How to record v4l webcam with ffmpeg? Cannot find a proper format for codec 'none'

Question

Goal is to capture video from my old usb webcam (device 0733:0430). Trying to save video gives this error. (I've tried both ffmpeg and avconv.)

Command ffmpeg -f v4l2 -i /dev/video2 -s 160x120 tmp.mkv

[video4linux2,v4l2 @ 0x815280] Time per frame unknown
[video4linux2,v4l2 @ 0x815280] Cannot find a proper format for codec 'none' (id 0), pixel format 'none' (id -1)
Assertion *codec_id != AV_CODEC_ID_NONE failed at /build/buildd/ffmpeg-2.3/libavdevice/v4l2.c:802

I know it can work on Linux, because I had it running a few years ago. How to get it to work now?

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Below is information about the device.

Device dmesg output

[53008.270283] usb 2-1.2: new full-speed USB device number 4 using ehci-pci
[53008.363405] usb 2-1.2: New USB device found, idVendor=0733, idProduct=0430
[53008.363416] usb 2-1.2: New USB device strings: Mfr=0, Product=0, SerialNumber=0
[53008.779745] gspca_main: v2.14.0 registered
[53008.809496] gspca_main: spca505-2.14.0 probing 0733:0430
[53008.812508] usbcore: registered new interface driver spca505

ffmpeg -list_formats 1 -f v4l2 -i /dev/video2

[video4linux2,v4l2 @ 0xbed5e0] Raw       : Unsupported :                 S505 : 160x120 176x144 320x240 352x288

v4l-info /dev/video2

### v4l2 device info [/dev/video2] ###
general info
    VIDIOC_QUERYCAP
        driver                  : "spca505"
        card                    : "USB Camera (0733:0430)"
        bus_info                : "usb-0000:00:1d.0-1.2"
        version                 : 3.13.11
        capabilities            : 0x85000001 [VIDEO_CAPTURE,READWRITE,STREAMING,(null)]

standards

inputs
    VIDIOC_ENUMINPUT(0)
        index                   : 0
        name                    : "spca505"
        type                    : CAMERA
        audioset                : 0
        tuner                   : 0
        std                     : 0x0 []
        status                  : 0x0 []

video capture
    VIDIOC_ENUM_FMT(0,VIDEO_CAPTURE)
        index                   : 0
        type                    : VIDEO_CAPTURE
        flags                   : 0
        description             : "S505"
        pixelformat             : 0x35303553 [S505]
    VIDIOC_G_FMT(VIDEO_CAPTURE)
        type                    : VIDEO_CAPTURE
        fmt.pix.width           : 160
        fmt.pix.height          : 120
        fmt.pix.pixelformat     : 0x35303553 [S505]
        fmt.pix.field           : NONE
        fmt.pix.bytesperline    : 160
        fmt.pix.sizeimage       : 28800
        fmt.pix.colorspace      : SRGB
        fmt.pix.priv            : 0

controls
    VIDIOC_QUERYCTRL(BASE+0)
        id                      : 9963776
        type                    : INTEGER
        name                    : "Brightness"
        minimum                 : 0
        maximum                 : 255
        step                    : 1
        default_value           : 127
        flags                   : 32

Answer 1

I think you can use the guvcview. That's how I got my old webcam (Creative model CT6840) to work.

Though, I still couldn't get it to work with ffmpeg and ffplay. I hope someone can help us out here...