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Raspberry Pi Spy Cameras and Miniaturisation!

Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2020 5:52 pm
by TomDev
Hey folks, just wondering if anyone has used any of the smaller Spy Cams that are compatible with the Raspberry/Stereo Pi boards?

I'm thinking by using these cameras you could potentially have a much better chance of taking macro photos, as there's the chance of building a custom case that would make a stereobase of about 8-10mm possible.

I've also noticed that most of the camera modules that use boards have a snap connector that goes from the camera lens to the actual camera board itself. The camera board then connects to the Stereo Pi through the CSI cable and connectors. Has anyone found any extension cables for the snap connector that goes from the lens to the camera board?

I'm thinking the Sunny P5V04A (camera v1) or the RCM8MSY101 (camera v2) connectors. Let me know your thoughts!

Re: Raspberry Pi Spy Cameras and Miniaturisation!

Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2020 6:14 pm
by TomDev
I'm currently playing around with the v1 camera boards I have, I've managed to get the cameras closer together, but it's a bit hacky and results in a slight height difference, which would need to be edited after taking photos/videos. This is why I ask about the extension cables!

Re: Raspberry Pi Spy Cameras and Miniaturisation!

Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2020 8:02 pm
by Realizator
Hi Tom!
Actually, for the real miniaturization, you can use a tiny camera like this https://www.adafruit.com/product/3508, or this https://www.adafruit.com/product/1937
It has no big PCB, and can save you a lot of space!
Both links are just examples from Adafruit. You can google a lot of alternative manufacturers.
Please be careful about the camera connector. Some cams have a very small cable ribbon for the RPi Zero, and you need a regular-size cable for the StereoPi (or a regular Raspberry Pi).

Re: Raspberry Pi Spy Cameras and Miniaturisation!

Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2020 9:01 pm
by TomDev
Ah yes, those were the spy cams I was thinking of, I'll have to get some eventually! Having a smaller stereobase would be great for the projects I have in mind!

Re: Raspberry Pi Spy Cameras and Miniaturisation!

Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2020 3:22 pm
by erikmarsh434
Hello! I don't know if this would still be helpful to OP, but for anyone else who finds this post while trying to find the best way to miniaturize the camera footprint:

I've been using Arducam's CMOS sensor extension cable:

Sensor Extension Cable (it's a male to female extension for the port the CMOS sensor attaches to on the PCB)
https://www.amazon.com/Arducam-Extensio ... ast_sto_dp

It took some research to find this sensor extension cable and it was just what I needed to make my previous project work. Using these cables really opens up your options since you can fit the little CMOS sensor in much smaller housings without worrying about the chunky square PCB. Fair warning, though - I really haven't found that anyone else makes a cable like this, and they ran out of stock for a good 8 months this year. I went ahead and bought a stack of them just in case I tore one or broke the little plastic clip that connects to the sensor. I had to use superglue and heatshrink tubing to reinforce the connector so it wouldn't pop loose while I was trying to route the cable because it's all a bit delicate.