the mounting was the same/interchangeable, I imagine it will work.

Yup, that’s what I thought - I’m also wondering if the lens portion itself is easy to swap. There’s an M12 thread used on many small CCTV or board cameras which I think might be a cheap way of replacing the lens when it gets stone chipped.

Haven’t been able to find any measurements though, so my next step is to try and take a lens off and see.

Then test the camera and see what it outputs - which will need the bumper dismantling, so that’s a job for later

Camera appears to be analogue with the signal transmitted using LVDS.

Cable seems to be a 4-core Dacar 535, using Fakra HSD 4-pin plugs.

I think I might try buying one of the newer (much cheaper) cameras which are also analog and seeing if it'll fit, either the lenses may be easy to swap, or buy using the entire new camera and possibly 3d printing a housing to make it compatible with the older type camera fitment - this would greatly reduce the cost of replacing the cameras!

Have you looked up the part numbers?
I had a quick look, I think they are the same as some other models. In which case it might be easier to source used part?

Yeah, they seem to be used on RRS's from memory, but still very expensive - I'm guessing all the cost is in the shape of the housing (as in they didn't use it for long and so it's more expensive), which is my logic for pursuing a retrofit of the later type cameras which are much cheaper.

I've ordered one and am just awaiting it to be delivered. There's two things I'd like to find out;
1) Can the newer cameras *lens* be retrofitted to the older model (and if so, can this lens be bought generically for much cheaper, to fix chips and scratches)
2) Can the newer type camera be retrofitted into the 2010/2011 cars, whether with a 3d printed housing or by some other methods.

It looks like the newer cameras are smaller but appear to use the same lenses, but I won't know until I tear one down

There’s a recent vid from powerful uk on this subject, worth a look

Thanks for the tip! I found this one on the reverse camera.

It looks like the reverse camera is actually different to all the other cameras though, the lens is much wider (it's probably a much bigger field of view) and the housing is completely different.

I'll drop them a mail and see if they have any tips for the other cameras though, may be a good product for them to investigate!