diff --git a/include/libcamera/internal/camera_sensor.h b/include/libcamera/internal/camera_sensor.h
index 7f07413f9560..d5814a26a121 100644
--- a/include/libcamera/internal/camera_sensor.h
+++ b/include/libcamera/internal/camera_sensor.h
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ private:

 	std::string model_;

-	ImageFormats formats_;
+	ImageFormats<uint32_t> formats_;
 	Size resolution_;
 	std::vector<unsigned int> mbusCodes_;
 	std::vector<Size> sizes_;
diff --git a/include/libcamera/internal/formats.h b/include/libcamera/internal/formats.h
index f59ac8fe36a1..aba83511179f 100644
--- a/include/libcamera/internal/formats.h
+++ b/include/libcamera/internal/formats.h
@@ -18,18 +18,19 @@

 namespace libcamera {

+template<typename T>
 class ImageFormats
 {
 public:
-	int addFormat(unsigned int format, const std::vector<SizeRange> &sizes);
+	int addFormat(T format, const std::vector<SizeRange> &sizes);

 	bool isEmpty() const;
-	std::vector<unsigned int> formats() const;
-	const std::vector<SizeRange> &sizes(unsigned int format) const;
-	const std::map<unsigned int, std::vector<SizeRange>> &data() const;
+	std::vector<T> formats() const;
+	const std::vector<SizeRange> &sizes(T format) const;
+	const std::map<T, std::vector<SizeRange>> &data() const;

 private:
-	std::map<unsigned int, std::vector<SizeRange>> data_;
+	std::map<T, std::vector<SizeRange>> data_;
 };

 class PixelFormatInfo
diff --git a/include/libcamera/internal/v4l2_subdevice.h b/include/libcamera/internal/v4l2_subdevice.h
index a3ecf123f640..f811d316dada 100644
--- a/include/libcamera/internal/v4l2_subdevice.h
+++ b/include/libcamera/internal/v4l2_subdevice.h
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ public:
 	int setSelection(unsigned int pad, unsigned int target,
 			 Rectangle *rect);

-	ImageFormats formats(unsigned int pad);
+	ImageFormats<uint32_t> formats(unsigned int pad);

 	int getFormat(unsigned int pad, V4L2SubdeviceFormat *format,
 		      Whence whence = ActiveFormat);
diff --git a/src/libcamera/formats.cpp b/src/libcamera/formats.cpp
index 436672e8bf4f..a5607da3efd4 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/formats.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/formats.cpp
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #include <libcamera/formats.h>

 #include "libcamera/internal/log.h"
+#include "libcamera/internal/v4l2_pixelformat.h"

 /**
  * \file internal/formats.h
@@ -30,9 +31,8 @@ LOG_DEFINE_CATEGORY(Formats)
  * corresponding set of image sizes. It is used to describe the formats and
  * sizes supported by a V4L2Device or V4L2Subdevice.
  *
- * Formats are stored as an integer. When used for a V4L2Device, the image
- * formats are fourcc pixel formats. When used for a V4L2Subdevice they are
- * media bus codes. Both are defined by the V4L2 specification.
+ * When used for a V4L2Device, the image formats are V4L2PixelFormat instances.
+ * When used for a V4L2Subdevice formats are uint32_t media bus codes.
  *
  * Sizes are stored as a list of SizeRange.
  */
@@ -45,7 +45,8 @@ LOG_DEFINE_CATEGORY(Formats)
  * \return 0 on success or a negative error code otherwise
  * \retval -EEXIST The format is already described
  */
-int ImageFormats::addFormat(unsigned int format, const std::vector<SizeRange> &sizes)
+template<typename T>
+int ImageFormats<T>::addFormat(T format, const std::vector<SizeRange> &sizes)
 {
 	if (data_.find(format) != data_.end())
 		return -EEXIST;
@@ -59,7 +60,8 @@ int ImageFormats::addFormat(unsigned int format, const std::vector<SizeRange> &s
  * \brief Check if the list of devices supported formats is empty
  * \return True if the list of supported formats is empty
  */
-bool ImageFormats::isEmpty() const
+template<typename T>
+bool ImageFormats<T>::isEmpty() const
 {
 	return data_.empty();
 }
@@ -68,9 +70,10 @@ bool ImageFormats::isEmpty() const
  * \brief Retrieve a list of all supported image formats
  * \return List of pixel formats or media bus codes
  */
-std::vector<unsigned int> ImageFormats::formats() const
+template<typename T>
+std::vector<T> ImageFormats<T>::formats() const
 {
-	std::vector<unsigned int> formats;
+	std::vector<T> formats;
 	formats.reserve(data_.size());

 	/* \todo: Should this be cached instead of computed each time? */
@@ -90,7 +93,8 @@ std::vector<unsigned int> ImageFormats::formats() const
  * \return The list of image sizes supported for \a format, or an empty list if
  * the format is not supported
  */
-const std::vector<SizeRange> &ImageFormats::sizes(unsigned int format) const
+template<typename T>
+const std::vector<SizeRange> &ImageFormats<T>::sizes(T format) const
 {
 	static const std::vector<SizeRange> empty;

@@ -105,11 +109,15 @@ const std::vector<SizeRange> &ImageFormats::sizes(unsigned int format) const
  * \brief Retrieve the map that associates formats to image sizes
  * \return The map that associates formats to image sizes
  */
-const std::map<unsigned int, std::vector<SizeRange>> &ImageFormats::data() const
+template<typename T>
+const std::map<T, std::vector<SizeRange>> &ImageFormats<T>::data() const
 {
 	return data_;
 }

+template class ImageFormats<uint32_t>;
+template class ImageFormats<V4L2PixelFormat>;
+
 /**
  * \class PixelFormatInfo
  * \brief Information about pixel formats
diff --git a/src/libcamera/v4l2_subdevice.cpp b/src/libcamera/v4l2_subdevice.cpp
index 32c6c7acc11a..231473ba3d06 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/v4l2_subdevice.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/v4l2_subdevice.cpp
@@ -340,16 +340,16 @@ int V4L2Subdevice::setSelection(unsigned int pad, unsigned int target,
  *
  * \return A list of the supported device formats
  */
-ImageFormats V4L2Subdevice::formats(unsigned int pad)
+ImageFormats<uint32_t> V4L2Subdevice::formats(unsigned int pad)
 {
-	ImageFormats formats;
+	ImageFormats<uint32_t> formats;

 	if (pad >= entity_->pads().size()) {
 		LOG(V4L2, Error) << "Invalid pad: " << pad;
 		return {};
 	}

-	for (unsigned int code : enumPadCodes(pad)) {
+	for (uint32_t code : enumPadCodes(pad)) {
 		std::vector<SizeRange> sizes = enumPadSizes(pad, code);
 		if (sizes.empty())
 			return {};
diff --git a/test/v4l2_subdevice/list_formats.cpp b/test/v4l2_subdevice/list_formats.cpp
index a55af1100d9a..3e8d4cdba045 100644
--- a/test/v4l2_subdevice/list_formats.cpp
+++ b/test/v4l2_subdevice/list_formats.cpp
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ void ListFormatsTest::printFormats(unsigned int pad,
 int ListFormatsTest::run()
 {
 	/* List all formats available on existing "Scaler" pads. */
-	ImageFormats formats;
+	ImageFormats<uint32_t> formats;

 	formats = scaler_->formats(0);
 	if (formats.isEmpty()) {