OmniVision OV5647 Camera Module
The OmniVision OV5647 was the first official camera module released for the Raspberry Pi back in 2013. It features a fixed focus 5 megapixel CMOS sensor that provides a maximum 2592x1944 resolution and connects to the Raspberry Pi via the CSI2 bus using a ribbon cable.
Image courtesy of Raspberry Pi Foundation
Essentially a mobile phone camera, the OV5647 is capable of recording 1080p video at 30 fps, but also 720p60 and 640x480 between 60 and 90 fps.
Below you can see a full breakdown of the resolutions and attributes that this camera supports at various sensor modes:
| Mode | Resolution | Aspect Ratio | Framerate | FoV | Binning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1920x1080 | 16:9 | 1 - 30 | Partial | None |
| 2 | 2592x1944 | 4:3 | 1 - 15 | Full | None |
| 3 | 2592x1944 | 4:3 | 1/6 - 1 | Full | None |
| 4 | 1296x972 | 4:3 | 1 - 42 | Full | 2x2 |
| 5 | 1296x730 | 16:9 | 1 - 49 | Full | 2x2 |
| 6 | 640x480 | 4:3 | 42 - 60 | Full | 4x4 |
| 7 | 640x480 | 4:3 | 60 - 90 | Full | 4x4 |
Note: It is important to note that the above list are not the only possible resolutions available when taking pictures on the Raspberry Pi - they are a set of resolutions the sensor can directly output to the Pi's GPU. The VideoCore IV GPU ISP (Image Sensor Pipeline) itself is then able to resize to the desired resolution.
Modes which support Full FoV (Field of View) will make use of the full 2592x1944 pixels available on the sensor, whereas the Partial FoV will capture from the center of the sensor.
The camera is suitable to a number of applications including: General purpose photography, bird watching, CCTV, astronomy and in-car camera recording. Users of the camera module have also taken the effort to fit 3rd party lens such as wide-angle and telephoto to adjust the angle of view.
The OV5647 has now been superseded by the 8 megapixel Sony IMX219 as of 2016.
Technical information for the OV5647: