Stuck lens, no night vision images on Arducam Mega 5MP SPI camera with Arduino Uno

SPI Cameras
1

Hi, I’m trying to get night vision working with my Arducam Mega 5MP NoIR camera on an Arduino Uno. During the day it captures fine, but at night I can’t get any images at all. I’ve just been using the Arducam software to test it. Any idea what I’m doing wrong? I thought the NoIR version was supposed to work for night vision.

2

Welcome! Before we go further, let’s make sure the camera actually is a NoIR unit with no IR-cut filter. Two quick checks:

  • Path A: In daylight, a NoIR camera usually gives a red/pink image. Does yours?
  • Path B: If you can remove the lens, look at the bottom of it. A thin layer there usually means an IR-cut filter is present, which would block the IR light you need at night.

If your daylight image looks normal and not red/pink, that’s a sign there may still be an IR-cut filter on the lens.

3

Thanks. I tried to remove the lens but the upper part is really rigid and won’t budge. How do I remove it safely? Also, the camera worked before but somehow it quit working, or at least stopped giving usable night images. It’s the Arducam Mega 5MP SPI camera module with the M12 lens, NoIR version. I’ve been following some online docs and a video tutorial.

4

Don’t force the lens if it feels glued. Could you share a photo taken in daylight? That will help me judge whether the IR-cut filter is still in place. If the lens is glued, leave it on. We can still figure this out from the image.

5

Here’s what I see: in full light the image is normal. In low light it sometimes turns pink. In a dark room there’s no image at all. Sometimes under certain lighting it goes red/pink, but not always. I tried to remove the lens but it’s glued, so I can’t check the bottom of it. I bought this one specifically because the listing said it was a NoIR night vision camera.

6

That actually lines up with a NoIR camera. The pink/red shift in certain light is the giveaway that there’s no IR-cut filter. But one important thing: a NoIR camera can’t emit infrared light by itself. It can only see IR that’s already there. In a completely dark room, there’s no IR to capture, so you get no image. You need an external IR light to fill the camera’s field of view. Do you have an IR LED or IR illuminator?

7

I don’t have one yet, but I can get an IR LED. How do I attach it to the camera? Where should it go? Can you guide me through the setup?

8

Sure. It doesn’t attach directly to the camera board. It’s a separate small circuit that you position near the lens. Steps:

  1. Gather the components: an IR LED, a power source (battery or supply), and a resistor around 220-330 ohms. Also make sure you have a camera without an IR cut filter.
  2. Identify the IR LED legs: the longer leg is the anode (+), and the shorter leg is the cathode (-).
  3. Connect the anode of the IR LED to the positive terminal of the power source.
  4. Connect the cathode of the IR LED to one end of the resistor, and connect the other end of the resistor to the negative terminal of the power source.
  5. Position the IR LED near the camera lens so the emitted infrared light falls within the camera’s field of view.
  6. Power it up and the LED will emit infrared light. Your NoIR camera should then be able to capture it.

It may take some positioning tweaks. Also watch the power requirements so you don’t overdrive the LED.

9

Got it. My goal is basically to convert this into a night vision camera. The product page says: “Different from the Standard Mega 5MP Camera, we equip the camera with a NoIR M12 Lens (Distortion<1.53%) which will allow you to manually adjust the focus and apply it for night vision.” It also lists night home security and environmental observation as uses. I’ll get an IR LED and try the circuit you described.

10

Perfect, that description confirms the NoIR lens is intended for night vision use, but again, the IR light has to come from somewhere external. Since your lens is glued, we couldn’t do the lens-bottom check, but the pink/red tint in certain lighting already points to a NoIR camera without an IR-cut filter. Current plan: set up the IR LED circuit, place it near the lens so the IR fills the field of view, and test in a dark room. If the image stays dark, try adjusting the LED angle or distance, or add a second IR LED. Keep us posted on how it goes.