--- format7.h.orig	2011-07-13 10:32:04.000000000 +0200
+++ format7.h	2011-07-13 11:36:28.000000000 +0200
@@ -70,7 +70,8 @@
     maxWidth_(0),
     maxHeight_(0),
     binning_x_(0),
-    binning_y_(0)
+    binning_y_(0),
+    BayerPattern_((dc1394color_filter_t) DC1394_COLOR_FILTER_NUM)
   {};
   ~Format7() {};
 
@@ -87,6 +88,7 @@
   void setOperationalParameters(sensor_msgs::CameraInfo &cinfo);
 
 private:
+  dc1394color_filter_t findBayerPattern(const char* bayer);
 
   bool active_;
   dc1394color_coding_t coding_;
--- format7.cpp.orig	2011-07-13 12:56:59.000000000 +0200
+++ format7.cpp	2011-07-13 13:00:16.000000000 +0200
@@ -81,6 +81,18 @@
       newconfig.bayer_method = "";
     }
 
+  const char* pattern = newconfig.bayer_pattern.c_str();
+  dc1394color_filter_t bayer_pattern = findBayerPattern(pattern);
+  if ((bayer_pattern >= DC1394_COLOR_FILTER_MIN) && (bayer_pattern <= DC1394_COLOR_FILTER_MAX))
+    {
+      BayerPattern_ = bayer_pattern;
+    }
+  else
+    {
+      ROS_WARN_STREAM("Bayer pattern [" << newconfig.bayer_pattern << " (" 
+                      << bayer_pattern << ")] is invalid.");
+    }
+
   // scan all Format7 modes to determine the full-sensor image size,
   // from which we will calculate the binning values
   uint32_t sensor_width = 0, sensor_height = 0;
@@ -267,12 +279,23 @@
   if (coding_ == DC1394_COLOR_CODING_RAW8
       || coding_ == DC1394_COLOR_CODING_RAW16)
     {
+      dc1394color_filter_t color_filter = (dc1394color_filter_t) DC1394_COLOR_FILTER_NUM;
       if (DC1394_SUCCESS != dc1394_format7_get_color_filter(camera, mode,
-                                                            &BayerPattern_))
+                                                            &color_filter))
         {
           ROS_ERROR("Could not determine color pattern");
           return false;
         }
+      if (BayerPattern_ == (dc1394color_filter_t) DC1394_COLOR_FILTER_NUM)
+        {
+          BayerPattern_ = color_filter;
+        }
+      else if ( BayerPattern_ != color_filter )
+        {
+          ROS_WARN_STREAM("Bayer Pattern was set to "
+                          << BayerPattern_ << "but get_color_filter returned "
+                          << color_filter << ". Using " << BayerPattern_);
+        }
     }
 
   active_ = true;                       // Format7 mode is active
@@ -470,3 +493,38 @@
 	}
     }
 }
+
+/** returns the DC1394 color filter for the given bayer pattern string
+ *
+ *  @param bayer the string describing the pattern (e.g. bggr, rggb, ...)
+ *  @return the dc1394color_filter_t corresponding to the given string
+ *
+ */
+dc1394color_filter_t Format7::findBayerPattern(const char* bayer)
+{
+  // determine Bayer color encoding pattern
+  // (default is different from any color filter provided by DC1394)
+  dc1394color_filter_t pattern = (dc1394color_filter_t) DC1394_COLOR_FILTER_NUM;
+  if (0 == strcmp(bayer, "bggr"))
+    {
+      pattern = DC1394_COLOR_FILTER_BGGR;
+    }
+  else if (0 == strcmp(bayer, "grbg"))
+    {
+      pattern = DC1394_COLOR_FILTER_GRBG;
+    }
+  else if (0 == strcmp(bayer, "rggb"))
+    {
+      pattern = DC1394_COLOR_FILTER_RGGB;
+    }
+  else if (0 == strcmp(bayer, "gbrg"))
+    {
+      pattern = DC1394_COLOR_FILTER_GBRG;
+    }
+  else if (0 != strcmp(bayer, ""))
+    {
+      ROS_ERROR("unknown bayer pattern [%s]", bayer);
+    }
+  return pattern;
+}
+