Anaconda: cannot import cv2 even though opencv is installed (how to install opencv3 for python3)

I have Anaconda (version: conda 4.2.9, python3) installed and am trying to do import cv2 when I get the following error:

ImportError: No module named 'cv2' 

With conda search cv2 I get this:

 opencv 2.4.2 np15py26_0 defaults 2.4.2 np15py27_0 defaults 2.4.2 np16py26_0 defaults 2.4.2 np16py27_0 defaults 2.4.2 np17py26_0 defaults 2.4.2 np17py27_0 defaults 2.4.2 np15py26_1 defaults 2.4.2 np15py27_1 defaults 2.4.2 np16py26_1 defaults 2.4.2 np16py27_1 defaults 2.4.2 np17py26_1 defaults 2.4.2 np17py27_1 defaults 2.4.6 np16py26_0 defaults 2.4.6 np16py27_0 defaults 2.4.6 np17py26_0 defaults 2.4.6 np17py27_0 defaults 2.4.6 np18py26_0 defaults 2.4.6 np18py27_0 defaults 2.4.9 np18py27_0 defaults 2.4.10 np19py26_0 defaults 2.4.10 np19py27_0 defaults 2.4.10 np110py27_1 defaults 2.4.10 np19py26_1 defaults 2.4.10 np19py27_1 defaults 

What do I need to do to be able to import the cv2 module?

I am using Ubuntu 16.04.

6 Answers

opencv is not compatible with python 3. I had to install opencv3 for python 3. The marked answer in how could we install opencv on anaconda? explains how to install opencv(3) for anaconda:

Run the following command:

conda install -c opencv

I realized that opencv3 is also available now, run the following command:

conda install -c opencv3

Edit on Aug 18, 2016: You may like to add the "menpo" channel permanently by:

conda config --add channels menpo

And then opencv can be installed by:

conda install opencv (or opencv3)

Edit on Aug 14, 2017: "clinicalgraphics" channel provides relatively newer vtk version for very recent python3

conda install -c clinicalgraphics vtk

Edit on April 16, 2020 (based on @AMC's comment): OpenCV can be installed through conda-forge (details see here)

conda install -c conda-forge opencv

You can try

conda install -c menpo opencv=3 

Use this code at the Anaconda prompt:

conda update conda -c conda-canary 

Then don't type this code:

conda install -c conda-forge opencv 

but, instead, use:

Pip install opencv-python 

It worked with me after few days of trials

See Krishna Ojha's video and read the comments below the video.

I had created my Anaconda environment and installed everything I needed, but when trying to import cv2, I always got the message "no module named cv2". I reinstalled and followed Linda's tips, which didn't work.

Finally, I noticed that my Anaconda environment didn't have cv2 installed, even with all I did.
I copied the cv2 folder to "miniconda'X'/envs/yourEnv/lib/python'X.X'/site-packages/" which worked for me.

The file may be not installed properly.

Run the following commands:

Sudo apt-get update Sudo apt-get upgrade 

then

pip install opencv-python 

Check-in your jupyter notebook:

import cv2 print cv2.__version__ 

This may solve the issue.

If aforementioned solutions don't work for you & you have opencv installed in conda environment then try the following command:

conda install nb_conda