Arducam 5MP OV5647 camera won't focus on Raspberry Pi 3 Model B

Raspberry Pi Cameras
1

Hi everyone. I’ve got an Arducam 5MP camera module (OV5647, 1080P) hooked up to a Raspberry Pi 3 Model B V1.2, and I can’t get it to focus at all. The image comes through but it’s just blurry. I honestly never got it to work since I got it. Has anyone else seen this?

2

Sorry to hear that. Can you tell me a bit more about your setup? Which Pi model and OS are you running, how is the camera connected, and what are you using to capture images? Also, what have you tried so far?

3

It’s the Arducam 5MP Camera Module V1 (OV5647) for Raspberry Pi, running on a Raspberry Pi 3 Model B V1.2. I started with the paper instructions that came in the box, then searched YouTube and Google on my own, but nothing has helped. I don’t have any custom code or logs, just the stock setup. The preview shows up, it’s just out of focus.

4

Got it. Since there’s no custom code involved, that rules out a few things. Could you share a sample image you’ve captured so I can see what the focus actually looks like? Also, are you using raspistill or libcamera to grab frames? And just to confirm, is the ribbon cable seated properly and locked down?

5

Here’s a reference image I took: https://photos.app.goo.gl/pm6v6u1CE3DnX8RD9. That’s basically how every capture comes out. I’m using the default capture tools that came with the OS. The cable is seated and locked, and the camera is detected fine, it just won’t focus.

6

Thanks, I’ve looked at the image. That’s definitely a focus failure, not a detection or cable issue, since you’re getting a full frame that’s just soft. I checked this against similar reports and it doesn’t look like a simple config or lens adjustment fix. I’ve gone ahead and escalated it to our R&D team. From what I can see, the root cause is in how focus is handled, and resolving it requires modifying the source code, so it’ll take a bit of time.

7

Okay, do you know when that might happen? Is there anything I can try in the meantime, or am I just stuck waiting?

8

R&D is planning to work on it next week. Because the fix involves source code changes, it’s not something that can be sorted with a quick setting tweak. I’ll post back here as soon as there’s an update.