Hi everyone, I’m having trouble with the autofocus on my Arducam 64MP camera (SKU: B0399, the stand-alone autofocus module) connected to a Raspberry Pi. The focus just won’t lock properly — it seems to hunt and never settles on a sharp image.
I’ve already checked the front of the lens for any stickers or packaging material and there’s nothing there. The lens glass is clean.
I’m hoping someone can help me figure this out. Sending it back for a return would cost almost half the price of the camera in shipping, so I’d really rather fix it if possible.
Thanks for the detailed report and the screenshots. The focus hunting you’re seeing in the video is pretty pronounced — that doesn’t look like a software configuration issue at first glance.
Before we go deeper into debugging, I’d like to try a remote session to see what’s happening in real time on your Pi. I’ve sent you the remote support details and setup instructions via private message — please check your inbox when you get a chance.
This will generate a file called arducam-bug-report.txt in the current directory. Please attach that file along with the photos in your reply — just send them through private message.
I found the problem! Turns out there was a spongy protection pad that had been left on the camera — it was sitting between the module and the housing. With the housing installed, that pad was pressing against something and blocking the autofocus mechanism from moving freely.
I took the housing off and the camera focuses perfectly now. With the housing removed, everything works completely normally. I feel a bit silly for not spotting it earlier, but the pad was thin and kind of blended in with the board.
Hope this helps anyone else who runs into the same thing — check behind the module, not just in front of the lens!