Hey everyone, I just got an Arducam USB camera and I can’t figure out how to focus it. The product page says it’s a manual focus camera, but the lens cap seems like it’s glued in place — I’ve tried twisting it and it won’t budge at all. Am I missing something obvious here?
That doesn’t sound right — manual focus on these should allow you to rotate the lens by hand. Can you share the exact model you have? There are a few different Arducam USB cameras out there and the lens assembly varies between them.
It’s the Arducam 1080P Day & Night Vision USB Camera, the 2MP one with the IMX462 sensor and 940nm IR LEDs. USB 2.0 board camera. I’m running it on Windows but I’ve also tested on a Linux box — same issue on both. I’ve tried gripping the lens cap firmly and twisting, but it honestly feels like it’s cemented in place. Didn’t want to force it too hard and break something.
Okay, that helps — you’re dealing with an M12 lens mount, and what you’re describing is actually a known thing with these cameras. The factory applies a small dab of adhesive or glue on the lens threads to keep the focus from shifting during shipping. The downside is that it makes the lens feel completely seized when you first try to adjust it.
The fix is straightforward but requires a bit of care: you need to break that adhesive bond before the lens will rotate. Usually that means applying more torque than you’d expect — the glue needs to crack loose. Some people get enough grip with their fingers, others use a small pair of pliers with something soft wrapped around the lens barrel to avoid scratching it.
Arducam actually documents this in their troubleshooting guide here:
https://docs.arducam.com/Raspberry-Pi-Camera/Native-camera/Troubleshooting/#19-cannot-rotate-the-m12-lens-lens-seems-stuck-or-fixed
Once that glue bond breaks, the lens will rotate freely and you can dial in focus normally. Just be careful not to touch the sensor or get debris inside while you’re working on it.
One more thing worth mentioning — don’t try to twist the outer lens cap or housing. You want to grip the knurled ring at the base of the lens barrel itself. The lens cap is not what you rotate; it’s the lens body. That trips up a lot of people. If the glue is really stubborn, a gentle back-and-forth rocking motion while turning can help crack it loose without jerking the board. Just take your time and don’t put pressure on the PCB.