HomeReviewELP M7 120° USB 480p Camera - review

ELP M7 120° USB 480p Camera – review

Getting a much wider perspective!

Last time I took the SM5 robot to play outside and test the Wi-Fi range of the adapter, two things become apparent. I need some sort of flip protection feedback, and a wider angle camera to better understand the environment near me.  I have ordered the gyro chip straight away, but I hesitated with the camera for a bit. Couple days ago ELP reached out to me asking if I want to test their wide angle mini camera. A perfect timing!

ELP M7 120° USB 480p camera

I’m not going to hold the low resolution against this camera. As a driving camera, the low latency and smoothness are more important than a full HD image, especially at the extreme distances.

Here are the specs as given by the manufacturer ELP M7:

  • 120 degree M7 lens VGA USB camera support android, Linux, Windows, MacOS system
  • Standard M7 mini lens with super wide-angle FOV(D) 150 degree, (H)120 degree
  • max 640×480 MJPEG@60FPS, YUY2@30fps
  • usb2.0 high-speed mini size 32×32/26x26mm for small space insert
  • support raspberry pi, OpenCV etc.

The 640×480 stream at 60 FPS seems like a good enough idea to steer the robot about. The picture is smooth, the latency is low due to low res image, but the camera itself is detailed enough to guide you around the obstacles. I’m not going to use this camera to record any footage, this is going to be offloaded to a proper HD cam placed on 2 axis servos.

Where camera falls short is the sensitivity and dynamic range. There were a few high contrast scenarios (in the broad daylight) where some of the images were skewed towards black/white depending on the average light intensity of the scene.

The camera is light and compact, therefore it will fit well without obstructing other elements. All it needs is a nice 3D printed enclosure. It looks like Thingiverse got that already covered. Not sure if any adjustments need to be done, but I think I will go even further and include a servo to create a self-levelling camera.

Conclusion

Buy ELP M7 120° USB 480p Camera

Buy it using these links to support NotEnoughTech.

Looking up on Amazon and various sources, there aren’t many ‘naked’ sensors out there. The module costs a fair bit. Unless you are set specifically on the 60FPS or the wide-angle, you could get away with getting a webcam with a wide-angle lens and remove the plastic enclosure. For what I need it for, the module will work just great, if you need something better suited with a higher camera resolution ELP has a wider selection of specifications.

REVIEW OVERVIEW

Resolution
Lens
FPS

Shop with to support:

client-image
client-image
client-image
client-image
client-image
client-image

Other reviews

Hohem iSteady MT2: one to rule them all

0
This is my favourite gadget of the year so far! Hohem iSteady MT2 was made to stabilise the video footage regardelss of the camera used

I got in trouble for using IMILAB EC3 Lite 

0
It's been some time since I covered an outdoor IP camera, and Imilab has sent me one to try. Their website features a selection of products including smart cleaners, watches and other security products. At $64.99, it's one of the more affordable security cameras...

A webcam I can talk to: OBSbot Tiny 2

0
OBSbot Tiny 2 brings better image quality and new incredibly useful options to turn your livestream into something special.

Whoa! This is bright: NexiGo PJ40

0
Many budget 1080P projectors look great on paper but fail to deliver the adequate performance. NexiGo PJ40 brings 700 ANSI lumens - is this enough?

Lavs not included: DJI Mic

0
I decided to yield to the comment section of YouTube, throw money at the problem and see how good DJI Mic set is.

This is not how to fix your back

0
Motorised desks are great for completely different reasons. I got Maidesite S2 Pro Plus to test drive and my back couldn't be happier. If you are spending hours at your home office - consider this video!

OKP K5 – is cleaning on the budget OK?

0
It's small, but very capable on hard floors. Check out the OKP K5 a smart hoover that do your chores without draining your pocket
Last time I took the SM5 robot to play outside and test the Wi-Fi range of the adapter, two things become apparent. I need some sort of flip protection feedback, and a wider angle camera to better understand the environment near me.  I have...ELP M7 120° USB 480p Camera - review