Raspberry Pi upgrades its Camera Module with HDR, autofocus, and more
Enlarge / The Raspberry Pi Camera Module 3 variants. Green are standard, black are infrared. And it's implied that this photo is showing off some of the HDR prowess of the new Camera Module 3 itself. (credit: Raspberry Pi)
Raspberry Pis will soon have many more camera-based projects available to them, as the newest Camera Module from the single-board computer maker allows for autofocus, high dynamic range, lower-light photos, and more.
The Camera Module 3, starting at $25, lets you take "crisp images of objects from around 5cm out to infinity," Raspberry Pi CEO Eben Upton wrote in a blog post announcement. Standard field-of-view (FoV) camera modules cost $25, while wider-FoV models are $35 for the "more complex and expensive optical stack."
The sensor comes from Sony and uses a back-illuminated IMX708 that provides a 12-megapixel resolution, larger (1.40m) pixels, and support for HDR. Among other improvements from the Camera Module 2 released in 2016, this model allows for finer image details, 16:9 HD video, and better low-light sensitivity. The standard models capture a 66-degree field of view, similar to the previous module's 62. The wide-FoV models capture 102 degrees at a slightly lower angular resolution but allow for new uses, including digital panning.