16MP IMX519

Introduction

Based on the 16MP Sony IMX519 sensor, Arducam released a series of 16MP cameras for Raspberry Pi. With 2 times higher resolution than the V2 camera, and 40% higher than the HQ camera, they are better choices for a whole world of industrial/consumer/etc. applications. They can work with the latest software from the foundation and leverages the same tuning algorithms used in the official camera modules.

Image Sensor

Sensor Model	IMX519
Shutter Type	Rolling Shutter
Active Pixels	4656 (H) × 3496 (V)
Resolution	16MP
Image Sensor Format	Type 1/2.53″
Pixel Size	1.22μm×1.22μm
CSI-2 Data Output	2-lane mode
Data Format	RAW10/8, COMP8

Autofocus

Arducam 16MP IMX519 autofocus Camera Modules are designed for you to control the focus via software, so you can see closer and see where you want to see.

Platform Compatibility

Supported Operating Systems

This camera is compatible with all modern Raspberry Pi models and operating systems. Trixie OS is also supported.

Platform	Trixie	Bookworm	Bullseye
Raspberry Pi 5 / CM5	✅	✅	❌
Raspberry Pi 4B / 3B+ / 3A+ / Zero / Zero 2 W	✅	✅	✅
Raspberry Pi CM3 / CM3+ / CM4 Requires adapter board	✅	✅	✅

Buster OS Not Supported

Please note that Raspberry Pi OS Buster is not compatible with the required libcamera stack. We recommend using Bullseye or a newer OS version.

Products Catalog

Product Image	SKU	Pin/Connect Type	Features	Lens Type	Field of View(D/H/V)	Focus Type	IR Sensitivity
	B0386	22pin/Top	MIni Size	Stock Lens	66°(H) x 49.5°(V)	Fixed Focus	without IR-cut filter
	B0371	22pin/Top	High Resolution			AutoFocus	650nm IR cut filter
	B0389	15/NA	Miniature Camera		65°(H) x 48.8°(V)	Fixed Focus	without IR-cut filter
	B0391	22/NA
	B0449	22/Top	Wide Angle	M12 Lens	140°(D)×120°(H)×95°(V)	Manual Focus	650nm IR-cut filter

Hardware Connection

Please refer to the following doc for common hardware connection method of RPI Camera:

Quick Start Guide - Hardware Connection

Guide for Autofocus Cameras

Product Image	SKU	Pin/Connect Type	Features	Lens Type	Field of View(D/H/V)	Focus Type	IR Sensitivity
	B0371	15/Bottom	High Resolution	Stock Lens	66°(H) x 49.5°(V)	AutoFocus	650nm IR cut filter

Autofocus models require a custom version of the libcamera library provided by Arducam to enable focus control functions. The setup involves running an installation script and manually enabling the driver. The software setup is a mandatory three-step process.

Internet Connection Required

Your Raspberry Pi must be connected to the internet to download the necessary software packages.

Step 1: Download the Installation Script

This script downloads the necessary tools to install Arducam's custom software.

wget -O install_pivariety_pkgs.sh https://github.com/ArduCAM/Arducam-Pivariety-V4L2-Driver/releases/download/install_script/install_pivariety_pkgs.sh
chmod +x install_pivariety_pkgs.sh

Step 2: Install Arducam libcamera Software

Next, use the script to install the custom libcamera library and applications.

Install libcamera-dev:

./install_pivariety_pkgs.sh -p libcamera_dev

Install libcamera-apps:

./install_pivariety_pkgs.sh -p libcamera_apps

Note

A reboot is not required yet. Proceed directly to Step 3.

Step 3: Enable the Camera Driver

You must now manually edit your config.txt file to enable the camera.

Raspberry Pi 5 & CM5

Pi 5 supports both Trixie and Bookworm OS. The configuration file is located at /boot/firmware/config.txt for both systems.

1. Open the configuration file:

   sudo nano /boot/firmware/config.txt
   

2. Disable camera auto-detection:

   camera_auto_detect=0
   

3. Add imx519 overlay under the [all] section:

   dtoverlay=imx519
   

4. Save and reboot:

   sudo reboot
   

Camera Port Configuration

For Pi 5 & CM5 with cameras connected to CAM0 port, use:

dtoverlay=imx519,cam0

Raspberry Pi 4

Pi 4 supports Trixie, Bookworm and Bullseye OS with different configuration file locations.

Trixie & Bookworm OSBullseye OS

sudo nano /boot/firmware/config.txt

sudo nano /boot/config.txt

Configuration steps (same for all OS versions):

1. Set camera_auto_detect=0
2. Add dtoverlay=imx519 under the [all] section
3. Save the file and reboot:

   sudo reboot
   

Raspberry Pi Zero to Pi 3

These models support Trixie, Bookworm and Bullseye OS with different setup procedures.

Trixie & Bookworm OSBullseye OS

Standard configuration using /boot/firmware/config.txt:

sudo nano /boot/firmware/config.txt

1. Set camera_auto_detect=0
2. Add dtoverlay=imx519 under [all] section
3. Save the file and reboot:

   sudo reboot
   

Two-step process required:

Step 1: Edit config.txt

sudo nano /boot/config.txt

1. Set camera_auto_detect=0
2. Add dtoverlay=imx519 under [all] section
3. Save the file but do not reboot yet - proceed to Step 2

Step 2: Enable Glamor Graphics

sudo raspi-config

Navigate to 6 Advanced Options → A3 Glamor → Enable → Reboot

Raspberry Pi Compute Module 3 & 4

CM3 and CM4 support all operating systems with dual camera ports (cam0, cam1).

Trixie & Bookworm OSBullseye OS

sudo nano /boot/firmware/config.txt

sudo nano /boot/config.txt

Configuration steps (same for all OS versions):

1. Set camera_auto_detect=0
2. Add dtoverlay=imx519 under [all] section
3. Save the file and reboot:

   sudo reboot
   

Camera Port Selection

For CAM0 interface usage, modify the overlay line to:

dtoverlay=imx519,cam0

Camera Usage

After system configuration and reboot, your camera is ready for operation.

Trixie & Bookworm OSBullseye OS

Using rpicam-apps suite:

1. List available cameras:

   rpicam-still --list-cameras
   

2. Live preview (Ctrl+C to exit):

   rpicam-still -t 0
   

3. Capture image with 5-second preview:

   rpicam-still -t 5000 -o test.jpg
   

Using libcamera-apps suite:

1. List available cameras:

   libcamera-still --list-cameras
   

2. Live preview (Ctrl+C to exit):

   libcamera-still -t 0
   

3. Capture image with 5-second preview:

   libcamera-still -t 5000 -o test.jpg
   

AF/Manual Focus Function

Abstract

For cameras with focus motors, we have added autofocus parameters to enable single autofocus and continuous autofocus functions.

Please refer to the following doc for details:

Autofocus/Manual Focus Function for Arducam 16MP Autofocus Camera

Guide for Fixed-Focus Cameras

Product Image	SKU	Pin/Connect Type	Features	Lens Type	Field of View(D/H/V)	Focus Type	IR Sensitivity
	B0386	15/Top	MIni Size	Stock Lens	66°(H) x 49.5°(V)	Fixed Focus	without IR-cut filter
	B0389	15/NA	Miniature Camera		65°(H) x 48.8°(V)	Fixed Focus	without IR-cut filter
	B0391	22/NA
	B0449	15/Top	Wide Angle	M12 Lens	140°(D)×120°(H)×95°(V)	Manual Focus	650nm IR-cut filter

The setup process is nearly identical to the autofocus models, but requires a specific parameter in the configuration file to prevent warnings.

Step 1: Install Arducam libcamera

The libcamera installation process is identical to the Autofocus cameras. Please complete Step 1 & 2 from the section above before proceeding.

Step 2: Enable the Camera Driver

Manually edit config.txt. The key difference is adding the vcm=off parameter, which disables the autofocus motor controller and prevents system warnings.

Raspberry Pi 5 & CM5

Pi 5 supports both Trixie and Bookworm OS. The configuration file is located at /boot/firmware/config.txt for both systems.

1. Open the configuration file:

   sudo nano /boot/firmware/config.txt
   

2. Disable camera auto-detection:

   camera_auto_detect=0
   

3. Add imx519 overlay under the [all] section:

   dtoverlay=imx519,vcm=off
   

4. Save and reboot:

   sudo reboot
   

Camera Port Configuration

For Pi 5 & CM5 with cameras connected to CAM0 port, use:

dtoverlay=imx519,cam0,vcm=off

Raspberry Pi 4

Pi 4 supports Trixie, Bookworm and Bullseye OS with different configuration file locations.

Trixie & Bookworm OSBullseye OS

sudo nano /boot/firmware/config.txt

sudo nano /boot/config.txt

Configuration steps (same for all OS versions):

1. Set camera_auto_detect=0
2. Add dtoverlay=imx519,vcm=off under the [all] section
3. Save the file and reboot:

   sudo reboot
   

Raspberry Pi Zero to Pi 3

These models support Trixie, Bookworm and Bullseye OS with different setup procedures.

Trixie & Bookworm OSBullseye OS

Standard configuration using /boot/firmware/config.txt:

sudo nano /boot/firmware/config.txt

1. Set camera_auto_detect=0
2. Add dtoverlay=imx519,vcm=off under [all] section
3. Save the file and reboot:

   sudo reboot
   

Two-step process required:

Step 1: Edit config.txt

sudo nano /boot/config.txt

1. Set camera_auto_detect=0
2. Add dtoverlay=imx519,vcm=off under [all] section
3. Save the file but do not reboot yet - proceed to Step 2

Step 2: Enable Glamor Graphics

sudo raspi-config

Navigate to 6 Advanced Options → A3 Glamor → Enable → Reboot

Raspberry Pi Compute Module 3 & 4

CM3 and CM4 support all operating systems with dual camera ports (cam0, cam1).

Trixie & Bookworm OSBullseye OS

sudo nano /boot/firmware/config.txt

sudo nano /boot/config.txt

Configuration steps (same for all OS versions):

1. Set camera_auto_detect=0
2. Add dtoverlay=imx519,vcm=off under [all] section
3. Save the file and reboot:

   sudo reboot
   

Camera Port Selection

For CAM0 interface usage, modify the overlay line to:

dtoverlay=imx519,cam0,vcm=off

Camera Usage

After system configuration and reboot, your camera is ready for operation.

Trixie & Bookworm OSBullseye OS

Using rpicam-apps suite:

1. List available cameras:

   rpicam-still --list-cameras
   

2. Live preview (Ctrl+C to exit):

   rpicam-still -t 0
   

3. Capture image with 5-second preview:

   rpicam-still -t 5000 -o test.jpg
   

Using libcamera-apps suite:

1. List available cameras:

   libcamera-still --list-cameras
   

2. Live preview (Ctrl+C to exit):

   libcamera-still -t 0
   

3. Capture image with 5-second preview:

   libcamera-still -t 5000 -o test.jpg
   

Troubleshooting

If you encounter display issues such as black screens, the camera may not be properly recognized by the system.

Common troubleshooting resources: - Common Troubleshooting Guide

For persistent issues, please contact our support team for additional assistance.

Related Documentation

• Native Pi Camera Quick Start Guide
• libcamera User Guide
• PiCamera2 User Guide