I built the PI zero cam project you featured on this channel Chris. We have it pointed towards a window where our cats hang out. When we are out of town, we can spy on our cats and see what the weather is like in our yard. We really like it a lot. The Pi zero cam is a great value.
This is indeed one of the most British tests I've ever seen: The Tardis, Raspberry Pi, a Dalek, an EC cup (with the world famous Mr Scissors in it), and then of course Chris. It could only get more British if Mr Scissors ✂️ drank a cup of tea in the photo 😄
The small camera modules are very annoying to focus. You might try using a focus tool to ensure your V2 camera is focused -- They should be the same camera module, no?
Great video, Chris. Frankly surprised that the V2 camera was so far off with color representation (that odd reddish hue on everything) and surprised by the quality of the Zero camera at that price point. The Dalek was a nice touch for testing the video quality.
Even though I have no use or interest in pursuing image capture, this was a fascinating exploration of a previously murky Pi subject, and I eagerly await the next chapter (as I do all Pi videos).
Thank you for starting this series! I was about to dive in on all these cameras on my own but with your videos now I know I will have success and fun! I might need too look for a Dalek to star in stop motion video to go with my TARDIS .
10:21 The first happy Dalek I've seen. The zero cam paired with Raspberry Pi Zero and small power pack would make a nice body cam. I enjoy the SBC videos, but prefer the ones featuring the Raspberry Pi line.
Yes, a body cam, or a camera to go on my bike handlebars would be fantastic! Are there any battle-hardened camera cases for the zero cam by any chance??
Now that we know how small batteries can get, on top of being almost unlimited lifespan, with graphene tech , for sure, miniaturization has even + room to grow, from our standpoint.
Am I right in thinking that if you intend to record video then the ZeroCam would be a better option over the V2. As the video seems to be recorded pixel for pixel (at 1080) and the sensor die is the same size, then the individual pixels on the sensor on the ZeroCam are larger, thus hopefully producing less noise, especially in darker conditions.
Perfect timing I was trying to find info on Pi cameras yesterday thinking of auto iris lens. I know a lot more now about which direction to go, Thanks for illuminating video
FIRST. Ladies y Gentlemen, here I’m, back again, to announce 📣 the 20th gold medal 🥇. Thank you Chris, this is amazing. The best tech stuff people can watch is shown in this UA-cam channel. Thank you.
Chris, thanks for running down all the camera options for everyone's favorite SBC. Now I know which camera to purchase for what purposes. Thanks again for another useful SBC computer video. Until next time, stay well!
That was a good preview of the Rpi Camera's, as stated before I have the Raspberry Pi V 1.1 camera. After viewing the video on the V 2.1 camera looks like a upgrade is in order. Thanks again Chris :) Looking forward to the next video.
I must admit I was very surprised to see the quality of the Zerocam and for the price, it can't be bettered. Zerocam is the clear winner here for me and at the price, I will be able to afford to buy it without worrying about the cost and extra lenses. Many thanks for the videos, I always look forward to seeing them. Take care and stay safe, Joe
Sounds like the Zero Cam is the one to buy if you want a basic web-cam-style setup -- definitely the best bang for the buck there... But that HQ Cam -- wow! I was extremely impressed with it! I've seen camera setups costing 5 times as much that gave similar results. If you wanted an inexpensive streaming setup, but one which is still very high quality, it seems like that's the way to go, definitely. Thanks for the comparison -- I never would've known that the HQ Camera was worth all that extra money otherwise.
Another interesting & instructional video Chris, looking forward to the next one. The HQ cam with manual focus/aperture takes you back to pre digital days. If there's a Tardis in sight there has to be a Dalek lurking somewhere, Eggs terminate!!
Good morning Chris. Love today’s topic! The Raspberry Pi cameras and software like MotionEye0S are one the best way to make your own DYI security system.
Be sure to check PiKrellCam! It's got a peculiar and unique UI but it beats MotionEyeOS in performance, framerate and especially motion detection. I've went through all the options multiple times during the last 5 years but always return to good ol' Pikrellcam. ☺
@@ristomatti / Thank you for letting me know about this software. I’m surprised that this software was not listed anywhere. I will be installing it in one of my Pi’s that at this time running MotionEye0S. I have a number of Raspberry Pi’s that I use on my property for security. PiKrellCam I see has both audio and video recording. One real adventure it has see is the Built in servo control using Pi hardware PWM GPIOs. Can’t wait to setup that feature! Thanks again for your recommendation
And there we have another subject for Chris to --explore-- explain for us! Me, I'd like to have realtime surveillance in my barn, but can't justify an expensive commercial system. So have been muttering to myself about maybe a Pi would work...
Really well performed test, and very interesting results with PiZero being actually a winner. Of course, HQ Cam gives beautiful results when it comes to bokeh or modifying field depth - but if we are using RPi, we wouldn't be using it as a high quality digital camera replacement since it would obviously fail miserably. Camera in RPi is usually used for some automation - like image analysis, object recognition or CCTV replacement - and PiZeroCam is unbeatable. Probably with RPiZero, since it would reduce the cost of full setup without affecting quality or usability. Actually, practicality of RPiZero+ZeroCam would be a killer feature - since cameras can't be put on long wires, and such a set would act as a remote unit (or one of many units) controlled by main full Raspberry Pi. And kudos to you for the extremely British test scene 😁
Thank you for this clear explanation of the different cameras. Looking forward to the time lapse project. Please cover the best time interval for say, growing chia seeds, or other natural growth.
The Zer0 had the white balance but the V2 had the blue, and that then leaves us with you get what you pay for, although they all did perform very well. I have watched a few different retro fits to the old film cameras with Pies and they do quite well but they would imagine to be only the Zer0 or V2. Again a splendid video Mr. Barnett, Cheers.
"Satisfactory Results" are such good metrics! Thanks for the wonderful video. I'm hacking together a little pi zero spy-cam, and you've convinced me that the zero-cam is the way to go.
As always, an excellent exploration, this time of the most popular Pi camera options. Thank you for this great video and for your entire body of work. This is a very valuable resource.
Another very informative video. I've recently been thinking of doing something with the Raspberry PI and a camera of some kind so this was perfect timing. And there was a Dalek. Quality!
Great comparison! Looking forward for the next one. I hope you'll include the less well known PiKrellCam in your evaluation unless you've already shot the video!
Nice test! I have Pi V2 and Pi V2 NoIR, the latter I plan to capture some leaves with IR filter attached. Looking at your tests I'd like to see performance in low lighting conditions. Like ones that robots or automated vacuums must deal with. But looking just at the test results I'd pick ZeroCam for my next project - less data, less bandwidth, good enough quality and the best price. For creative results I'd think of HQ one but only if creative effects would be part of my device. Other that that I'd just use normal camera ;)
Good afternoon Chris. While I have no immediate application in mind for a Pi camera, I enjoyed the video and look forward to the next one. It is always nice to see what can be achieved for a relatively modest outlay (except for the HQ setup, which is a bit pricey).
Great video Chris. I am looking at making a Pi HQ timelapse camera to record the formation of Cumulus clouds, something that has always fascinated me. Really looking forward to the next video.
Love your videos mate always very informative! I watch them all and always make sure to leave a thumbs up. I was quite disheartened to watch your latest state of the channel video to see you were not doing as well as you were... Anyway I love the channel and thank you from Sydney Australia!!!
I really appreciate this video. It was very timely as I am currently thinking about anning video recording to one of my Pi's. Looking forward to to the timelapse ss
Harder to see when all the correct letters are present ... but easy to see after you have seen it! Looking forward to the time-lapse video. Hopefully without the recording glitches that happened while watching the vegetation grow.
Thank you so much for this. I can finally see the mistake i made buying the V2 cam for my video captures, this was the first time the video crop total AREA of the sensor was explained to be smaller on the V2. This explains its frankly poor quality due to reduced light gathering. Cheers o/
Hey Chris, great infotainment, as always. I'm looking forward to the timelapse video and I would appreciate if you could mention things like white balance and shutter speed (and how to adjust them). Since the hqcam has been released I'm pondering wether to buy it or not. Thank you for your work, keep it up! Greetings from germany, Marcus
These raspberry pi cameras are interesting but there are usb camera modules too at a close price so. If wound be nice if we could get a comparison of those. Great video as always!
Tinsel in August?!...No matter, wonderful video Chris and great timing for me, as I'm looking into a couple of projects atm and this has been really helpful...Thanks!
Surprised you left out the pi cam versions that have the autofocus module built into them they are only a couple of dollars more and are my go-to for any raspberry pi cam project and they work wonders for usability along with the various functionality improvements made to the sensors and modules themselves. Good video and thanks for every geeky tidbit that brings me joy lol take care, be safe, and stay healthy!
Which cameras are you talking about? Please provide links! :) The Pi V2 and HQ cameras here are the only ones available from the Rapsberry Pi Foundation.
@@ExplainingComputers Haha, I am glad you were able to find them, there are quite a few variants out nowadays. But the new modules with the autofocus built in is such a godsent and I never knew what I was missing till I finally got my firsthand review of a few of them lol now they are used in all my projects that I need any type of up close or variable focusing. Cannot wait to see what you end up using them for! Take care and it was my pleasure to aid! 😊
That was a really interesting and useful video as always. In the case of the HQ Cam, what aperture did you use to record the images as this will affect the depth of field? Many thanks.
Nice and clear video explaining the pi cams👍 On the other hand if you want to leave the command line and capture with the the HQ cam, there is IMHO only an outdated gui avaliable for the pi OS.
I appreciate that you point out the relatively high cost of these cameras, in some cases exceeding the cost of the rest of the SBC system. Perhaps you can have another episode exploring camera solutions with better performance vs. cost. For example, clones of Pi camera V1 can be purchanced for less than $10 (with std, lens). On the high end, used SLR cameras can be purchased for about the same price as the HQ camera/lens and include autofocus and zoom. Controlling a SLR through USB work well enough for most projects. ESP32-CAM is another route. In summary, more focus should be given to applications and less to strictly foloowing the Raspberry Pi foundation's high margin accessories.
It has become an instructive video with these 3 cameras. In a follow-up video it might be interesting to see what these cameras do with low light. Like in the evening with only lampposts as lighting.
Thanks for sharing and reviewing those cameras. The Pi Zero Cameras do show not just the quality but how compact and cheap they are. Those are the sort of cameras we should use for home CCTVs when living in dodgy cities filled with trespassers. Also I do know that making UA-cam along with your professional camera equipment is a investment for you. I wasn't sure if you need to setup your own Patreon funding page, but I guess those donation buttons in UA-cam player is suitable
I've always wanted to do stop-motion animation (eg. "Claymation"), but the software was expensive with not a lot of feedback by users, so I was reluctant to gamble.
I'm glad you didn't record this video with th HQ Cam. As you'd have to constantly fiddle with the zoom and focus. 🤪 (P.S. I always enjoy your videos. Please keep doing them. You are a great aid for those who want to know more about technology. Plus, with the videos on someone more obscure technonlgies, we get...a closer look.)
Hi Chris. Another really nice and informative video, mostly. Recently I had some lowlife steal the screens out of my 2 new screen doors. I have been toying with the idea of CCTV w raspberry's and I was hoping that you would also do a test shoot dealing with a 20 - 30 foot distance so I could catch a quick view of the miscreant. If you could squeeze it in I would appreciate it. Cheers.
Excellent and timely review, I was thinking about a camera for my Pi and you've answered my questions about the zero cam, I didn't realise you could get adapters for the CSI interface. I do think that for general use a wider lens (shorter focal distance) for the HQ camera would increase your depth of field and make focussing less fussy (based on my experience of SLR cameras in my youth). I presume such lenses are available.
Hi Ian. You are right, you can get a wider lens for the HQ camera, which will increase depth of field. However, it will decrease resolution -- the official wider lens is rated at 3MP, compared to 10MP for the 16mm one here. And I know, they really should not rate lenses in megapixels! :)
@@ExplainingComputers Any idea why the resolution drops so much for the wider lens? Would it be a better option to just use a wide-angle lens known to work at high resolution on a DSLR rather than buying the lens that's designed for this board?
Love your channel Chris. I heard you on this week's episode of "The Retro Hour" too. I'm wondering, do you have any expierience with, and are you planning on covering any of the 80s/90s workstation platforms like Sun SparcStations, HP-PA Risc, DEC Alpha, SGI or Cray Supercomputers? 😀
Excellent comparison, the ZeroCam in particular something to look at...very interesting. On the subject of cameras, did you see the thermal cameras available? You could have some fun with those looking at your house insulation or some other science related video :-) Thank you for another great video.
This was rather interesting, thanks! I'm now tempted to get a Pi and the HQ camera and see about putting some of my Fuji X lenses in front of it, and see what I can make of it. The bokeh of the 16mm lens you used looks quite a bit like that of my Fuji 18-55mm.
The Zero Cam is nothing more than a Pi Cam V1 in a different package, so anything that applies to a V1 applies to the Zero cam. The V2 camera can be put into a pixel-doubling mode (for 1080p video) to use more of the image sensor, improving the color, light sensitivity, and reducing noise due to the fact that in that mode it is averaging the inputs from 4 cells for each pixel. This also significantly widens the field of view, solving another issue you pointed out. Using this mode, the V2 actually has a much wider field of view for video than the V1/Zero cam. The V1/Zero cam cannot be put into this mode as it simply doesn't have enough horizontal pixels to double for a 1920 pixel wide image. You should re-do your tests using this mode, as it's one of the selling points for the V2 camera. Another is the fact that it uses a Sony "backside-illuminated" sensor, which means the circuitry is behind the sensing cells instead of in front (as in the V1), providing more light to each cell. Because of this, the low-light sensitivity is higher and the overall noise is lower than the V1/Zero cam.
The mesh is a material normally used to reinforce fibre glass resin repairs -- this kind of thing: www.halfords.com/motoring/paints-and-body-repair/fillers-and-preparation/davids-isopon-aluminium-mesh-711606.html
The CamV2 has a higher dynamic range than the zerocam. That was interesting... But obviously the HQ cam was a really good picture. I'm curious if you know of of any auto-focus lenses that work with the HQCAM? I'd be interested in seeing you find some astronomy buffs there in The Old Dart (As Dave Jones calls it :-) and see if any of them are using the HQCam for astronomy pics...
I made a DIY security cam with the HQ and CM4. It has a servo controlled 280 deg gimbal and motorized zoom, focus, and aperture. The lens motors are controlled via ESP32 over WiFi. It is solar powered with a reconfigured 60AH Lithium power bank and buck converters, one for charging @ 8VDC & another for 5.2 VDC for the Pi. With ordering parts, assembly, and the learning curves the project took over 6 months and cost over $700. Now motorized security cams can be purchased for ~$200, w/o a motorized zoom lens. But, what fun is that?
"I'm curious if you know of of any auto-focus lenses that work with the HQCAM?" - No, you can't do that, because there's no way for the lens to communicate with the HQCAM.
@@CoolKoon The PCB of the HQCAM is the same size as a RPi3a, so it can stack quite nicely and fit inside a case. Then, you have full control of whatever commercial auto focus lens that fits the HQ CS lens adapter, assuming that one has specs on the physical connection and lens motors. My father used to say, "Cain't never did do nothing." I like to say,"Where there's the will, there's a way.". :-)
@@cdl0 you can get adapters to use cellphones with commercial telescope viewfinders. Though it'll be FAR from Hubble good (or even dedicated telescope CCD good) I can see the HQ cam being a half decent DIY telescope (there is a project out there that does this with a V2 camera even)
That adapter cable for the ZeroCam, is that included, or do you have to buy that additionally? If so, that would bring the cost for purchase a little higher . ;) Also, on the HQ Cam you could have chosen a norrower aperture (larger number, like 8). Then more of the image would be in focus. Nice video, as always!
Nice video! You didn't mention the aperture used for the HQ camera shots. Best results are most likely at ca F=1:2.8 Two stops down from maximum (F=1:1.4) aperture. And even for your test scene, you have to consider the depth of field. Use a DOF tool you can get for free on a smartphone, measure the scene and close down an extra stop to be sure.
completely agree with your assessment of the quality of images: High Quality camera then ZeroCam then Camera v2.1. The HQ Camera lens makes a huge difference. It would be great if it were autofocus-able too. I would have also liked to see results with a much smaller aperture so that all of the image was sharp; but that would require the sensor's light sensitivity (ISO setting) to be increased, with the possible result of a more noisy image. Is that possible, I wonder.
Great topic! So far I've bought five 5MP cameras for between 6-9 bucks apiece and they have worked great for my purposes (home security and pet monitoring). All of the kits have come with 2 ribbon cables to fit the Pi 4 and Pi Zero connectors. I did buy a V2 camera, but found that it wasn't worth the price. I already own a 24MP Fuji camera that I use for real photo and video tasks so the HD is not even a consideration.
Hello Christopher, nice review...!!! I was wondering what is the real/closest color of the wall behind your subjects: zerocam shows it somewhat greenish, the V2 pinkish, and the HQ is more of a grey........!!!!????
@@ExplainingComputers I'm quite surprised about the Zerocam.....I own several V1s and a couple of V2s Pi cams, and i found that the colors where better with the V2 cam, or rather the stability of those colors under different lighting situations was better, to be more accurate.....So that would mean the V1 cam is the worst, followed by the V2, and then the Zero, and finally the HQ......!!!! I might even switch those 2 V1 cameras i have installed in my 2 Pi Zeros for those very nice "Spycams"....!!! And you convinced me to buy an HQ cam, for my outdoor photography setup....Thank you very much......!!!! Hope to see you again, very soon... ;-)
Chris that a very impressive video. What is the real background colour? I expect you are using your normal video lights. How do these cameras behave when light are dimmed?
The background was a grey card at the top, green on the cable -- the colours with the ZeroCam and HQ camera were pretty accurate. Lighting was (tunsten) movie light bounced off the ceiling, but only one light at a much lower level than I normally shoot with (Pi cameras not not like the amount of lighting I normally shoot under). Images get more noisy as the lighting gets lower -- less so on the HQ camera with its larger sensor.
Hey, Chris. Great video. Watched all your videos about cameras and many others. Seems like ZeroCam is great for surveillance but what is best thing to power it. Is there a big difference between pi zero/pi 3A+/pi 4B if you use it for camera? There was video where it was mentioned that you can have much better fps with pi 3A+/pi 4B, while pi zero is unbearable to watch. What is your opinion on this?
I built the PI zero cam project you featured on this channel Chris. We have it pointed towards a window where our cats hang out. When we are out of town, we can spy on our cats and see what the weather is like in our yard. We really like it a lot. The Pi zero cam is a great value.
Now this is cool! :)
“Doctor Barnett and the Dalek”. What a treat! Looking forward to your next video.
Greetings Perry!
@@ExplainingComputers
Kindly make videos on A+ and N+
This is indeed one of the most British tests I've ever seen: The Tardis, Raspberry Pi, a Dalek, an EC cup (with the world famous Mr Scissors in it), and then of course Chris.
It could only get more British if Mr Scissors ✂️ drank a cup of tea in the photo 😄
I'm sipping tea reading this, and nodding in agreement.
Mr Scissors would of course be extending the pinkie of his tea-cup brandishing hand..
Those small cameras may need focusing. Some of them come with a tool to adjust the focus. But even so, the focus is not entirely stable over time.
It's like a nice warm cup of tea and a hot water bottle on a cold day watching your lovely friendly videos, thanks Chris!
This man can stretch a 5 min topic into 20 minute and somehow still make it interesting to watch
The small camera modules are very annoying to focus. You might try using a focus tool to ensure your V2 camera is focused -- They should be the same camera module, no?
Great video, Chris. Frankly surprised that the V2 camera was so far off with color representation (that odd reddish hue on everything) and surprised by the quality of the Zero camera at that price point. The Dalek was a nice touch for testing the video quality.
Even though I have no use or interest in pursuing image capture, this was a fascinating exploration of a previously murky Pi subject, and I eagerly await the next chapter (as I do all Pi videos).
Thank you for starting this series! I was about to dive in on all these cameras on my own but with your videos now I know I will have success and fun! I might need too look for a Dalek to star in stop motion video to go with my TARDIS .
Good Sunday to you all. Another fun filled fact packed EC video. Thanks for all you do for us Chris.
10:21 The first happy Dalek I've seen.
The zero cam paired with Raspberry Pi Zero and small power pack would make a nice body cam.
I enjoy the SBC videos, but prefer the ones featuring the Raspberry Pi line.
Yes, a body cam, or a camera to go on my bike handlebars would be fantastic! Are there any battle-hardened camera cases for the zero cam by any chance??
So interesting to see little difference with the upgraded camera tech. Great vid as always!
The future is miniaturization I suspect, technology seems to get smaller every year. I'm really impressed with these cameras.
DInt they have spy cameras back in day the size of a button
Now that we know how small batteries can get, on top of being almost unlimited lifespan, with graphene tech , for sure, miniaturization has even + room to grow, from our standpoint.
That last still is the Dalek's headshot that his modeling agent sends around. How much is he paid?
"EXTRA RATE! EXTRA RATE!"
I didn't LOL but I did quietly chuckle.
Am I right in thinking that if you intend to record video then the ZeroCam would be a better option over the V2. As the video seems to be recorded pixel for pixel (at 1080) and the sensor die is the same size, then the individual pixels on the sensor on the ZeroCam are larger, thus hopefully producing less noise, especially in darker conditions.
You are 100 per cent correct! :)
Thank you Chris for another informative and entertaining video. Cheers.
Thanks David.
Perfect timing I was trying to find info on Pi cameras yesterday thinking of auto iris lens. I know a lot more now about which direction to go, Thanks for illuminating video
FIRST.
Ladies y Gentlemen, here I’m, back again, to announce 📣 the 20th gold medal 🥇.
Thank you Chris, this is amazing. The best tech stuff people can watch is shown in this UA-cam channel. Thank you.
Did you even have time to watch the video before posting this?
@@haironfire907 I don't think so xD
First again! Another gold medal to you . . .
There’s no need to watch the video to know that it will show very interesting tech stuff. There will always be critics.
@@saturno_tv You being here is... consistent, to say the least.
The Dalek came back at 10:30 I must admit I didn't expect that plot twist.
That's what you get working with daleks . . .
EXTERMINATE!!!
That was interesting : )
Finally some good Dr. Who again!
Chris, thanks for running down all the camera options for everyone's favorite SBC. Now I know which camera to purchase for what purposes. Thanks again for another useful SBC computer video. Until next time, stay well!
Thanks for watching! :)
That was a good preview of the Rpi Camera's, as stated before I have the Raspberry Pi V 1.1 camera. After viewing the video on the V 2.1 camera looks like a upgrade is in order. Thanks again Chris :) Looking forward to the next video.
Thanks Richard.
I must admit I was very surprised to see the quality of the Zerocam and for the price, it can't be bettered. Zerocam is the clear winner here for me and at the price, I will be able to afford to buy it without worrying about the cost and extra lenses.
Many thanks for the videos, I always look forward to seeing them.
Take care and stay safe,
Joe
Thanks Joe.
Well done, Sir! I'd say the Zero Cam knocks it our of the park. Low cost and good image quality. A+
Sounds like the Zero Cam is the one to buy if you want a basic web-cam-style setup -- definitely the best bang for the buck there... But that HQ Cam -- wow! I was extremely impressed with it! I've seen camera setups costing 5 times as much that gave similar results. If you wanted an inexpensive streaming setup, but one which is still very high quality, it seems like that's the way to go, definitely.
Thanks for the comparison -- I never would've known that the HQ Camera was worth all that extra money otherwise.
Another interesting & instructional video Chris, looking forward to the next one. The HQ cam with manual focus/aperture takes you back to pre digital days. If there's a Tardis in sight there has to be a Dalek lurking somewhere, Eggs terminate!!
Good morning Chris. Love today’s topic! The Raspberry Pi cameras and software like MotionEye0S are one the best way to make your own DYI security system.
Be sure to check PiKrellCam! It's got a peculiar and unique UI but it beats MotionEyeOS in performance, framerate and especially motion detection. I've went through all the options multiple times during the last 5 years but always return to good ol' Pikrellcam. ☺
@@ristomatti / Thank you for letting me know about this software.
I’m surprised that this software was not listed anywhere. I will be installing it in one of my Pi’s that at this time running MotionEye0S.
I have a number of Raspberry Pi’s that I use on my property for security.
PiKrellCam I see has both audio and video recording. One real adventure it has see is the Built in servo control using Pi hardware PWM GPIOs. Can’t wait to setup that feature!
Thanks again for your recommendation
I was thinking of buying a camera for the motioneyeOS use, this video helped thank you!
And there we have another subject for Chris to --explore-- explain for us!
Me, I'd like to have realtime surveillance in my barn, but can't justify an expensive commercial system. So have been muttering to myself about maybe a Pi would work...
That ZeroCam is amazingly good. I wasn't expecting it to be that good. That's almost a steal at that price.
Really well performed test, and very interesting results with PiZero being actually a winner. Of course, HQ Cam gives beautiful results when it comes to bokeh or modifying field depth - but if we are using RPi, we wouldn't be using it as a high quality digital camera replacement since it would obviously fail miserably. Camera in RPi is usually used for some automation - like image analysis, object recognition or CCTV replacement - and PiZeroCam is unbeatable. Probably with RPiZero, since it would reduce the cost of full setup without affecting quality or usability. Actually, practicality of RPiZero+ZeroCam would be a killer feature - since cameras can't be put on long wires, and such a set would act as a remote unit (or one of many units) controlled by main full Raspberry Pi.
And kudos to you for the extremely British test scene 😁
Thank you for this clear explanation of the different cameras. Looking forward to the time lapse project. Please cover the best time interval for say, growing chia seeds, or other natural growth.
The Zer0 had the white balance but the V2 had the blue, and that then leaves us with you get what you pay for, although they all did perform very well. I have watched a few different retro fits to the old film cameras with Pies and they do quite well but they would imagine to be only the Zer0 or V2. Again a splendid video Mr. Barnett, Cheers.
"Satisfactory Results" are such good metrics! Thanks for the wonderful video. I'm hacking together a little pi zero spy-cam, and you've convinced me that the zero-cam is the way to go.
Great video giving very interesting details on each camera module. Thanks a lot
The last one looks great for outdoor photography. Waiting for the time lapse video.
It’s a great video. I was waiting it.
I can’t wait to watch the next video using the camera in your project.
As always, an excellent exploration, this time of the most popular Pi camera options. Thank you for this great video and for your entire body of work. This is a very valuable resource.
Many thanks!
Another good videos. Thanks for posting Christopher. Looking forward to more Pi camera videos.
Yeah nones of your videos are boring and you work hard to do them. Really interesting as ever. Have a nice week. Miguel
Thanks Miguel.
Another very informative video. I've recently been thinking of doing something with the Raspberry PI and a camera of some kind so this was perfect timing. And there was a Dalek. Quality!
Great comparison! Looking forward for the next one. I hope you'll include the less well known PiKrellCam in your evaluation unless you've already shot the video!
Great video! Thank you once again Chris for the quality content
Nice test! I have Pi V2 and Pi V2 NoIR, the latter I plan to capture some leaves with IR filter attached.
Looking at your tests I'd like to see performance in low lighting conditions. Like ones that robots or automated vacuums must deal with.
But looking just at the test results I'd pick ZeroCam for my next project - less data, less bandwidth, good enough quality and the best price. For creative results I'd think of HQ one but only if creative effects would be part of my device. Other that that I'd just use normal camera ;)
Ooh, looking forward to more time lapse!
A great little introduction to Pi cameras , thanks
Good afternoon Chris. While I have no immediate application in mind for a Pi camera, I enjoyed the video and look forward to the next one. It is always nice to see what can be achieved for a relatively modest outlay (except for the HQ setup, which is a bit pricey).
Great video as always. Looking forward to the next one.
Great video Chris. I am looking at making a Pi HQ timelapse camera to record the formation of Cumulus clouds, something that has always fascinated me. Really looking forward to the next video.
Love your videos mate always very informative! I watch them all and always make sure to leave a thumbs up. I was quite disheartened to watch your latest state of the channel video to see you were not doing as well as you were... Anyway I love the channel and thank you from Sydney Australia!!!
Thanks for watching. :)
I really appreciate this video. It was very timely as I am currently thinking about anning video recording to one of my Pi's. Looking forward to to the timelapse ss
The Dalek and the Tardis were a very nice touch :)
I see you've got links for most of the equipment you showcased, however, looks like you missed one: Who's the OEM for that string? 8:32
Another great video = Another great Sunday
Here we are again! The Sundays keep coming around.
Very useful comparison, thanks
Oh dearie me! Diagonal misspelled on the graphics during v2 camera. Chris IS human! Thank you much for the comparison vid.
Oh dear. :(
Harder to see when all the correct letters are present ... but easy to see after you have seen it! Looking forward to the time-lapse video. Hopefully without the recording glitches that happened while watching the vegetation grow.
Gotta keep Chris on his toes! And I'm glad it wasn't me that noticed the spelling error this time! ;-P
Love it. Before the timelapse vid can we see the outtakes of this one. Was the dalek a one take artiste?
3:50 The good and old hacking!
Very good subject! I still have this project on my mind to make a Teddy Bear spy.
You make my every sunday better
Thanks!
Thank you so much for this. I can finally see the mistake i made buying the V2 cam for my video captures, this was the first time the video crop total AREA of the sensor was explained to be smaller on the V2. This explains its frankly poor quality due to reduced light gathering. Cheers o/
Hey Chris, great infotainment, as always. I'm looking forward to the timelapse video and I would appreciate if you could mention things like white balance and shutter speed (and how to adjust them). Since the hqcam has been released I'm pondering wether to buy it or not. Thank you for your work, keep it up!
Greetings from germany,
Marcus
These raspberry pi cameras are interesting but there are usb camera modules too at a close price so. If wound be nice if we could get a comparison of those. Great video as always!
This was excellent! Gave me an idea to build a small Raspberry Pi livestream build for my fish tank! That zero cam looks appealing.
awesome video Chris. Looking forward to the next on time lapse
Thanks 👍
Great vid and definitely looking forward to the next one
Tinsel in August?!...No matter, wonderful video Chris and great timing for me, as I'm looking into a couple of projects atm and this has been really helpful...Thanks!
I randomly looked around for things to include in a test setup! :)
Thank for an excellent comparison of Pi cameras! Amazing - you can build a good 12Mp camera for under $200
Surprised you left out the pi cam versions that have the autofocus module built into them they are only a couple of dollars more and are my go-to for any raspberry pi cam project and they work wonders for usability along with the various functionality improvements made to the sensors and modules themselves. Good video and thanks for every geeky tidbit that brings me joy lol take care, be safe, and stay healthy!
Which cameras are you talking about? Please provide links! :) The Pi V2 and HQ cameras here are the only ones available from the Rapsberry Pi Foundation.
Ah, I've just found them -- from Arducam -- very interesting indeed. I will check them out. Thanks for the tip.
@@ExplainingComputers Haha, I am glad you were able to find them, there are quite a few variants out nowadays. But the new modules with the autofocus built in is such a godsent and I never knew what I was missing till I finally got my firsthand review of a few of them lol now they are used in all my projects that I need any type of up close or variable focusing. Cannot wait to see what you end up using them for! Take care and it was my pleasure to aid! 😊
That was a really interesting and useful video as always. In the case of the HQ Cam, what aperture did you use to record the images as this will affect the depth of field? Many thanks.
I think I was on about F4.
Nice and clear video explaining the pi cams👍 On the other hand if you want to leave the command line and capture with the the HQ cam, there is IMHO only an outdated gui avaliable for the pi OS.
I appreciate that you point out the relatively high cost of these cameras, in some cases exceeding the cost of the rest of the SBC system. Perhaps you can have another episode exploring camera solutions with better performance vs. cost. For example, clones of Pi camera V1 can be purchanced for less than $10 (with std, lens). On the high end, used SLR cameras can be purchased for about the same price as the HQ camera/lens and include autofocus and zoom. Controlling a SLR through USB work well enough for most projects. ESP32-CAM is another route. In summary, more focus should be given to applications and less to strictly foloowing the Raspberry Pi foundation's high margin accessories.
It has become an instructive video with these 3 cameras.
In a follow-up video it might be interesting to see what these cameras do with low light.
Like in the evening with only lampposts as lighting.
Thanks for sharing and reviewing those cameras. The Pi Zero Cameras do show not just the quality but how compact and cheap they are. Those are the sort of cameras we should use for home CCTVs when living in dodgy cities filled with trespassers. Also I do know that making UA-cam along with your professional camera equipment is a investment for you. I wasn't sure if you need to setup your own Patreon funding page, but I guess those donation buttons in UA-cam player is suitable
I've always wanted to do stop-motion animation (eg. "Claymation"), but the software was expensive with not a lot of feedback by users, so I was reluctant to gamble.
I'm glad you didn't record this video with th HQ Cam. As you'd have to constantly fiddle with the zoom and focus. 🤪 (P.S. I always enjoy your videos. Please keep doing them. You are a great aid for those who want to know more about technology. Plus, with the videos on someone more obscure technonlgies, we get...a closer look.)
Fantastic features of gizmos do not get used because folks don't know what can be done or how to go about it. Their eyes are opened by a closer look.
Hi Chris. Another really nice and informative video, mostly. Recently I had some lowlife steal the screens out of my 2 new screen doors. I have been toying with the idea of CCTV w raspberry's and I was hoping that you would also do a test shoot dealing with a 20 - 30 foot distance so I could catch a quick view of the miscreant. If you could squeeze it in I would appreciate it. Cheers.
Again, a very interesting video. I would have liked to see how the cams work under lower light conditions, especially the zero can. Great job
Great video as always!
Thanks!
Excellent and timely review, I was thinking about a camera for my Pi and you've answered my questions about the zero cam, I didn't realise you could get adapters for the CSI interface. I do think that for general use a wider lens (shorter focal distance) for the HQ camera would increase your depth of field and make focussing less fussy (based on my experience of SLR cameras in my youth). I presume such lenses are available.
Hi Ian. You are right, you can get a wider lens for the HQ camera, which will increase depth of field. However, it will decrease resolution -- the official wider lens is rated at 3MP, compared to 10MP for the 16mm one here. And I know, they really should not rate lenses in megapixels! :)
@@ExplainingComputers Any idea why the resolution drops so much for the wider lens? Would it be a better option to just use a wide-angle lens known to work at high resolution on a DSLR rather than buying the lens that's designed for this board?
Love your channel Chris. I heard you on this week's episode of "The Retro Hour" too. I'm wondering, do you have any expierience with, and are you planning on covering any of the 80s/90s workstation platforms like Sun SparcStations, HP-PA Risc, DEC Alpha, SGI or Cray Supercomputers? 😀
Excellent comparison, the ZeroCam in particular something to look at...very interesting.
On the subject of cameras, did you see the thermal cameras available? You could have some fun with those looking at your house insulation or some other science related video :-)
Thank you for another great video.
Thanks for this. I've yet to experiment with thermal cameras . . . certainly a future possibility! :)
This was rather interesting, thanks! I'm now tempted to get a Pi and the HQ camera and see about putting some of my Fuji X lenses in front of it, and see what I can make of it. The bokeh of the 16mm lens you used looks quite a bit like that of my Fuji 18-55mm.
The Zero Cam is nothing more than a Pi Cam V1 in a different package, so anything that applies to a V1 applies to the Zero cam.
The V2 camera can be put into a pixel-doubling mode (for 1080p video) to use more of the image sensor, improving the color, light sensitivity, and reducing noise due to the fact that in that mode it is averaging the inputs from 4 cells for each pixel. This also significantly widens the field of view, solving another issue you pointed out. Using this mode, the V2 actually has a much wider field of view for video than the V1/Zero cam. The V1/Zero cam cannot be put into this mode as it simply doesn't have enough horizontal pixels to double for a 1920 pixel wide image.
You should re-do your tests using this mode, as it's one of the selling points for the V2 camera. Another is the fact that it uses a Sony "backside-illuminated" sensor, which means the circuitry is behind the sensing cells instead of in front (as in the V1), providing more light to each cell. Because of this, the low-light sensitivity is higher and the overall noise is lower than the V1/Zero cam.
the focus on the zero cam looks better to me than the V2
Extremely informative and helpful as always...random question - where did you get that flexible mesh?
The mesh is a material normally used to reinforce fibre glass resin repairs -- this kind of thing: www.halfords.com/motoring/paints-and-body-repair/fillers-and-preparation/davids-isopon-aluminium-mesh-711606.html
@@ExplainingComputers perfect - thank you!
The CamV2 has a higher dynamic range than the zerocam. That was interesting... But obviously the HQ cam was a really good picture. I'm curious if you know of of any auto-focus lenses that work with the HQCAM? I'd be interested in seeing you find some astronomy buffs there in The Old Dart (As Dave Jones calls it :-) and see if any of them are using the HQCam for astronomy pics...
The hqcam sensor is too small for astrophotography. You need something more like 20-30 mm across for a small amateur telescope (100-300 mm aperture).
I made a DIY security cam with the HQ and CM4. It has a servo controlled 280 deg gimbal and motorized zoom, focus, and aperture. The lens motors are controlled via ESP32 over WiFi. It is solar powered with a reconfigured 60AH Lithium power bank and buck converters, one for charging @ 8VDC & another for 5.2 VDC for the Pi.
With ordering parts, assembly, and the learning curves the project took over 6 months and cost over $700. Now motorized security cams can be purchased for ~$200, w/o a motorized zoom lens.
But, what fun is that?
"I'm curious if you know of of any auto-focus lenses that work with the HQCAM?" - No, you can't do that, because there's no way for the lens to communicate with the HQCAM.
@@CoolKoon The PCB of the HQCAM is the same size as a RPi3a, so it can stack quite nicely and fit inside a case. Then, you have full control of whatever commercial auto focus lens that fits the HQ CS lens adapter, assuming that one has specs on the physical connection and lens motors. My father used to say, "Cain't never did do nothing."
I like to say,"Where there's the will, there's a way.". :-)
@@cdl0 you can get adapters to use cellphones with commercial telescope viewfinders. Though it'll be FAR from Hubble good (or even dedicated telescope CCD good) I can see the HQ cam being a half decent DIY telescope (there is a project out there that does this with a V2 camera even)
This would be a good benchmark test for all the SBCs.
That adapter cable for the ZeroCam, is that included, or do you have to buy that additionally? If so, that would bring the cost for purchase a little higher . ;)
Also, on the HQ Cam you could have chosen a norrower aperture (larger number, like 8). Then more of the image would be in focus.
Nice video, as always!
I had to buy the adapter cable. It cost me £1. On the HQ Camera I adjusted the iris for the best exposure.
They are all better than my first digital camera back in the 90s :)
So true.
As always … very nice content!!!
Nice video!
You didn't mention the aperture used for the HQ camera shots.
Best results are most likely at ca F=1:2.8 Two stops down from maximum (F=1:1.4) aperture.
And even for your test scene, you have to consider the depth of field. Use a DOF tool you can get for free on a smartphone, measure the scene and close down an extra stop to be sure.
All fair points.
Very interesting video, I will save it for later reference when buying my next camera
👍
Cool 👍
completely agree with your assessment of the quality of images: High Quality camera then ZeroCam then Camera v2.1. The HQ Camera lens makes a huge difference. It would be great if it were autofocus-able too. I would have also liked to see results with a much smaller aperture so that all of the image was sharp; but that would require the sensor's light sensitivity (ISO setting) to be increased, with the possible result of a more noisy image. Is that possible, I wonder.
It would have been interesting to see how the dirt cheap Pi cameras on eBay compare. I bought one a few years ago for a little over £3.
It might be fun to build a housing for the pi and the camera, along with some micro switches and special software to make a home made digital camera.
Good Morning from Brazil!
Greetings from the UK! :)
Very intersting and complete comparison, thanks for sharing !! PS: What was the distance between the cam and the objects?
About 50cm for the ZeroCam and V2 Cam, and then about 1.5m for the HQ Cam with the 16mm lens.
@@ExplainingComputers Thanks for the info !
Great topic! So far I've bought five 5MP cameras for between 6-9 bucks apiece and they have worked great for my purposes (home security and pet monitoring). All of the kits have come with 2 ribbon cables to fit the Pi 4 and Pi Zero connectors. I did buy a V2 camera, but found that it wasn't worth the price. I already own a 24MP Fuji camera that I use for real photo and video tasks so the HD is not even a consideration.
Hello Christopher, nice review...!!! I was wondering what is the real/closest color of the wall behind your subjects: zerocam shows it somewhat greenish, the V2 pinkish, and the HQ is more of a grey........!!!!????
The backing was a light grey card. The HQ camera reproduces it well, the Zero Cam is pretty good, and the V2 not good at all.
@@ExplainingComputers I'm quite surprised about the Zerocam.....I own several V1s and a couple of V2s Pi cams, and i found that the colors where better with the V2 cam, or rather the stability of those colors under different lighting situations was better, to be more accurate.....So that would mean the V1 cam is the worst, followed by the V2, and then the Zero, and finally the HQ......!!!! I might even switch those 2 V1 cameras i have installed in my 2 Pi Zeros for those very nice "Spycams"....!!! And you convinced me to buy an HQ cam, for my outdoor photography setup....Thank you very much......!!!! Hope to see you again, very soon... ;-)
Chris that a very impressive video. What is the real background colour? I expect you are using your normal video lights. How do these cameras behave when light are dimmed?
The background was a grey card at the top, green on the cable -- the colours with the ZeroCam and HQ camera were pretty accurate. Lighting was (tunsten) movie light bounced off the ceiling, but only one light at a much lower level than I normally shoot with (Pi cameras not not like the amount of lighting I normally shoot under). Images get more noisy as the lighting gets lower -- less so on the HQ camera with its larger sensor.
Hey, Chris. Great video. Watched all your videos about cameras and many others. Seems like ZeroCam is great for surveillance but what is best thing to power it. Is there a big difference between pi zero/pi 3A+/pi 4B if you use it for camera? There was video where it was mentioned that you can have much better fps with pi 3A+/pi 4B, while pi zero is unbearable to watch. What is your opinion on this?
Pictures taken, now to get myself down to the chemists to get the film developed.
:)