Choosing the Right Starvis Sensor: IMX415 vs IMX462 for Your Project

In today’s industrial and commercial applications, night vision imaging has become a decisive factor in the effectiveness of embedded vision systems. Sony’s STARVIS series, known for its ultra-low-light performance and wide dynamic range, has established itself as a market standard for industrial USB and HDMI camera modules. Among the most requested models for industrial and security projects are the Sony IMX415 and the Sony IMX462.

While both belong to the STARVIS family, their design optimizations make them suitable for different project requirements. Below, we provide a practical engineering-oriented guide on how to choose between the IMX415 and IMX462, focusing on real-world needs in energy facilities, drones, robotics, industrial monitoring, and commercial CCTV.

1. IMX415 vs IMX462 – Core Technical Differences

• IMX415
  • Resolution: 8.3MP (4K, 3840×2160)
  • Pixel Size: 1.45µm
  • Optimized for: High-resolution imaging in moderate lighting, cost-effective 4K projects.
  • Best fit: Industrial inspection, kiosks, smart city, and applications where resolution is more critical than extreme sensitivity.
• IMX462
  • Resolution: ~2MP (Full HD, 1920×1080)
  • Pixel Size: 2.9µm with deep NIR sensitivity (850–940 nm)
  • Optimized for: Ultra-low-light and infrared imaging.
  • Best fit: Robotics navigation, covert security, energy facilities requiring night inspection, UAV night flights.

The trade-off is clear: IMX415 provides higher resolution (4K), while IMX462 offers unmatched sensitivity in very dark or infrared-supported conditions.

2. Application Scenarios and Pain Points

a) Energy Facility Security (USA & EU Power Plants)

Pain Point: Energy facilities require continuous monitoring, often under very low light, with the need to detect anomalies like equipment overheating or intrusions.

• Recommendation: IMX462 is the better fit due to its NIR performance and ability to capture usable video even in near darkness.
• Example: Power station perimeters in Texas or Germany rely on IR-based surveillance. A 2MP IMX462 USB camera with infrared illuminators ensures reliable detection with minimal bandwidth usage.

b) UAVs and Drones for Night Operations

Pain Point: Drones used for inspection or surveillance often operate at night and must be lightweight, with limited power budgets.

• Recommendation: IMX462 again outperforms here thanks to its sensitivity at 940nm IR wavelengths.
• Example: In Spain, drones used for agricultural inspection integrate compact IMX462 camera modules to monitor irrigation systems in low-light environments without visible lighting.

c) Robotics Vision & Navigation

Pain Point: Autonomous robots (AMRs, AGVs, cobots) must safely navigate in warehouses, factories, or even outdoors at night. Sudden lighting changes and shadow areas are common.

• Recommendation:
  • IMX462 → for safety navigation in low-light warehouses.
  • IMX415 → when cobots require high-resolution recognition of objects or parts in better lighting conditions.
• Example: A German robotics integrator used dual-camera setups: IMX462 for navigation + IMX415 for visual inspection tasks.

d) Industrial Equipment & Monitoring

Pain Point: Machines and conveyors need high-resolution inspection for defects, but lighting is often controlled and sufficient.

• Recommendation: IMX415, with its 8.3MP 4K imaging, provides superior detail at lower cost compared to higher-end STARVIS2 sensors.
• Example: In Italy, manufacturers adopted IMX415 USB cameras in machine vision systems to detect surface scratches or assembly defects, benefiting from 4K clarity.

e) Commercial CCTV & Smart City Surveillance

Pain Point: City streets, parking areas, and retail environments require cameras that balance cost, resolution, and low-light performance.

• Recommendation:
  • IMX415 → better for wide-area surveillance where 4K is needed to identify details across multiple lanes or areas.
  • IMX462 → better for alleyways, entrances, or poorly lit zones with high sensitivity demands.
• Example: In the UK, a shopping mall deployed IMX415 for wide-angle overview while using IMX462 cameras at emergency exits for ultra-low-light detection.

3. How Engineers Should Decide

When selecting between IMX415 and IMX462, engineers should ask:

1. Lighting Environment:
   • If near-total darkness or IR illumination is required → IMX462.
   • If lighting is moderate or controlled, and high resolution is needed → IMX415.
2. Resolution vs Sensitivity:
   • Resolution-sensitive applications (inspection, wide coverage) → IMX415 (4K).
   • Sensitivity-critical applications (security, robotics, UAVs) → IMX462 (2MP, ultra-low-light).
3. System Constraints:
   • For low-power embedded designs, IMX462 with USB interface is more bandwidth-efficient.
   • For analytics-driven projects, IMX415 provides more detail for AI inference.

4. Conclusion & Recommendation

Both the IMX415 and IMX462 STARVIS sensors bring unique strengths to industrial and commercial projects. The IMX415 excels in cost-sensitive 4K imaging, ideal for industrial inspection and smart city monitoring. The IMX462 dominates in ultra-low-light and IR-based applications, making it indispensable for energy, UAVs, and robotic navigation.