Hardware Project
CinePi
A DIY cinema camera built around a Raspberry Pi 5 and Sony IMX585 sensor. It is capable of shooting RAW 4K footage on a lower budget. I gave it the title of PR-585R.
Some test shots from throughout the build process (in no particular order). Test 3 is using the OV5674 (no IR cut) sensor as I didn't have the IMX585 yet.
December 2024
Planning & Ideas
I found the CinePi project when scrolling around on the internet and joined the discord. I was inspired by the projects I saw other people had made and imiditaly started planning out a parts list on Google Sheets.
December 2024 - April 2026
Revisions & Saving
I didn't have the money to spend on this project so I spent about a year saving. I every so often would come back to my plan and altered it as I found better parts or just changed my mind on what I wanted to do.
Early April 2026
Parts Ordering
I finally commited on ordering all the parts with the total build coming out to ~£450. I ordered from a variety of online shops including The Pi Hut, Amazon, and Aliexpress.
Late April 2026
OS & Software Setup
The parts from The Pi Hut arrived first which meant I could get started on the software side. I flashed the Cinemate image and worked through driver configuration for the OV5674 on Pi 5. It took a bit of back and forth to get the unsupported sensor working but eventually I got it to capture RAW DNGs.
May 2026
Case Design
I started blocking out a case in Blender to house all the components. I then moved to OnShape to design it for 3D printing. I based the design of the JVC GR-C7E, a compact 90s camcorder which I really like the look of. Including the red side pannel and angled front face. I designed it to be modular so I can replace the side panels in the future if I need to.
Mid May 2026
Housing Assembly
All the parts arrived and I got to work on assembling the camera. I printed all the case segments across a few days and then started fitting the components inside. I put in all the heatset inserts and mounted the Pi, SSD, and fan. I also wired up the buttons/rotary encoder and got everything fitting inside the case.
Late May 2026
Portability Tests
My solution of using a powerbank to power my Raspberry Pi 5 (which expects 5V 5A) caused some issues at first. I was doing some testing in my garden just filming some plants and it would keep going undervoltage and shutting down. I thought I might have to switch to something other than a powerbank, but as a last attempt I bought a USB-C to C cable from Pimoroni as I though my cable might be the issue. It worked great with no more undervoltage issues. Me and my friend went out on a walk to do some more testing.
Mid June 2026
IMX585 Upgrade
I had been saving and waiting for Will Whang's IMX585 board to come back in stock. They came back and I got my hands on one immediately. (order number one!) I designed and printed the new sensor module and installed it. It did require a small bit of debugging at first but that was due to some previous changes to software I had made. It works great and looks so pretty and now allows me to use the Sony A mount lenses that I already owned.