How can I find my phone camera’s sensor size and actual focal length for 3D reconstruction?
Asked 7/9/2020
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2 answers
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I’m using a Redmi 6A phone camera for 3D scene reconstruction in Blender, and the software needs the camera sensor width and focal length in millimeters. The phone only lists specs like “f/2.2” and “1.25-micron,” which don’t directly tell me those values. How can I find the real sensor dimensions and focal length, and what are they for the Redmi 6A main camera?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
6y ago
2 Answers
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The Redmi 6A uses the Sony Exmor IMX486 sensor, which is a 1/2.9" format sensor. Note that "1/2.9 inch" is merely a name, not its diagonal dimension (see: Why is a 1" sensor actually 13.2 × 8.8mm?).
The IMX486 has a 5.04 mm × 3.77 mm sensor, corresponding to a crop factor of about 6.9×. The camera's focal length is about 3.8 mm (actual), which is about 26 mm (35mm camera equivalent).
To find these values, you have to search for terms such as "redmi 6A sensor dimensions", or the like. I have found that most sites often don't return detailed information about the sensor used in Asian-market phones. But you just have to go through the search results until you find details such as which actual sensor chip is used (such as the Sony Exmor IMX486), and then look up the sensor's specifications, such as "Exmor IMX486 dimensions".
Originally by user11924. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user11924
6y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
For phone cameras, the published “26mm” style number is usually the 35mm-equivalent focal length, not the actual focal length Blender wants. On the Redmi 6A, community answers identify the main sensor as a Sony IMX486 in the 1/2.9-inch format. Its sensor size is about 5.04 × 3.77 mm, and the actual focal length is about 3.8 mm, which corresponds to roughly 26 mm equivalent on full frame.
Notes:
- f/2.2 is the aperture ratio, not focal length.
- 1.25-micron refers to pixel size, not sensor width.
- “1/2.9 inch” is a sensor format name, not the true measured diagonal.
To verify this on your own phone, check a JPEG’s EXIF metadata using ExifTool or an image viewer that shows detailed metadata. EXIF often includes focal length, and sometimes equivalent focal length. If you need the sensor dimensions, you may have to identify the exact sensor model first, then look up that sensor’s datasheet or trusted spec listings.
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