Night vision camera configuration for ESP32-CAM

ESPHome
1

Are there some special config in the yaml file that I need for a ESP32-CAM with a night vision 850nm cam module to be used in the dark?

I have this camera (https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000239046354.html) for a baby cam and it works great in the dark without showing the IR light. which my kid is scared of. However, it uses special cloud app software and it heats up and crash after 4-5 hrs of use. So I decided to recreate the same system using ESP32-CAM with some wide angle night vision camera module with ESPHOME firmware on Home Assistant. It all works great in the day time, but it wouldn’t see anything in the dark when I put it side by side of the above camera, as the camera IR light should provide the same IR light for both. At first I thought I got a bad cam module, so I bought serval more from different vendors with same result. Then I thought maybe is the IR light frequent, so I go some 850nm and 950nm IR lights. It is better with the 850nm. It can see some image but still very dark compare to the commercial one. So back to my question, what wrong with my setup??

Here is my yaml file setting minus the password stuff. It’s almost a standard setup. And thanks in advance for any advice:

esp32_camera:
  external_clock:
    pin: GPIO0
    frequency: 20MHz
  i2c_pins:
    sda: GPIO26
    scl: GPIO27
  data_pins: [GPIO5, GPIO18, GPIO19, GPIO21, GPIO36, GPIO39, GPIO34, GPIO35]
  vsync_pin: GPIO25
  href_pin: GPIO23
  pixel_clock_pin: GPIO22
  power_down_pin: GPIO32
  
  # Image settings
  name: my-cam
#  resolution: 800x600
  resolution: 640x480
  jpeg_quality: 10
  max_framerate: 15.0 fps  
  idle_framerate: 0.5 fps
  brightness: 2
  contrast: 1

  agc_mode: 128x
2

Hi, sorry to dig out such an old thread. I just have the same problem. Have you found a solution?

3

I am not an expert here, but this sounds like a combination of issues.

  • The camera has an IR filter, which must be removed. Several YouTube videos are available on removing the IR filter from the sensor lens.

  • You may have to play with the brightness and possibly the gain settings of the camera yaml file.

  • You may also be able to increase the resolution from VGA to simple HD. The image sensor can handle it. The best source for information is to look up the imaging sensor you are using for guidance.