Fix ESP32-CAM “Camera init failed with error 0x105” (or 0x20001)
The camera driver cannot find the OV2640. Usually the ribbon cable, the board model selected in code, or a weak 5 V supply.
Community draft — report a mistake
What you see
E (512) camera: Camera probe failed with error 0x105(ESP_ERR_NOT_FOUND)
Camera init failed with error 0x105E (512) camera: Camera probe failed with error 0x105(ESP_ERR_NOT_FOUND) Camera init failed with error 0x105
The ESP32-CAM talks to the OV2640 camera over a small I2C-style bus before streaming images. “Camera probe failed” means nothing answered on that bus — usually a cable or configuration problem, not a dead board.
Quick fix — try in order
- 1
Reseat the camera ribbon
Lift the black latch, push the ribbon fully in (contacts facing the board), close the latch. A half-inserted cable is the top cause.
- 2
Select the right board model
In the CameraWebServer example, uncomment only #define CAMERA_MODEL_AI_THINKER for the common AI-Thinker board.
- 3
Power with a solid 5 V supply
Use 5 V (not 3.3 V) from a supply that can deliver 2 A, and add a capacitor if it resets.
- 4
Remove the SD card and test again
Some SD cards interfere with camera pins at boot.
Why it happens
What do 0x105 and 0x20001 mean?
0x105 is ESP_ERR_NOT_FOUND — the driver probed the I2C (SCCB) bus and no camera answered. 0x20001 is a similar “camera not detected” code from the esp32-camera driver.
Wrong pin map
Each ESP32-CAM board wires the camera differently. The wrong CAMERA_MODEL define means the driver talks to the wrong pins.
Damaged camera module
If reseating and power do not help, try a spare OV2640 — the modules are cheap and fragile.
Board-specific notes
ESP32-CAM: Brownouts during camera start are common too; see brownout detector.
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