we have recently installed the new Blue Robotics 4K Camera (BR-103829) on a BlueROV.
We are experiencing an issue with the focus at 1x zoom. We manually adjust both the zoom and focus, but at 1x the camera only achieves proper focus when the subject is extremely close to the dome, essentially when I place my finger directly against the transparent dome.
At a more reasonable working distance, the image remains out of focus. To obtain a properly focused image at a normal distance, we have to increase the optical zoom to approximately 1.4x or higher. Below 1.4x, we cannot achieve proper focus by manually adjusting the focus.
Is this behavior expected at 1x zoom?
Is there a recommended procedure for adjusting the focus so that the camera can achieve proper focus at 1x and at a more reasonable working distance? We have already tried following the “Operational Tip” provided in the Installation Guide, but unfortunately this did not make any difference to the issue.
Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Hi @Andrea_Calizzani -
Welcome to the forums!
Have you completed the hardware setup in the the 4k Cam extension?
Can you share what values for focus you have tried when fully zoomed out? You can see this by adding a very generic indicator widget, or by looking at the pwm outputs page under vehicle setup. To see the raw PWM outputs of Focus and Zoom, add the indicators to your widget bar:
Under “Edit Interface” change widget type to “Mini”
Scroll right to “Very generic indicator” and drag it in
Set the specific parameters for both Focus and Zoom to display the correct raw values:
Typically when zoomed all the way out, you may not be able to achieve sharp focus in air, but in water the “in-focus” range will be around 870 to 930, in my experience. Have you tested in water, or only in air so far?
Also, do you have the zoom/focus correlation option turned on in the extension? It definitely makes things work with less fiddiling if you do!
If you can’t achieve focus in water when zoomed out, and the pwm values look to be correct, the camera hardware could be at fault. Reach out to support via the help center, report a problem with a product, and include your order number if so!
