A low-light sensor on its own is only half of a day-and-night camera. The other half is the IR-CUT filter. It blocks infrared light in daylight so colours look right, then moves aside at night so the sensor can use infrared light. Chinneo's IMX290 2MP starlight camera with IR-CUT pairs the IMX290 low-light sensor with a 90 degree M12 lens and an on-board IR-CUT switch.
Key specs
Specifications
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Sensor | IMX290, 2MP, 1920x1080 |
| Video output | 1080P output at 60FPS |
| Pixel size | 2.9 µm x 2.9 µm pixels, 1/2.8 inch optical format, rolling shutter |
| Lens | M12 lens, 3.95mm focal length, F2.0, distortion <5% |
| Field of view | Horizontal 83 degrees, vertical 47 degrees, diagonal 90 degrees |
| Focus | Fixed focus, focusing range 10cm to infinity |
| IR-CUT | Built-in IR-CUT filter switch for day and night modes, switched by hand or by software through the Raspberry Pi GPIO |
| Interface | 15-pin camera connector on the board |
| Depth | 24.75mm deep including the lens (per the dimension drawing) |
| Compatibility | Supports Raspberry Pi series boards |
Good to know
- The parameter table and the dimension drawing give different board sizes, so no board size is stated here; contact us before designing a mount if exact dimensions matter
What is in the box
- The Raspberry Pi boards shown in the connection illustrations are not included
Manual or GPIO switching
The filter can be switched by hand or by software through the Raspberry Pi GPIO. Manual switching suits a camera that stays in one mode for long periods. GPIO switching lets your own script change mode on a schedule or from a light reading.
Which cable goes where
This configuration includes a 15/22PIN cable and a 22PIN cable. Raspberry Pi 5 and the Zero series use the smaller 22-pin camera connector, while older full-size boards use the 15-pin connector. Check the connector on your own board, then pick the cable that matches.
Questions to settle before you order
- Infrared lighting. The listing does not show an IR lamp, so plan your own infrared light for fully dark scenes.
- Cable lengths. The length of each cable is not specified.
- Your exact Raspberry Pi model. The listing says "Raspberry Pi series" but does not give a model-by-model list.
A figure we left out
The parameter table and the dimension drawing give different board sizes, so this guide does not quote one. Measure the drawing tolerance against your enclosure before you finalise a mount.
See the IMX290 IR-CUT camera for photos and the full table.
This guide is based on the published specifications for this module. Chinneo has not run hands-on tests of this module.