JSD3122 3.94mm M12 Lens for Sony IMX586 - 92 deg FOV, F2.2
JSD3122: A 3.94mm M12 Prime Lens for Sony IMX586 1/2" Camera Modules
Low-distortion, 92° diagonal field of view, and a 1/2" image circle sized for the IMX586's 8.0mm diagonal — with the resolution trade-off stated up front.
Key takeaway: The Sony IMX586 is a 1/2" sensor with an 8.0mm image diagonal. The JSD3122 covers that format with a 3.94mm focal length, F/2.2, and barrel distortion under 1.54%. Its supported resolution is 12MP, which makes it the practical match for IMX586 modules that run 4-in-1 pixel binning rather than full 8000×6000 readout. Designs that need the full 48MP frame cross into custom optics, and the sections below draw that line.
Why IMX586 Camera Modules Are Hard to Lens
The Sony IMX586 packs 8000 × 6000 photosites at 0.8μm × 0.8μm into a 1/2" optical format. Density, not package size, is what makes lens selection difficult here: a 1/2" image circle with a 0.8μm pixel pitch is an unusual pairing, and it rules out assumptions that hold at 1.4μm or 2μm.
Two assumptions cause most of the mismatches in this format, and both cost more to correct after assembly than to check beforehand.
The first is matching on megapixel count alone. A 0.8μm pixel carries a Nyquist frequency near 625 lp/mm, and no production lens designed for a 12MP 1/2" sensor is built to resolve that. Paired with such a lens, the center of the frame holds up while the corners lose contrast and color separation — a defect that typically surfaces only after the module is assembled and the housing is tooled.
The second is treating image circle headroom as generous. The IMX586's active area measures 6.4mm horizontally, 4.8mm vertically, and 8.0mm diagonally. Many 1/2" lenses are specified at an 8.1mm image circle, which leaves 0.1mm — about 1.2% — to absorb die placement offset, holder eccentricity, and lens-to-sensor tilt. On nominal drawings the number passes; in a finished module it is the first thing to be consumed.
"By the time an IMX586 mismatch is visible, it is a mechanical problem as much as an optical one: the housing is tooled, the holder is fixed, and the corner falloff is already baked into the assembly."
— JSD Optics application engineeringThat is why the selection sequence starts with the sensor's format and its actual readout mode, and only then moves to image circle and distortion tolerance.
Matching the Optics to the Sensor
Three checks decide whether a candidate lens survives an IMX586 module design, and they are cheapest to run in this order — before tooling, and before sample requests.
1. Image circle versus sensor diagonal
The lens image circle must be at least as large as the sensor diagonal. For the IMX586 that figure is 8.0mm, so a 1/2" lens with a Ø8.1mm image circle is the minimum viable specification. Anything smaller will vignette the corners.
2. Resolution headroom, expressed in pixels
Compare the lens's supported resolution against the sensor mode the module will ship in:
Full 48MP readout (8000 × 6000) — demands optics designed for 0.8μm pixel pitch across the whole frame. Standard 12MP lenses are not built for this.
4-in-1 binned 12MP output (4000 × 3000) — effective pixel pitch becomes 1.6μm, which brings the requirement back inside the envelope a 12MP 1/2" lens is designed for.
Readout mode changes the answer to "which lens fits the IMX586" more than any other input, because it resets the effective pixel pitch and therefore the resolution class the optics must belong to.
3. Distortion and the cost of correcting it
Distortion is an optical metric with a software bill attached. A lens at under 1.54% barrel keeps the pixel-to-millimeter mapping close enough to linear that calibration stays straightforward; a 15% wide-angle barrel pushes corner pixels off their true positions far enough that dewarping becomes a per-frame cost in compute and in post-processing pipeline complexity.
| Selection check | Requirement for Sony IMX586 | Why it matters on the line |
|---|---|---|
| Image circle | ≥ 8.0mm (1/2" = Ø8.1mm) | Sub-8.0mm circle vignettes corners |
| Sensor diagonal | 6.4 × 4.8mm active area | Sets the minimum barrel and TTL budget |
| Resolution mode | 12MP binned vs. 48MP full frame | Decides 12MP-class optics vs. custom design |
| Distortion | Application dependent | Drives how much unwarping sits in the image pipeline |
| Mount | M12 (φ14mm barrel) | Determines whether it drops into an existing holder |
The JSD3122 Answer: A Low-Distortion Prime for 1/2" Sensors
The JSD3122 is a fixed-focus M12 lens built around a 1/2" image circle. It pairs a 3.94mm effective focal length with an F/2.2 aperture and a 2G5P construction — two glass and five plastic elements — to hold geometry steady across the frame.
Two properties drive the fit for an IMX586 design. The first is the 92° diagonal field of view — 79° horizontal and 62° vertical at 1/2" — which frames a scene at a wide-normal perspective. The second is barrel distortion below 1.54%, a figure that keeps geometric error small enough for inspection, alignment, and stitching work to run with light software correction rather than an aggressive unwarp that trades away captured detail.
Specifications at a glance
| Parameter | JSD3122 | Design meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Effective focal length | 3.94mm | Wide-normal perspective on 1/2" |
| Aperture | F/2.2 | Balances low-light capture against depth of focus |
| Field of view (D/H/V) @1/2" | 92° / 79° / 62° | Scene context without extreme edge stretch |
| Distortion | <-1.54% (barrel) | Keeps geometric error small for measurement work |
| Optical construction | 2G5P | Glass elements stabilize focus over temperature |
| Mount / barrel | M12 / φ14mm | Fits standard M12 holders |
| Total track length | 20.49mm | Sets the minimum module depth |
| Image circle | 1/2" (Ø8.1mm) | Covers the IMX586's 8.0mm diagonal |
| Supported resolution | 12MP | Suits binned 12MP output; see resolution guidance |
| Focus | Fixed focus | No moving group, no actuator to qualify |
With 20.49mm of total track length, the JSD3122 needs more depth behind the sensor plane than a short wide-angle alternative. The extra depth is what the flatter distortion curve costs, which makes it a design decision to confirm against the planned housing rather than a figure to discover at tooling.
Where the JSD3122 Fits
The JSD3122 is aimed at modules where geometric fidelity carries the application. Three patterns come up repeatedly.
Industrial inspection and measurement
Vision systems convert pixels into distance, position, and defect size, so the lens has to keep that conversion close to linear across the frame. Barrel distortion under 1.54% holds the mapping stable at the edges of the field, where a weaker lens loses accuracy first and calibration curves grow more complex.
Barcode, OCR, and document capture
Reading tasks assume one magnification across the field. Distortion shifts apparent character or symbol pitch with position, so a low-distortion lens lets a decoder apply a single model instead of re-checking scale at the edges — one less retry path in the pipeline.
Drone, action camera, and compact module imaging
Modules in these products commonly run IMX586 in binned 12MP mode for video and stills, which is where the resolution class and the optics line up. The φ14mm M12 barrel keeps the assembly shallow enough for handheld and airborne platforms, while the 92° diagonal holds a usable field of view for scene capture.
JSD3122 vs. JSD2915: Choosing the Right 1/2" Lens
The two parts answer different questions, and the split usually follows whether the application is geometry-bound or coverage-bound.
| Consideration | JSD3122 | JSD2915 |
|---|---|---|
| Effective focal length | 3.94mm | 2.93mm |
| Aperture | F/2.2 | F/2.8 |
| Field of view (D/H/V) @1/2" | 92° / 79° / 62° | 150° / 118° / 88° |
| Distortion | <-1.54% (barrel) | <-14.7% (barrel) |
| Total track length | 20.49mm | 12.25mm |
| Mount / barrel | M12 / φ14mm | M12 / φ14mm |
| Optical construction | 2G5P | 2G5P |
| Image circle | 1/2" (Ø8.1mm) | 1/2" (Ø8.1mm) / 1/2.3" |
| Best suited to | Measurement, OCR, geometry-critical capture | Immersive 360°-style capture, tight enclosures |
Barrel distortion grows with field angle, so the 150° design necessarily carries far more of it; that is a property of the coverage, not a defect of the part. The decision line is therefore about processing budget and enclosure depth as much as about viewing angle: a program that can absorb software dewarping and has 12.25mm of axial room gains a much wider field, while one that measures from pixels and has already fixed a deeper enclosure stays with the narrower, geometrically flatter lens.
Both share the M12 mount and the 1/2" image circle, so a single holder design can carry either part through evaluation — the choice does not have to be locked before samples arrive.
Engineering Considerations Before You Commit
Six items decide how the lens behaves in a finished module rather than in a supplier datasheet. Each one is worth resolving while the design is still open.
Resolution and readout mode
The JSD3122 is designed and specified at 12MP. That aligns with IMX586 modules using 4-in-1 pixel binning, where the sensor outputs a 12MP frame at a 1.6μm effective pixel pitch. A design that must deliver the full 8000 × 6000 frame runs past what this lens is built to resolve, and the corners will fall off before the center. Those programs are better served by a custom optical design that starts from the sensor and the target resolution instead of stretching a standard part beyond its design point — JSD Optics scopes focal length and configuration for that case.
Image circle margin
The IMX586 diagonal of 8.0mm sits 0.1mm inside the JSD3122's Ø8.1mm image circle. That is enough on nominal dimensions, but it leaves little room for die placement offset, holder eccentricity, or sensor tilt. Effective image circle is confirmed against the actual module stack before tooling.
CRA matching
Chief ray angle mismatch shows up as corner shading and color crosstalk, and the sensitivity rises as pixel pitch shrinks. The right CRA for a lens therefore depends on the sensor it is paired with, so the value is measured for a specific pairing during evaluation instead of being quoted as a generic lens figure.
Infrared and filter options
Filter choice and infrared correction are two separate engineering decisions, and the correct answer in both cases depends on the illumination source, the filter stack, and the target spectrum of the application. JSD Optics writes the spectral specification against the stated application rather than publishing a general claim that would not survive contact with a specific lighting setup.
Sealing and environment
The JSD3122 is not an IP-rated sealed lens. Outdoor, automotive, and washdown builds need a sealed enclosure, or a mechanical modification scoped with JSD Optics for the program.
Distortion measurement conditions
Distortion figures depend on the test target size, working distance, and whether the value is quoted for the diagonal, horizontal, or vertical field. When comparing lenses, confirm the measurement conditions match — otherwise the numbers are not comparable.
Working With JSD Optics
JSD Optics designs and manufactures M12, M16, and M8 imaging lenses, and the process runs sensor-first: the sensor and the application define the image circle, resolution class, and mount, and the optics are matched to that brief.
The capability set that applies to a project like this one:
Sensor-to-lens matching — the sensor's optical format, pixel pitch, and readout mode come first; image circle, resolution class, and mount follow from them.
Optical and mechanical customization — custom focal lengths, CRA matching, IR-cut options, and mechanical changes for the holder and enclosure in question.
Measurement support — modulation transfer function, distortion, and CRA data measured for the specific pairing, so evaluation reflects the module that will actually be built.
Production consistency — a 2G5P construction with glass elements for focus stability across temperature, backed by process control that holds unit-to-unit variation inside the stated tolerance.
Send the sensor part number and the working distance, and JSD Optics will come back with matched lens options and the specification data needed to evaluate them.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions from engineers specifying a lens for Sony IMX586 camera modules.
Is the JSD3122 compatible with the Sony IMX586?
Yes. The JSD3122 is a 1/2" lens with a Ø8.1mm image circle, which covers the IMX586's 8.0mm sensor diagonal and its 6.4 × 4.8mm active area. The JSD2915 also covers this format with a 150° field of view, so both are listed as matched with the IMX586 in the JSD Optics sensor reference index.
Can the JSD3122 resolve the full 48MP output of the IMX586?
The JSD3122 is specified for 12MP. It is the right match for IMX586 modules that use 4-in-1 pixel binning and output a 12MP frame at a 1.6μm effective pixel pitch. For designs that must deliver the full 8000 × 6000 frame from 0.8μm pixels, the optical requirement is well beyond what a 12MP 1/2" lens is designed to resolve — contact JSD Optics and a custom optical design can be scoped for that program.
What field of view does the 3.94mm focal length give on a 1/2" sensor?
At 1/2", the JSD3122 delivers a 92° diagonal, 79° horizontal, and 62° vertical field of view — a wide-normal perspective that carries scene context without the edge stretch of a 150° design.
What does the 20.49mm total track length mean for a module design?
Total track length is the distance from the front of the lens to the image plane. At 20.49mm, the JSD3122 is the deeper of the two 1/2" options, so an enclosure with limited axial room needs the JSD2915 at 12.25mm — a shorter part that brings a wider field and a steeper distortion curve.
Can you provide distortion, modulation transfer function, and CRA data for a specific application?
Yes. Distortion, modulation transfer function, and CRA are measured for a specific lens and sensor pairing as part of an evaluation. Because the values move with test conditions and the sensor's chief ray angle, they are reported for the configuration under test rather than as generic figures.
How do I choose between the JSD3122 and the JSD2915?
The split follows the application. A geometry-critical design that wants minimal software correction takes the JSD3122, with distortion under 1.54% barrel. A design that needs a 150° immersive field and can dewarp in software takes the JSD2915. Because both use an M12 mount and a 1/2" image circle, either can be evaluated in the same holder before the decision is locked.
Need a lens matched to your IMX586 module?
Send your sensor part number and working distance. JSD Optics engineers will return matched lens options with the specs you need to evaluate them.
Or email us at info@jsdoptical.com
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