react-native-vision-camera (v5)

VisionCamera v5 is the maintained and latest version of react-native-vision-camera. It is a full Nitro Modules rewrite with a new Constraints API, Output-based architecture, in-memory Photo, and a hard break from the v4 format/prop model. Almost every v4 surface is gone or renamed — treat v5 as a new API, not an incremental upgrade.

This skill is a router. Read this file first, then load the reference that matches the task. Every reference is self-contained — do not load more than you need.

When to load which reference

• New install, getting a Camera on screen, permissions, minimum boilerplate → references/quickstart-v5.md
• Porting a v4 codebase, understanding what changed → references/migration-v4-to-v5.md (load this FIRST when the user mentions v4, takePhoto, useCameraFormat, format prop, photo/video boolean props, or CodeScanner in core)
• Choosing/attaching outputs, fps/HDR/resolution via constraints, session lifecycle → references/outputs-and-constraints.md
• Frame Processors, worklets, async frame work, pixel formats, writing a native plugin → references/frame-processors.md (load this when user says "frame processor", "worklet", "ML on frames", "Nitro plugin", "vision-camera-plugin-*")
• Capturing photos (incl. callbacks, RAW, HDR, preview image), recording video, Recorder lifecycle, manual AE/AF/AWB, exposure bias, zoom, focus → references/capture-and-controls.md
• Depth streaming, multi-cam, Skia preview, GPU resizer for ML, barcode scanner package, GPS location metadata, custom native outputs → references/advanced-features.md

When in doubt, load references/migration-v4-to-v5.md — it covers the shape of the new API by contrasting it with v4 and is the fastest orientation.

Non-negotiable rules for v5 code