Optocam Zero: a Pi Zero based digital camera made using off the shelf components • Hacker News Board

Re: Optocam Zero: a Pi Zero based digital camera made using off the shelf components

#61

Post by MoonWalk » Tue, Jun 23, 2026, 6:00 PM UTC

throwaway219450 wrote: post #20

MoonWalk wrote: post #16

No disrespect to the project here, of course, but I'm wondering why there's no truly high-quality camera for Pis. I have the so-called "high-quality camera" and it still blows. I use it to monitor my 3-D printer with OctoPi, and that's about what it's good for.

By “high quality” you mean big sensor? 1” is possible - https://github.com/will127534/imx294-v4l2-driver and see OneInchEye based on the IMX283. While many camera sensors use MIPI/CSI, you need enough lanes to transfer the data, the driver support in the kernel and other pipeline bits to get good images from the bayer. Almost all “real” cameras use ASICs or FPGAs to clock out the images. Additionally sensor companies…

Thanks. Mainly I mean low-noise, so whatever sensor can provide that is what I'm after.

I really meant using the Pi's camera connector. I'll take "only" HD resolution over something higher any day if the payoff is better image quality.

Re: Optocam Zero: a Pi Zero based digital camera made using off the shelf components

#62

Post by MoonWalk » Tue, Jun 23, 2026, 6:24 PM UTC

sottol wrote: post #17

MoonWalk wrote: post #16

No disrespect to the project here, of course, but I'm wondering why there's no truly high-quality camera for Pis. I have the so-called "high-quality camera" and it still blows. I use it to monitor my 3-D printer with OctoPi, and that's about what it's good for.

There's Will Whang's boards - IMX585 [1] (16:9 1"-ish) and even IMX283 [2] (1") and even IMX294 [3] (Micro 4/3). But just those camera boards run $199 to $399, and released in "artisanal quantities" (I think their hand-assembled!)... so you have to pounce when restocked. Soho Enterprise has some IMX585 boards as well and I've seen some IMX585 MIPI CSI boards on aliexpress afair but never tried them I'm experimenting…

Thanks. I'm familiar with the (cool) CinePi project, but haven't participated there.

Re: Optocam Zero: a Pi Zero based digital camera made using off the shelf components

#63

Post by Fwirt » Wed, Jun 24, 2026, 6:30 PM UTC

saltmate wrote: post #40

DrewADesign wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Functional comparisons among devices within a category are always fair. Pointing out a device’s perceived shortcomings is not an attack on the people that made it. One crucial role designers play (ideally) in product development is seeking out honest feedback, filtering it, and figuring out if that feedback can help make the product better for end users. The FOSS landscape needs a lot more of that.

> Functional comparisons among devices within a category are always fair When they have the same prerequisites, yes. But then you need to count in the time the iPhone needs to boot as well, which will probably mean you are at a similar range.

No, because the criteria here is state transition from not-in-use/power saving to in-use/"on". The Pi Zero has no meaningful sleep state, as I lamented above, thus the only valid "off-on" state transition for the Optocam Zero is a full boot. Sure, if you were to leave it on in your bag then there's no boot time, but then you're limited to 70-80 minutes of runtime. Then you get "instant-on", but you're limited to the photos you can take within an hour off the charger, which also renders it useless as a camera, and compares unfavorably to the iPhone . If it had a sleep state then we could compare apples to apples. Since the iPhone's default "off" state is sleep, that's what counts for "turning it on".

Re: Optocam Zero: a Pi Zero based digital camera made using off the shelf components

#64

Post by DrewADesign » Wed, Jun 24, 2026, 8:19 PM UTC

Fwirt wrote: post #63

saltmate wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Functional comparisons among devices within a category are always fair When they have the same prerequisites, yes. But then you need to count in the time the iPhone needs to boot as well, which will probably mean you are at a similar range.

No, because the criteria here is state transition from not-in-use/power saving to in-use/"on". The Pi Zero has no meaningful sleep state, as I lamented above, thus the only valid "off-on" state transition for the Optocam Zero is a full boot. Sure, if you were to leave it on in your bag then there's no boot time, but then you're limited to 70-80 minutes of runtime. Then you get "instant-on", but you're limited to the…

You don’t even need to technically justify the comparison. Apples and oranges can be compared if you’re discussing how useful each is for a particular purpose or in a particular context. Oranges are nice because the skin proffers protection from soil and bumps during travel. Apples are nice because you don’t have to peel them or deal with sections — you just bite hunks off of it. If you’re not throwing it in your bag, the shortcomings of the Apple might be totally irrelevant. If you’re going on a picnic, the convenience of the Apple might be less important. Similarly, it wouldn’t make much sense to abstractly compare whether moving trucks or motorcycles are better. It makes complete sense to say one has better cargo capacity, and one is way more fun to operate.