In April 2016, Raspberry Pi released its successor of the original Raspberry Pi Camera Module, a very competent, small albeit powerful camera. Replacing its previous 5MP OV5647 sensor with its 8MP Sony IMX219 sensor, we saw the future of low-cost, compact embedded camera modules on the rise.
Fast forward to now, 2023, Raspberry Pi have finally released their updated camera module, Raspberry Pi Camera Module V3. So what is new with this version?
Four new variants, Standard, NoIR, Wide and Wide NoIR.
| Standard V3 | NoIR V3 | Wide V3 | Wide NoIR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focus Range | 10cm–∞ | 10cm–∞ | 5cm–∞ | 5cm–∞ |
|
Focal Length |
4.74mm | 4.74mm | 2.75mm | 2.5mm |
| D FOV | 75 degrees | 75 degrees | 120 degrees | 120 degrees |
| H FOV | 66 degrees | 66 degrees | 102 degrees | 102 degrees |
| V FOV | 41 degrees | 41 degrees | 67 degrees | 67 degrees |
| F.No. | F1.8 | F1.8 | F2.2 | F2.2 |
| Infrared | No | Yes | No | Yes |
What else does it feature?
Compared to the other versions of camera modules including their HQ cameras, what makes this stand out even more is it's new sensor that features ultra-fast auto focus. This hasn't been done by any of it's official previous modules, though Arducam's high resolution camera from last year delivered just that, and it was a feature that was highly sought after.
With the improvement on quality as well as auto focus wasn't enough for you, this camera also features a High Dynamic Range mode (HDR).
Conclusion
Raspberry Pi have come out with a crafty little camera module that packs a punch, with a vast improvement from it's previous generations.
However, the range is still limited to three products. If you're in the market for Raspberry Pi cameras, you should also consider the Arducam products for a broader and more varied range of sensors and lens flexibility.