Vehicle camera with lens heater

A camera for a vehicular vision system, said camera comprising:

• a camera housing;
• a lens barrel including a lens having lens optics disposed in said lens barrel, wherein said lens barrel is attached at said housing so that said lens is optically aligned with an imager disposed in said camera housing;
• wherein said camera is configured to be disposed at an exterior portion of a vehicle so as to have a field of view exterior of the vehicle, and wherein, with said camera disposed at the exterior portion of the vehicle, an outer lens optic of said lens is exposed at the exterior portion of the vehicle;
• a heating device disposed at an exterior of said lens barrel, said heating device comprising a thin foil heating element that at least partially circumscribes said lens barrel;
• a control that controls operation of said thin foil heating element responsive at least in part to temperature at said lens;
• a temperature sensor for sensing a temperature at said camera;
• wherein said heating device includes an electrical lead that is configured to electrically connect to an electrical connector of the vehicle when said camera is disposed at the exterior portion of the vehicle;
• wherein, with said electrical lead electrically connected to the electrical connector of the vehicle when said camera is disposed at the exterior portion of the vehicle, and responsive to an output of said temperature sensor that is indicative of the temperature at said camera being below a first threshold temperature, said control operates said heating device to increase the temperature of said lens barrel of said camera;
• wherein said control deenergizes said heating device responsive at least in part to determination that the temperature at said lens is at or above a second threshold temperature that is greater than the first threshold temperature;
• and
• a washer having a connector and fluid passageway, wherein said connector is configured for connection to a washer system of a vehicle such that, when said camera is disposed at the exterior portion of the vehicle and when the vehicle washer system is actuated, pressurized fluid flows through said fluid passageway and onto said lens.