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Is there a MIPI camera that doesn't suck? I have every official Pi camera, and they are all just terrible. I would never use them for anything artistic, when i

Is there a MIPI camera that doesn't suck? I have every official Pi camera, and they are all just terrible. I would never use them for anything artistic, when it's easy to get far-superior results from even a cheap regular camera or used SLR. I'm just curious if there's a very-high-quality camera with a MIPI interface. Thinking it through... I only really care about video. Even if it's only HD resolution, something with excellent light sensitivity & low noise would be great.

blacksmith_tb 3y ago
There are some pretty fancy-looking industrial cameras that support MIPI, like the Alvium line[1] - but I suspect they are spendy... 1: https://www.alliedvision.com/en/products/camera-series/alvium-1800-c/ https://www.alliedvision.com/en/products/camera-series/alviu...
- ShadowBanThis01 3y ago
  Thanks. I guess at some point the value proposition is antithetical to that of the Pi itself...
  - geerlingguy 3y ago
    Yeah the problem is optics (the more important part of getting really good images) are expensive, and few companies make decent lenses that target tiny sensors. So you're stuck with the little optics included with the tiny hobby cameras from Pi or ArduCam (et all). They're okay for some purposes but a lot worse than even a cheap SLR/Mirrorless lens. The best results I've gotten are with the C-mount camera module, an adapter, and a wide angle Sony, Nikon, or Canon lens—all of which cost in the hundreds :)
    - giantrobot 3y ago
      Thrift/antique stores are a place to look for old lenses on the cheap. If you've got a C-mount adapter for your sensor you can mount the lens on it. Then you can manually focus it and epoxy it on the right point.
    - ShadowBanThis01 3y ago
      I have the C-mount module and a Canon security-camera lens with zoom, focus, and aperture settings. Disappointingly, it still sucks. I know there are excellent C-mount lenses, because I shot a great-looking movie on a Bolex with them.
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
casylum 3y ago
Often it's the lens that results in poor quality images. You can get a RPi sensor with CS mount and add your own lens of your choosing. It's been a huge upgrade in quality and is relatively easy to do.
- JKCalhoun 3y ago
  There is also a lot of "secret sauce" that Apple and others do to the raw image data that comes off the sensor. I don't doubt much better quality could be eked out of the RPi cameras if there was a determined effort to do so.
wkat4242 3y ago
They suck at video. Take stills and they do a lot better.
Roark66 3y ago
>Is there a MIPI camera that doesn't suck? No there isn't. Sorry. I've tried them all and their dynamic range sucks so bad.... Anyway, who thinks otherwise, I recommend you see the same non-ideally lit scene with for example a modern "analog" fpv camera like Foxeer Nano Toothless 2 (a starlight 0.1lux camera that maintains it's great dynamic range in full sun). The only mipi camera that has a shred of a chance to compete is starvis IMX327LQR. On paper it should be pretty good. I'm planning to test one at some point. Also, the cameras built into various Cctv Ip cameras one can buy from China are pretty good, but good luck getting them to work with anything other than the original equipment.
- ShadowBanThis01 3y ago
  Ha, thanks for the reply. Tangent to your IP-camera comment: I replaced all my old SD, composite household security cameras with cheap-O TVI cameras, and I am impressed at how well this oddball HD format works over the same coax cables.
teamonkey 3y ago
For light sensitivity there's an Arducam IMX482 MIPI module. Unfortunately you don't have a lot of control over it and can't take long exposures, but it's probably fine for HD video. Every other cheap low-light module I've seen is hobbled in some crucial way, either at the hardware level or drivers.
dekhn 3y ago
I haven't found any decent MIPI cameras. Instead, I buy machine vision cameras from Mindvision. USB3 or GigE connectors.

blacksmith_tb 3y ago

There are some pretty fancy-looking industrial cameras that support MIPI, like the Alvium line[1] - but I suspect they are spendy... 1: https://www.alliedvision.com/en/products/camera-series/alvium-1800-c/ https://www.alliedvision.com/en/products/camera-series/alviu...

ShadowBanThis01 3y ago
Thanks. I guess at some point the value proposition is antithetical to that of the Pi itself...
- geerlingguy 3y ago
  Yeah the problem is optics (the more important part of getting really good images) are expensive, and few companies make decent lenses that target tiny sensors. So you're stuck with the little optics included with the tiny hobby cameras from Pi or ArduCam (et all). They're okay for some purposes but a lot worse than even a cheap SLR/Mirrorless lens. The best results I've gotten are with the C-mount camera module, an adapter, and a wide angle Sony, Nikon, or Canon lens—all of which cost in the hundreds :)
  - giantrobot 3y ago
    Thrift/antique stores are a place to look for old lenses on the cheap. If you've got a C-mount adapter for your sensor you can mount the lens on it. Then you can manually focus it and epoxy it on the right point.
  - ShadowBanThis01 3y ago
    I have the C-mount module and a Canon security-camera lens with zoom, focus, and aperture settings. Disappointingly, it still sucks. I know there are excellent C-mount lenses, because I shot a great-looking movie on a Bolex with them.

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

casylum 3y ago

Often it's the lens that results in poor quality images. You can get a RPi sensor with CS mount and add your own lens of your choosing. It's been a huge upgrade in quality and is relatively easy to do.

JKCalhoun 3y ago
There is also a lot of "secret sauce" that Apple and others do to the raw image data that comes off the sensor. I don't doubt much better quality could be eked out of the RPi cameras if there was a determined effort to do so.

wkat4242 3y ago

They suck at video. Take stills and they do a lot better.

Roark66 3y ago

>Is there a MIPI camera that doesn't suck? No there isn't. Sorry. I've tried them all and their dynamic range sucks so bad.... Anyway, who thinks otherwise, I recommend you see the same non-ideally lit scene with for example a modern "analog" fpv camera like Foxeer Nano Toothless 2 (a starlight 0.1lux camera that maintains it's great dynamic range in full sun). The only mipi camera that has a shred of a chance to compete is starvis IMX327LQR. On paper it should be pretty good. I'm planning to test one at some point. Also, the cameras built into various Cctv Ip cameras one can buy from China are pretty good, but good luck getting them to work with anything other than the original equipment.

ShadowBanThis01 3y ago
Ha, thanks for the reply. Tangent to your IP-camera comment: I replaced all my old SD, composite household security cameras with cheap-O TVI cameras, and I am impressed at how well this oddball HD format works over the same coax cables.

teamonkey 3y ago

For light sensitivity there's an Arducam IMX482 MIPI module. Unfortunately you don't have a lot of control over it and can't take long exposures, but it's probably fine for HD video. Every other cheap low-light module I've seen is hobbled in some crucial way, either at the hardware level or drivers.

dekhn 3y ago

I haven't found any decent MIPI cameras. Instead, I buy machine vision cameras from Mindvision. USB3 or GigE connectors.