Hi all, I’m looking at the 16MP Sony IMX298 board camera for a project and I had a few questions before we go any further. Our target environment is Linux, and we’ve previously integrated similar UVC webcams, so that’s the reference point.
Can we stream a binned image — e.g. stream 640x480 without losing field of view — and still capture the full 16MP image?
On Linux, does the camera show up as a device when plugged in?
Would we be able to do more advanced things like white balance or other live image manipulation under Linux?
Thanks for reaching out. Before I dig into the IMX298 specifics, can you tell me a bit more about your setup? Specifically: do you already have the module in hand, or is this still in the evaluation stage? And which Linux distro/kernel are you targeting, plus what capture stack you’re planning to use (V4L2, OpenCV, GStreamer, etc.)?
I ask because binning behavior and UVC enumeration can depend on the firmware mode the module runs in, so I want to make sure I don’t steer you wrong.
Still in evaluation at the moment — we don’t have the hardware in hand yet, but we’re planning to get a couple of units with a lens kit for the integration we’re developing. Previously we’ve worked with similar UVC webcams, so that’s what we’re used to.
To repeat the original questions:
Are we able to stream a binned image? i.e. stream 640x480 without losing field of view and capture the full 16MP image?
On Linux, does it show up as a device when plugged in?
Would we be able to do more advanced things (say the white balance or other live image manipulation) when used with Linux?
Got it, thanks for clarifying. Since you’re still evaluating before the hardware arrives, let me flag the items I need to verify against the module’s current firmware rather than guess:
Binning: whether the module exposes a binned or scaled 640x480 stream while the sensor still captures at the full 16MP depends on the output mode it’s configured in. Some modes only expose the native resolution, so I need to confirm what this exact board supports.
Linux enumeration: it should present through UVC/V4L2, but I want to double-check the device descriptor and whether there are any quirks on your kernel version.
White balance / live manipulation: that comes down to which controls the UVC descriptor exposes (white balance, exposure, etc.). If it runs as a standard UVC device, some V4L2 controls may be available, but I need to verify the full control list for this module.
I don’t want to hand you answers that turn out to be wrong once you have the hardware. Let me confirm these details and I’ll follow up here.