High Resolution Camera

Introduction

High-resolution cameras output denser image quality with more pixels per inch (PPI), so as to create high-quality crisp images. In practice, the resolution of images produced by high-resolution cameras should be above 8 megapixels.

It is not news to see high-resolution images on your smartphone or from DSLR photos. But when it comes to the Raspberry Pi camera, the story is more impressive. Especially when Arducam sped up on its way of breaking the resolution limits, bringing higher and higher resolution items while keeping the same form factor, same software (libcamera) and same camera control to make things easy.

Starting from a recognized alternative, the 12MP IMX477 HQ camera module, Arducam has contributed a series of high-resolution camera modules to the field. The later milestone was a 16MP auto-focus camera, which takes what Raspberry Pi V1, V2 and HQ have to offer and excels in every single aspect. With a resolution of 16 megapixels, an auto-focus lens, a V2-like form factor and boatloads of improvements, the camera provides a better choice for a whole world of industrial/consumer/etc. applications. It is compatible with any existing Pi model, works with the latest software from the foundation, and leverages the same tuning algorithms used in the official camera modules.

The debut of 'Hawk-eye', the Arducam 64MP ultra high-resolution camera, evidenced how we put the platform years ahead of its game. Now the resolution reached a breathtaking level: 9152 x 6944. And that's surely not the only highlight. It is up to 10x digital zoom. Think about it, you open a preview window on a Raspberry Pi, zoom in for a super close-up view, move up/down/left/right (ePTZ) to pick anything, set/adjust the focus, and then take a photo. In other words, it is something that's knocking at the door of the future.

Last, and not least, all these past and yet-to-come high-resolution cameras will be brought in front of you at an affordable cost. Let's quote the original intention of why Raspberry Pi was made: to eliminate barriers and to make technology affordable for all.

Selection Guide

Product Image	SKU	Sensor	Resolution	Pin/Connect Type	Features	Lens Type	Field of View(H x V)	Focus Type	IR Sensitivity
	B0240	IMX477	12MP	22/Top	CS Mount	CS Lens	65° (H) x 51° (V)	Manual Focus	650nm IR-cut filter
	B024001						/	/	/
	B0270				Day and Night Vision		65° (H) x 49° (V)	Manual Focus	Motorized IR-cut filter
	B0241				HDMI Extension Kit				650nm IR-cut filter
	B0272				Motorized Focus	M12 Lens	75° (H) x 56° (V)	Motorized Focus	650nm IR-cut filter
	B0262			22/Top	Mini Size	M12 Lens	75° (H) x 56° (V)	Manual Focus	650nm IR-cut filter
	B0271			22/NA
	B0303R			22/Top	Wide Angle	Stock Lens	95° (H) x 72° (V)	Fixed Focus
	B0167B12			15pin/22pin	Pan-Tilt-Zoom Kit	Zoom Lens	(96~33)°(H) x (72~24)°(V)	Motorized Focus	Motorized IR-cut filter
	B016712MP
	B0406	IMX378	12MP	22/Top	Wide Angle	Stock Lens	95°(H) x 72°(V)	Fixed Focus	650nm IR-cut filter
	B0412				High Resolution		65°(H) x 49°(V)
	B0386	IMX519	16MP	15/Top	MIni Size	Stock Lens	66°(H) x 49.5°(V)	Fixed Focus	without IR-cut filter
	B0371			15/Bottom	High Resolution			AutoFocus	650nm IR cut filter
	B0389			15/NA	Miniature Camera		65°(H) x 48.8°(V)	Fixed Focus	without IR-cut filter
	B0391			22/NA
	B0367	AR1820HS	18MP	22/Top	High Resolution	M12 Lens	75°(H) x 56°(V)	Manual Focus	650nm IR-cut filter
	B0324	IMX230	21MP	22/Top	High Resolution	Stock Lens	64°(H) x 48°(V)	Autofocus	650nm IR-cut filter
	B0399	64MP	64MP	15/Bottom	High Resolution	Stock Lens	72°(H) x 54.6°(V)	Autofocus	650nm IR cut filter
	B0399B0091				HDMI Extension Kit
	B0399U6248				Ethernet Extension Kit
	B0399B0283				Pan-Tilt Kit

Software

Native Cameras

For Native cameras, please refer to the official Raspberry Pi documentation: Doc

Native Camera Board list:

Resolution	Camera Module
12MP	imx477
12MP	imx378
12MP	477m

imx519/hawkeye 64mp Cameras

For the imx519/hawkeye 64mp, you need to install the following steps:

imx519/hawkeye 64mp camera Board list:

Resolution	Camera Module
16MP	imx519
64MP	hawkeye-64mp

Step 1. Download the bash scripts

wget -O install_pivariety_pkgs.sh https://github.com/ArduCAM/Arducam-Pivariety-V4L2-Driver/releases/download/install_script/install_pivariety_pkgs.sh
chmod +x install_pivariety_pkgs.sh

Step 2. Install libcamera

./install_pivariety_pkgs.sh -p libcamera_dev

Step 3. Install libcamera-apps

./install_pivariety_pkgs.sh -p libcamera_apps

Step 4. Install Camera drivers

Note

Please select the driver installation against the table above, just select one of the commands.

# Install the imx519 camera kernel driver.
./install_pivariety_pkgs.sh -p imx519_kernel_driver_low_speed
# Install the 64mp Hawk-Eye camera kernel driver.
./install_pivariety_pkgs.sh -p 64mp_pi_hawk_eye_kernel_driver

Step5. libcamera-apps

Preview 5 seconds.

libcamera-still -t 5000

If you don't have a display screen, you can save an image without displaying it. And an image of test.jpg will be saved in the current directory.

libcamera-still -t 5000 -n -o test.jpg

Pivariety Cameras

For the AR1820HS/IMX230, you can refer to the following information:

AR1820HS/IMX230 camera list:

Resolution	Camera Module
18MP	AR1820HS
21MP	IMX230

You can refer to the following documentation to install the driver and access the camera:

Pivariety Camera Quick Start