OV5647 5MP 1080P IR-Cut Camera for Raspberry Pi

Night vision requires attaching external IR LEDs. Connect the LEDs to the module's screw terminal blocks, which provide 3.3V-5V power. Use the onboard adjustable resistor to set the ambient light threshold for manual switching. When ambient light falls below this level, you can manually activate the IR LEDs. The camera sensor itself is sensitive to infrared light, allowing it to capture illuminated scenes in complete darkness. Ensure you use compatible 850nm or 940nm IR LEDs matched to the output current.

This camera uses the legacy CSI interface and is primarily designed for Raspberry Pi models 1 through 4. For Raspberry Pi 5, you may require an adapter cable due to the changed connector. It is supported in the standard Raspberry Pi OS (formerly Raspbian) using the `libcamera` stack or the legacy `raspistill`/`raspivid` commands. Ensure your OS is updated. For Bullseye or later, you might need to enable the legacy camera stack in `raspi-config` under 'Interface Options' to use older command-line tools.

The IR-Cut filter is a mechanical filter that blocks infrared light wavelengths during daytime operation. Infrared light can cause color distortion (e.g., greens appearing pink) in daylight images. The filter slides over the sensor to provide true color reproduction. For night vision, the filter is mechanically moved away, allowing IR light to reach the sensor, which is sensitive to it. This module uses a manual switching mechanism controlled via the adjustable resistor and external trigger, unlike fully automatic dual-filter cameras.

On Raspberry Pi OS with the legacy camera stack enabled, use `raspistill -o image.webp` for stills and `raspivid -o video.h264` for video. For the newer `libcamera` stack, use `libcamera-still -o image.webp` and `libcamera-vid -o video.h264`. You can specify resolution, quality, and exposure settings via command-line arguments. For programming, Python libraries like `picamera2` (for `libcamera`) or `picamera` (for legacy stack) are available. Always verify the camera is detected using `vcgencmd get_camera` or `libcamera-hello` before coding.