Choosing a suitable raspberry pi camera for your projects can get really difficult. RPI camera v1, RPI camera v2, RPI NOIR camera, and the list continues. Each one has different properties and should be used according to them. They have been used in various fields and for numerous projects, from wildlife photography to object detection to surveillance cameras. In this article, we will go over some of the common raspberry pi cameras, their specifications, and their applications.
Content
Introduction
To start with we shall try to understand the basic working and principles that are common to all cameras of the raspberry pi. It will help in understanding what we actually require for our project. To connect the camera to the raspberry pi, use the CSI port. The connection must be put carefully or the device won’t be recognized.
You need to enable the camera in the raspberry pi configuration, but do not worry the tutorials can easily be found. Each camera has its own specification of resolution, frames per second, aperture, and focal length. These with certain specific functions define what a camera is capable of and what application it applies to. The picture below shows most of the cameras available in the market today. These are mostly produced by Waveshare.
Camera v1
The Raspberry Pi Camera v1 Board plugs directly into the CSI connector on the Raspberry Pi and is compatible with all of its versions. It’s able to deliver a crystal clear 5MP resolution image or 1080p HD video recording at 30fps! It features a 5MP (2592? 1944 pixels) Omnivision 5647 sensor in a fixed-focus module. The module attaches to Raspberry Pi, by way of a 15 Pin Ribbon Cable, to the dedicated 15-pin MIPI Camera Serial Interface (CSI), which was designed especially for interfacing to cameras.
1. Properties
The properties of the Camera vv1 module are:
- Sensor : 5MP OV5647 sensor
- Still Picture Resolution: 2592 x 1944
- Size : 20 x 25 x 9mm
- Video Supports : 1080p @ 30fps, 720p @ 60fps and 640x480p 60/90 Recording
2. Output
3. Applications
The v1 module is the most basic version there is. It can be used to conduct small personal projects and experiments. It will be hard to use it for object detection also, as the frames per second are very less. The more extensively used version would be the v2 module which will be discussed next.
Camera v2
The camera v2 module replaced the latter in 2016. The prototype of both the modules are similar, the only difference being the sensor and some resolution. These modules are very easy to operate and handle. It attaches via a 15cm ribbon cable to the CSI port on the Raspberry Pi. A word of precaution, these modules are easily damaged by static electricity so be careful. Also physically hardly any difference can be seen between the two but the sensors are completely different in them.
1. Properties
- Sensor : 8MP Sony IMX219 image sensor
- Still Picture Resolution : 3280 x 2464
- Size : 25mm x 23mm x 9mm
- Video Supports : 1080p @ 30fps, 720p @ 60fps and 640x480p 90 video
2. Output
3. Applications
The first and foremost advantage of using this module is that it is easy to handle and can be used by beginners for their projects and learning. This camera is the most used model today and can be used for almost all general purposes. Some outstanding applications could be-
- Object Detection
- Surveillance camera
- Time-lapse Photography
NoIR Camera
The NoIR(No Infrared) camera of raspberry pi is a special modification of camera module v2. The only difference between them is that this particular module does not have the infrared filter used to block infrared rays. But what does it mean? It means that during the day an image will be seen which is slightly different from the normal but in the dark, images can be taken and seen in infrared lighting.
1. Properties
- Sensor : 8MP Sony IMX219 image sensor
- Still Picture Resolution : 3280 x 2464
- Size : 25mm x 23mm x 9mm
- Video Supports : 1080p @ 30fps, 720p @ 60fps and 640x480p 90 video
2. Output
3. Applications
The NoIR camera is famous solely because of its ability to take images in dark. It can produce fairly good visibility in the dark and hence is widely used. Some specific applications could be-
- Infrared Photography
- Security Surveillance at Night
- Vision at Night – Object Detection, Theft detection
RPI Camera Fisheye Lens
Raspberry pi camera with Fisheye Lens also called raspberry camera (B) may be pretty expensive but is a multipurpose quality camera. It supports night vision and is compatible with all versions of the raspberry pi. As the name suggests it has a fisheye lens which means that the lens of the camera offers a much wider vision of about 160 to 220 degrees while the normal cameras only provide about 72 degrees. The image seen is somewhat wide and warped, like looking from a door’s peephole.
1. Properties
- Sensor : 5MP OV5647 sensor
- Still Picture Resolution : 2592 x 1944
- Size : 25mm x 24mm
- Video Supports : 1080p @ 30fps, 720p @ 60fps and 640x480p 60/90 Recording
2. Output
3. Applications
These cameras give a wider view than others and can be used in places where the area covered needs to be more. The only disadvantage of this could be that it lacks focus on the details of the corner images because of the broadened view. Other applications could be-
- Panaromic Images
- Wide Area Surviellance
- Hemispherical photography
RPI IR-CUT Camera
The raspberry pi IR-CUT camera works is a better version of RPI camera (B) in a way that it supports Normal mode as well as Night Vision mode. Its lens has adjustable focus and the module a removable IR-CUT filter. It also comes with infrared led to support night vision.
1. Properties
- Sensor : 5MP OV5647 sensor
- Still Picture Resolution : 2592 x 1944
- Size : 31mm x 32mm
- Video Supports : 1080p @ 30fps, 720p @ 60fps and 640x480p 60/90 Recording
2. Output
3. Applications
IR-CUT camera is more of a quality camera for continuous photography. It can do almost all the things a v2 module or NoIR camera can. The only disadvantage could be that its field of vision is restricted to 40 degrees. It has adjustable focus and hence can be used for high-quality wildlife photography, object detection.
With this we come to the end of the article on the types of raspberry pi cameras in the market. I hope this article will help you choose wisely in your next project. If you have any doubts comment below.
