5MP OV5647 Standard Camera Modules

Introduction

5MP OV5647 cameras, namely the V1 camera series, are used a lot on Raspberry Pi camera applications. Unlike the V2 cameras which are encrypted on the camera board with a chip, the 5MP OV5647 cameras can be easily modified and customized by third-party manufacturers, thus you will see a lot of variations of this series.

Models in this Series

These camera modules may vary in camera board size, default lens mount, IR sensitivity, field of view and etc. But they are the same in terms of software operation.

Compact Size(Spy Camera)

Arducam OV5647 spy camera modules are tiny in size and born for applications that size matters. B006604N, B006603N, B006605, B006604, B006603 can be used on the Raspberry Pi Zero and Camera Module. B0066-02, B0066 can be used on Raspberry Pi 4/3B+/3.

V1 Size(25x24mm)

M12/CS Lens

Common Specs

Image Sensor

OV5647 Full Datasheet

Refer here:

https://www.arducam.com/downloads/modules/RaspberryPi_camera/OV5647DS.pdf

Quick Start Guide

Hardware Setup​​​​​

Ensure your Raspberry Pi is turned off.

Cable Connection

1.Locate the camera port (CSI)

For Raspberry Pi Model A & B, it’s between the HDMI and audio port of the Raspberry Pi board.

2.Gently pull up on the edges of the connector’s plastic clip and avoid pulling it off

3.Insert the ribbon cable

Make sure the metal contacts are facing the HDMI connectors. Do not bend the flex cable, and make sure it’s firmly inserted.

4.Push the plastic clip down

Do it while holding the flex cable still, until the connector’s clip is back in place.

Case Installation (optional)

Software Setup​​

At present, we support using libcamera and raspistill to capture images with OV5647 camera, please refer to the following messages:

• Using libcamera to access the camera

The Raspberry Pi Bullseye system support using libcamera to capture images. Please make sure you have downloaded the official Bullseye as follows:

List all cameras:

libcamera-still --list-cameras

Open a preview window:

libcamera-still -t 0

Save a jpg file in your pi after 5s preview:

libcamera-still -t 5000 -o test.jpg

For more commands for using libcaemra, please refer to Github-libcamera apps

• Using raspistill to access the camera

The raspberry pi Bullseye system support using raspistill command to capture image too, you need to run the raspi-config to enable legacy, please see the following:

1. Run raspi-config

Open your terminal and input sudo rapi-config

sudo raspi-config

2. Move to interface option

3. Enable the legacy

4. Save and reboot

sudo reboot

5. Detect the camera

vcgencmd get_camera

If the camera is detected, the output will be the follows:

6. Run the camera

Preview:

raspistill -t 0

Save a file:

raspistill -t -5000 -o test.jpg

For more usage of raspistill or previous command, please refer to the following messages:

Getting started with Raspberry Pi

Basic Camera Usage

Once installed, there are various ways the cameras can be used. The simplest option is to use one of the provided camera applications. There are four Linux command-line applications installed by default (e.g. raspistill): using these is described on this page.

You can also programatically access the camera using the Python programming language, using the picamera library.

Advanced Camera Usage

Advanced features, along with some hints and tips, are described in the following pages:

• Using RAW
• Long exposures
• Directly accessing sensors
• Using V4L2 to access the camera (e.g. Using Pi cameras as webcams)
• Removing the HQ camera IR filter

FAQ/Troubleshooting

The use of the four Raspberry Pi camera applications

FAQ about raspberry pi camera module