8MP IMX219 Standard Camera Modules

Introduction

Arducam team just released an 8MP Raspberry Pi compatible camera based on the same Sony IMX219 image sensor. It’s capable of 3280 x 2464 pixel static images, and also supports 1080p30, 720p60 and 640x480p90 video. It attaches to Pi by the dedicated standard CSi interface.

It is supplementary for Raspberry Pi official camera in order to fulfill the demands for different lens mount, the field of view (FOV) and depth of the field (DOF), as well as the motorized IR cut filter for both daylight and night vision.

There is a wide range of lens options which you can choose from us.

Models in this Series

There are 8 cameras in this series. The differences between them are field of view, IR sensitivity, lens mount and board size. They are the same in terms of software operation.

Too short camera cable?

You may need Arducam 30cm Sensor Extension Cable which extends the small camera module with a much longer distance and fit into the space-constrained environment.

Common Specs

General Specifications

IMX219 Full Datasheet

Refer here:

https://www.arducam.com/downloads/modules/RaspberryPi_camera/IMX219DS.PDF

Quick Start Guide

Hardware Setup​​​​​

Ensure your Raspberry Pi is turned off.

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.

Software Setup​​

Note:

If you are running the latest version of Raspberry Pi OS. (January 28th，2022 or later releases, Debian version:11(Bullseye)). You need to update the config file and use libcamera apps.

• For Raspberry Bullseye users running on Pi 4, please do the following:

sudo nano /boot/config.txt 
Find the line: camera_auto_detect=1, update it to:
camera_auto_detect=0
dtoverlay=imx219
Save and reboot.

• For Bullseye users running on Pi 0 ~ 3, please also: 

Open a terminal 
Run sudo raspi-config
Navigate to Advanced Options 
Enable Glamor graphic acceleration 
Reboot your Pi

If you encounter the display issues, please also execute the following steps:

Open a terminal
Run sudo raspi-config
Navigate to Advanced Options
Navigate to GL Driver
Select GL (Full KMS)
Reboot your Pi

• For Raspberry Pi Compute Module 3/4

The latest software only supports one camera at this time, CM4 uses CAM1 by default.

If you are running the previous system (Buster legacy and the system before it), you can refer to the Basic Camera Usage below.

Beginner Graphic Tutorial

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