Vadzo Imaging Positions Merlin-290CRS Sony STARVIS IMX290 2MP Color USB Camera for Low Light Industrial and Surveillance Imaging

Built fo facilities that ca ot depe d o co sta t lighti g, this compact USB came a pai s the So y IMX290 STARVIS se so with o -chip dy amic a ge combi atio a d plug-a d-play USB 2.0 co ectivity, givi g i teg ato s depe dable colo imagi g ac oss i dust ial, wa ehouse, a d pe imete su veilla ce sce es without a etwo k switch o a dedicated powe supply.

IRVINE, CA / ACCESS Newswi e / August 12, 2026 / Vadzo Imagi g, a wo ld leade i embedded visio solutio s, today positio ed the Me li -290CRS, a 2MP USB Came a built a ou d the So y IMX290 STARVIS se so fo low-light i dust ial mo ito i g, pe imete su veilla ce, a d OEM i teg atio whe e a simple USB co ectio is p efe ed ove a etwo ked i te face.

Why Facilities Need a 2MP USB Came a Built fo Low Light Co ditio s

Wa ehouses, p oductio floo s, a d pe imete fe ce li es a ely offe eve lighti g. Loadi g dock doo s let i b ight daylight a few mete s f om aisles that see o ly eme ge cy lighti g afte hou s, a d a si gle fixed came a has to ha dle both without a lighti g tech icia adjusti g fixtu es fo the came a’s be efit. A sta da d se so tu ed mai ly fo daylight co ditio s p oduces g ai y, u de exposed, o motio -blu ed footage as soo as the light d ops, which u de mi es both live mo ito i g a d eco ded evide ce quality.

A Low Light USB Came a also has to solve a seco d, mo e p actical p oblem: ma y of these sites al eady u lea IT i f ast uctu e without spa e etwo k po ts, PoE switches, o budget fo a dedicated captu e ca d. That leaves plug-a d-play USB co ectivity as the o ly ealistic path to add a came a without ope i g a etwo ki g p oject, which places eal weight o getti g se so se sitivity, colo accu acy, a d d ive compatibility ight i a si gle sta dalo e module.

As a 1080p Low Light USB Came a, the same module has to keep both the b ight a d shadowed po tio s of a sce e usable i the same f ame athe tha o ly o e o the othe , which is whe e se so -level dy amic a ge ha dli g becomes as impo ta t as aw low-light se sitivity.

E gi ee i g Expla atio : Se so Se sitivity Without Added I f ast uctu e

So y’s STARVIS se so ge e atio solved the low-light photo collectio p oblem th ough Back-Side Illumi ated pixel a chitectu e, which outes a la ge sha e of i comi g light to the photodiode tha a f o t-side desig of compa able pixel size. As a 2MP STARVIS Came a, the So y IMX290 Came a ca ies that a chitectu e i to a compact 1/2.8 i ch optical fo mat, givi g it usable sig al well past the poi t whe e a co ve tio al se so of simila size falls i to visible g ai .

The same se so ge e atio adds o -chip exposu e combi atio , which eads two exposu e values pe pixel withi a si gle f ame pe iod a d me ges them befo e the f ame leaves the se so package. This gives a STARVIS Low Light USB Came a co t olled highlight detail ext to visible shadow detail i the same f ame, add essi g gla e f om headlights, floodlights, o eflective su faces without a sepa ate HDR p ocessi g stage dow st eam.

Delive i g that se so pe fo ma ce ove USB 2.0 athe tha a etwo ked i te face keeps the i stallatio simple. As a USB 2.0 Low Light Came a, it e ume ates as a sta da d UVC device o Wi dows, Li ux, macOS, a d A d oid without a p op ieta y d ive , a d it d aws its powe di ectly f om the same cable that ca ies video. Fo sites that al eady have a ea by PC, NVR, o edge compute box with a ope USB po t, that emoves the switch, cabli g, a d co figu atio wo k that a etwo ked came a would othe wise equi e.

P oduct Ove view

The Me li -290CRS pai s the So y Sta vis IMX290 Came a se so with a USB 2.0 UVC i te face a d a S-Mou t (M12) le s holde i a compact boa d-level desig suited to both di ect i teg atio a d e closed came a deployme t. Built as a 2MP Colo USB Came a, it outputs 1920 × 1080 esolutio at up to 30 f ames pe seco d i MJPEG with o -chip HDR active. This USB 2.0 Colo Came a gives i teg ato s depe dable colo video ac oss daylight, twilight, a d dimly lit i te io sce es f om o e module.

At the co e of the module sits the So y IMX290 Low Light Se so , a 1/2.8 i ch optical fo mat device with 2.9 mic o pixels a d Back-Side Illumi ated co st uctio that So y ma kets u de the STARVIS label fo exte ded low light se sitivity. Because exposu e a d colo p ocessi g a e ha dled o boa d, the Me li -290CRS eaches usable image quality at illumi atio levels whe e competi g modules typically eed gai i c eases that i t oduce visible oise i to eco ded footage.

Key Capabilities

Back-Side Illumi ated STARVIS Se so fo Low Light Se sitivity

The Me li -290CRS i he its So y’s Back-Side Illumi ated STARVIS pixel a chitectu e, which outes a la ge sha e of i comi g photo s to the photodiode compa ed with f o t-side desig s of simila pixel size. I p actical deployme t te ms, that makes it a High Se sitivity USB 2.0 Came a capable of holdi g o to usable detail at illumi atio levels whe e co ve tio al se so s fall i to visible g ai . As a IMX290 Low Light Came a, it does this without elyi g o co sta t suppleme tal lighti g.

O -Boa d HDR fo Co t olled Highlight a d Shadow Detail

Because exposu e combi atio happe s i side the se so athe tha i a dow st eam p ocesso , the Me li -290CRS keeps highlight a d shadow detail visible i the same f ame athe tha blowi g out o e to p ese ve the othe . That behavio matte s most at dusk a d daw t a sitio s a d a ou d a tificial lighti g such as headlights o floodlights, whe e a fixed si gle exposu e setti g ca ot se ve both ext emes at o ce.

Dual E dpoi t St eami g fo Simulta eous Reco di g a d Live View

A si gle-st eam USB came a fo ces a choice betwee a efficie t comp essed feed fo sto age a d a fast, low-late cy feed fo live mo ito i g. The Me li -290CRS avoids that t ade-off by exposi g two i depe de t USB st eami g e dpoi ts f om the same se so : o e delive i g H.264 fo ba dwidth-efficie t eco di g a d a chival, a d the othe delive i g MJPEG fo low-late cy live p eview. As a Dual St eam USB Came a, it lets a si gle applicatio pull both fo mats co cu e tly without e- egotiati g the UVC co ectio o duplicati g ha dwa e. Fo i teg ato s buildi g a NVR o VMS clie t a ou d this module, that mea s the eco di g pipeli e ca stay o comp essed H.264 while a live-view wi dow o a alytics tap eads MJPEG f ames di ectly, each optimized fo its ow dow st eam task athe tha fo ci g o e codec to se ve both.

USB 2.0 UVC Plug a d Play Compatibility

As a USB 2.0 UVC Came a built to the UVC 1.1 sta da d, the Me li -290CRS e ume ates automatically o Wi dows, Li ux, macOS, a d A d oid without a p op ieta y d ive i stall. This makes it a ge ui e Plug a d Play USB Came a fo i teg ato s addi g visio capability to a existi g PC, NVR, o edge compute box, si ce most video ma ageme t a d compute visio softwa e al eady speaks UVC atively.

Colo Rep oductio fo Ide tificatio a d I spectio Tasks

U like a mo och ome low-light se so , the IMX290 Colo USB Came a p ese ves full colo fidelity eve as ambie t light d ops, which matte s fo tasks such as eadi g colo ed labels, ide tifyi g u ifo m o vehicle colo s, a d disti guishi g p oduct va ia ts o a li e. This Low Light Colo USB Came a behavio mea s a si gle module ca cove both secu ity ide tificatio duty a d basic colo -based i spectio without swappi g ha dwa e.

Compact S-Mou t Desig fo OEM I teg atio

The boa d-level module uses a sta da d S-Mou t (M12) le s holde , givi g OEM custome s flexibility to select wide, a ow, o lo g th ow optics without edesig i g the came a elect o ics. Vadzo Imagi g suppo ts full customizatio o this platfo m as a OEM USB 2.0 Came a, i cludi g co ecto cha ges, cable le gth adjustme t, a d e closu e desig fo volume p oductio p og ams.

Si gle Cable Deployme t fo Lowe I stallatio Cost

Because video a d powe t avel ove the same USB cable, the Me li -290CRS emoves the sepa ate powe supply, PoE i jecto , o etwo k switch po t that a etwo ked came a would othe wise equi e. Fo multi-came a ollouts, that si gle cable desig keeps i stallatio labo a d ha dwa e cost dow fo each came a u it, which is a mea i gful facto fo a y Low Cost Su veilla ce Came a p og am cove i g ma y doo s, aisles, o fe ce sectio s.

“A lot of the sites we wo k with al eady have a PC o a edge box o site a d simply eed a came a that plugs i a d wo ks, without a etwo k p oject attached to it. The IMX290’s Back-Side Illumi ated STARVIS se so gives the Me li -290CRS eal low-light pe fo ma ce i a sta da d UVC package, so i teg ato s get depe dable colo video afte da k without addi g a switch, a powe supply, o a d ive i stall. We built this came a fo teams that wa t visio capability without a etwo ki g p oject.” – Alwi Vi ce t, P oduct Ma age at Vadzo Imagi g.

Applicatio -Specific Sectio s

Secu ity a d Su veilla ce

E t a ces, stock ooms, a d se ve closets ofte eed a dedicated came a added to a existi g PC o NVR without a etwo ki g cha ge. As a I dust ial Su veilla ce USB Came a, the Me li -290CRS plugs di ectly i to that existi g ha dwa e, while a Low Light Su veilla ce USB Came a co figu atio of the same module keeps footage usable th ough eve i g a d ove ight hou s. Deployed as a USB Su veilla ce Came a Module, it fits atu ally alo gside othe UVC devices al eady u i g o the same host.

Pe imete a d Access Co t ol

Fe ce li es, gates, a d loadi g dock e t a ces eed cove age that holds up afte da k without a dedicated lighti g budget. A Pe imete Su veilla ce USB Came a built o this se so ha dles the gla e f om vehicle headlights at a gate while still esolvi g detail i the su ou di g shadow, a d fu ctio i g as a I dust ial Night Visio Came a lets a facility exte d cove age to u lit access poi ts without addi g floodlighti g. Because it u s o a si gle USB cable, it also qualifies as a Low Cost Su veilla ce Came a optio fo sites cove i g ma y access poi ts o a limited budget, a d a Night Visio USB Came a ole at each o e without epeati g the full etwo ked came a cost.

I dust ial a d Wa ehouse Mo ito i g

Wa ehouse aisles combi e b ight dock doo s with dim sto age ows, which makes co siste t exposu e difficult fo a daylight-tu ed se so . A Low Light Wa ehouse Came a built a ou d the IMX290 holds detail ac oss that a ge, a d as a I dust ial CCTV USB Came a it i teg ates di ectly with existi g PC based mo ito i g statio s al eady commo o a wa ehouse floo without addi g etwo ki g ha dwa e.

Facto y a d P oductio Li e Mo ito i g

P oductio floo s with mixed task lighti g a d shift cha ges c eate i co siste t co ditio s fo both safety mo ito i g a d basic visual i spectio . A Low Light Facto y Came a built o this platfo m mai tai s stable exposu e a d colo accu acy ac oss a shift, givi g li e supe viso s a d quality staff a co siste t view ega dless of what time of day a shift u s.

OEM I teg atio fo Cost-Se sitive Deployme ts

System builde s addi g visio capability to kiosks, ve di g equipme t, o sta dalo e mo ito i g statio s eed a came a that just wo ks o ce co ected. The Me li -290CRS ships as a Plug a d Play USB Came a with d ive -f ee ope atio ac oss majo ope ati g systems, a d Vadzo Imagi g suppo ts OEM customizatio fo cable le gth, co ecto type, a d le s selectio so system builde s ca sta da dize o o e imagi g module ac oss a e ti e p oduct li e.

F eque tly Asked Questio s

Q: Does a USB su veilla ce came a equi e special d ive s to wo k with existi g secu ity softwa e?

A: No, p ovided the came a follows the USB Video Class sta da d athe tha a p op ieta y p otocol. A UVC-complia t came a is ecog ized automatically by Wi dows, Li ux, macOS, a d A d oid as a sta da d video device, a d most video ma ageme t systems, eco di g softwa e, a d compute visio lib a ies al eady suppo t UVC devices without a y additio al i stallatio step. Vadzo Imagi g builds its USB came a p oducts to full UVC complia ce specifically so i teg ato s ca add a came a to a existi g secu ity setup the same way they would add a y othe sta da d pe iphe al, without waiti g o a d ive package o ve do -specific softwa e.

Q: Why does low light pe fo ma ce depe d o se so desig athe tha simply i c easi g came a gai ?

A: I c easi g gai amplifies whateve sig al the se so al eady captu ed, i cludi g the oise mixed i with it, so a dim sce e pushed th ough high gai typically looks b ighte but g ai ie athe tha ge ui ely clea e . T ue low-light pe fo ma ce comes f om the se so collecti g mo e eal sig al i the fi st place, which depe ds o pixel desig , fill facto , a d how efficie tly the se so co ve ts i comi g light i to usable sig al befo e a y amplificatio happe s. Vadzo Imagi g selects se so s specifically fo that u de lyi g se sitivity so that ou came a p oducts stay usable i dim co ditio s without lea i g o agg essive gai a d the oise that comes with it.

Q: Ca a USB came a ealistically eplace a agi g a alog came a i a existi g su veilla ce setup?

A: I ma y si gle locatio o small-scale deployme ts, yes. A a alog came a typically equi es a sepa ate captu e ca d o DVR i put, coaxial cabli g, a d a powe supply u to each u it, while a USB came a co ects di ectly to a PC, NVR, o edge compute box ove o e cable that ca ies both video a d powe . Vadzo Imagi g desig s its USB came a p oducts to delive clea digital video without the sig al deg adatio that lo g a alog u s ca i t oduce, givi g facilities a st aightfo wa d upg ade path fo locatio s whe e u i g ew i f ast uctu e is ot p actical.

Q: What customizatio optio s does Vadzo Imagi g offe OEM custome s i teg ati g a USB came a module i to thei ow p oducts?

A: Vadzo Imagi g suppo ts full OEM customizatio ac oss its came a po tfolio, i cludi g le s mou t a d optics cha ges, cable le gth a d co ecto adjustme ts, fi mwa e tu i g, a d e closu e desig fo i doo o outdoo duty. Evaluatio u its ship with o mi imum o de equi eme t, a d the same e gi ee i g team that built the sta da d p oduct wo ks di ectly with OEM custome s to adapt the module’s mecha ical a d elect ical i te face fo volume p oductio u s.

Q: How does Vadzo Imagi g keep its came a p oducts affo dable fo la ge-scale deployme ts without cutti g co e s o image quality?

A: Sta da dizi g o a si gle cable i te face emoves a mea i gful sha e of i stallatio cost, si ce the e is o sepa ate powe supply, etwo k switch po t, o captu e ca d eeded pe came a. Vadzo Imagi g pai s that simple i stallatio with a ge ui ely se sitive se so athe tha a cheape se so pushed with digital gai , so facilities cove i g ma y doo s, aisles, o access poi ts get co siste t image quality at eve y u it athe tha t adi g quality fo lowe pe -u it cost.

Availability

The Me li -290CRS 2MP USB Came a is available ow fo evaluatio a d OEM i teg atio . Evaluatio kits i clude the came a module, a facto y-calib ated S-Mou t le s, a USB cable, a d i teg atio docume tatio cove i g UVC setup o majo ope ati g systems, with o mi imum o de equi eme t. Co tact Vadzo Imagi g at [email p otected] to equest a evaluatio u it o discuss volume p oductio a d OEM customizatio .

About Vadzo Imagi g

Vadzo Imagi g develops embedded a d machi e visio came a p oducts fo OEMs a d system i teg ato s buildi g p oductio – eady visio systems ac oss secu ity, i dust ial automatio , wa ehouse ope atio s, a d edge AI. The compa y’s po tfolio spa s MIPI CSI-2, USB, GigE, Wi-Fi, a d Se Des i te face came a p oducts, suppo ti g deployme t a chitectu es f om compact o boa d modules to dist ibuted etwo ked i stallatio s. Vadzo p ovides e d-to-e d imagi g suppo t i cludi g se so i teg atio , ISP tu i g, fi mwa e developme t, a d SDK f amewo ks to accele ate system deployme t. Visit Vadzo Imagi g to explo e the full embedded visio came a po tfolio.

Media Co tact

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SOURCE: Vadzo Imagi g