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Autofocus Lens

What is an autofocus lens


If a lens assembly includes a motor to move the lens closer to or further from the image sensor, and the mechanical components make the camera module smarter and more flexible. Sometimes this kind of lens is also referred to as a motorized focus lens.

With a motor inside, you don’t need to manually focus the camera by screwing the lens with your hand. Instead, you can remotely control the focus, or automate the focusing process with the help of software.

The Autofocus lens from Arducam is using I2C for motor control, also referred to as I2C autofocus.

Do we need the jumpers for autofocus?

The earliest version of the Arducam autofocus camera uses the I2C of the Raspberry Pi GPIO pins, so two extra jumpers are required.
However, in the later revisions, we’ve managed to control the motor with the I2C of the camera signal, so from then on, only a single camera ribbon cable is needed.
You can refer to our Raspberry Pi camera pinout page to know about which camera pins are used for I2C.

Autofocus on Raspberry Pi


To learn more about autofocus with Raspberry Pi camera modules, we recommend you read
Raspberry Pi Camera Autofocus: The Complete Guide.

How to use an autofocus lens


You can refer to our GitHub page to know more about what is needed to use an autofocus lens on embedded systems like a Raspberry Pi Camera.

However, Just like the stock lens, an autofocus lens is not interchangeable or sold alone. You have to remove the whole lens-sensor combination to alter the focal length or IR sensitivity.

What autofocus lens does Arducam offer


Since the autofocus lens is not sold alone, Arducam sells camera modules that come with an autofocus lens. You can get a complete 5MP autofocus camera module or an 8MP IMX219 autofocus drop-in replacements.

Entire view of Arducam IMX219 Auto Focus Camera Module

Arducam IMX219 Auto Focus Camera Module, drop-in replacement for Raspberry Pi V2 and NVIDIA Jetson Nano Camera

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  • Native to Raspberry Pi: You don’t need to install additional driver for the camera
  • Programmable Autofocus: Software controll, focus closer. See Arducam Github for more details
  • Control Precisely: You can use “UP” and “Down” on your keyboard to adjust the …

Arducam OV5647 Autofocus B0176 new 1

Arducam 5MP OV5647 1080p Autofocus Camera Module for Raspberry Pi, Compatible with Pi 4/3B+/3

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  • SEE CLOSER: Software-controllable moveable Lens. Shoot objects in millimeter level and in the distance on the same camera, remotely controlled without lens adjustment tool
  • SEE SMARTER: You can adjust the focus freely by the Motorized lens and …