Global Shutter Camera Module Test Report and Performance Evaluation

This 100W global shutter Raspberry Pi camera module is specifically designed for high-precision image capture, making it ideal for handling fast-moving objects and dynamic scenes. This article provides a comprehensive test report on the camera, covering key performance metrics such as global shutter performance, resolution, distortion, grayscale performance, field of view, and Raspberry Pi compatibility. By reading this report, one can evaluate the camera's performance in various application scenarios, especially for dynamic monitoring applications such as gesture recognition, head and eye tracking, autonomous driving, and drone photography.

1. Global Shutter Performance Test

Test Objective:

Global shutters (Global Shutter) and rolling shutters (Rolling Shutter) exhibit significant differences when handling fast-moving objects. Global shutter technology can capture the entire image simultaneously, while rolling shutter scans the image line by line, causing distortions or skewing of fast-moving objects.

This test aims to evaluate the performance of the global shutter camera in dynamic scenes, particularly in capturing high-speed moving objects.

Test Results:

The measured results show that the global shutter camera is able to clearly capture fast-moving rotating fan blades with no distortion or deformation.

In contrast, the rolling shutter camera shows significant motion blur in the same scene, making it difficult to discern the shape of the blades.

Figure: Global Shutter Camera vs Rolling Shutter Camera

Technological Improvement Over Rolling Shutter Cameras

Avoiding the "Jello Effect":

Rolling shutter cameras often exhibit the "Jello Effect," where fast-moving objects appear bent or distorted in the image. This distortion is especially noticeable when capturing fast-moving objects such as fans or runners. The global shutter avoids this issue, providing clearer, more accurate images.

Figure: Jello effect in rolling shutter

Application Advantages:

• Gesture Detection: Gesture recognition involves fast hand movements. The global shutter camera can accurately capture rapid gestures, eliminating the errors caused by image distortion, thus improving recognition accuracy. This is especially important in smart home and interactive device applications.
• Head and Eye Tracking: In virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) applications, quickly and accurately tracking head and eye movements is critical. The global shutter technology prevents tracking errors caused by fast motions, improving system response time, accuracy, and ensuring a smooth user experience.
• Depth and Motion Detection: Autonomous driving and drone applications require precise dynamic monitoring. The global shutter ensures each frame is captured clearly, so fast-moving objects are not lost due to blur, significantly enhancing system stability and safety.

2. Resolution and Pixel Test

Test Objective:

To ensure that the camera provides sufficient image quality for real-world applications, we performed detailed tests on its resolution and pixel count to assess its clarity and detail-capturing capabilities.

Test Method:

The resolution test card was photographed with the camera using the iSeetest software, measuring both horizontal and vertical resolutions and calculating effective pixels and actual image pixels.

What is iSeetest?

iSeetest is a free software tool designed for camera testing and analysis, including resolution, color reproduction, grayscale, and white balance analysis. For more details, visit their official website: www.iseetest.net.

Test Results:

• Horizontal Resolution: 1316
• Vertical Resolution: 958
• Effective Pixels: ~1.26 million
• Actual Image Pixels: ~1 million

A 1-megapixel camera (100W Pixel Camera) typically has a resolution of 1280x720, commonly referred to as 720p.

720p is sufficient for everyday viewing at typical screen sizes and viewing distances, particularly for dynamic content, where the fine details of still images are less important.

Figure: Actual Image Sample from iSeetest Software

Figure: Global shutter Raspberry Pi camera module captured image

3. Distortion Test

Test Objective:

This test aims to evaluate whether the camera can accurately reproduce object shapes and details during capture, avoiding noticeable distortion or blurring in the images.

Test Method:

The camera captured test images to check for distortion, blurring, or any other image distortion.

Test Results:

The camera accurately reproduced the shapes and details of objects, with clear images showing no distortion or blurring. This is crucial for applications that require precise image documentation, such as surveillance and medical imaging.

Figure: Camera Distortion Test

4. Grayscale Test

Test Objective:

This test assesses the camera's image quality under different lighting and illumination conditions, ensuring consistent performance across various environments.

Test Method:

The iSeetest software was used to analyze the grayscale card photographed by the camera to assess uniformity.

Test Results:

The measured grayscale uniformity was approximately 96%, indicating that the camera maintains consistent performance under varying lighting conditions, with no significant lighting distortion.

Application Scenario:

Low-Light Monitoring: This camera can provide consistent image quality even in low-light environments, making it suitable for nighttime or indoor surveillance, ensuring image stability and visibility.

Figure: Actual Image Sample from iSeetest Software

Figure: Global shutter Raspberry Pi camera module captured Image Sample

5. Field of View Test

Test Objective:

This test evaluates the camera's field of view (FOV) to understand the area it can cover. The field of view directly impacts the camera's monitoring range and influences system design.

Test Results:

At a 2-meter vertical distance, the camera's field of view was measured at approximately 74 degrees.

This result means that at a 2-meter distance, the camera can cover a 3-meter wide area, making it suitable for monitoring fine areas and providing higher image detail.

Application Scenario:

Precision Monitoring: A smaller field of view, such as 74 degrees, helps to focus on more detailed imagery, ideal for applications requiring precise monitoring of specific areas, such as factory production lines or security surveillance.

 Figure: FOV of the Global shutter Raspberry Pi camera module

6. Raspberry Pi Compatibility Test

Test Objective:

To ensure compatibility with common development platforms, particularly the Raspberry Pi series, we tested the camera module on the Raspberry Pi 4 and Raspberry Pi 5.

Test Results:

Both Raspberry Pi 4 and Raspberry Pi 5 connected to and operated the camera module normally through an adapter cable, with good compatibility.

Application Scenario:

The good compatibility between the camera module and Raspberry Pi makes it ideal for robotics, smart monitoring, and automation control project development and prototyping.

 Figure: Global shutter camera module compatible with Raspberry Pi 4 & 5

Conclusion

After thorough testing, the global shutter camera module performed excellently in dynamic scenes, with high-quality dynamic image capture capabilities that accurately handle fast-moving objects without distortion or blurring.

This camera is well-suited for a range of professional applications, especially those requiring high-precision imaging, such as gesture recognition, head tracking, motion monitoring, and autonomous driving.

Related Article:

Global Shutter Camera Module Test Report and Performance Evaluation