Raspberry Pi Launches 12MP Camera Module With Autofocus

Nearly 10 years after introducing its first camera module, Raspberry Pi this week launched Camera Module 3.

Available in four variants(Opens in a new window), the tiny tech promises higher resolution, bigger pixels, and more field-of-view options than previous iterations. It also boasts powered autofocus, high dynamic range, and compatibility with all Raspberry Pi computers (minus the Raspberry Pi 400 and 2016 Zero).

The original Camera Module, released in May 2013, was Raspberry Pi’s first official single-board computer (SBC) accessory; capable of producing 640-by-480-pixel, 720p, and 1,080p video, it was soon followed by a NoIR infrared-sensitive form. Three years later, the UK-based Raspberry Pi Foundation unveiled Camera Module 2—an 8MP shooter using a Sony IMX219 sensor, and in 2020 released the 12.3MP High Quality Camera with support for C- and CS-mount lenses.

“But time, and CMOS image sensor technology, marches on,” Raspberry Pi Trading CEO Eben Upton says(Opens in a new window). The update includes visible-light and infrared-sensitive options, with either a standard or wide field of view (FoV). “And in place of the fixed-focus optics of its predecessors, Camera Module 3 provides powered autofocus—which many of you have requested, allowing you to take crisp images of objects from around 5cm out to infinity,” he says.

The latest model uses Sony’s back-illuminated IMX708 sensor for 12 megapixel-resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio, a larger and more sensitive pixel design, and support for HDR imaging. Plus, it moves away from Raspberry Pi’s previous fixed-focus optics, allowing the lens to shift backward and forward relative to the sensor until a selected area (the middle, by default) is optimally focused—even while recording video.

The cherry on top (according to Upton) is high dynamic range. The imaging technique simultaneously captures multiple frames of the same scene, but with different exposures, then combines them to create one image with the most balanced lighting.

Standard FoV Camera Module 3 variants are on sale now from approved resellers for $25; the wide-angle options are priced at $35. Raspberry Pi also launched a  version of its High Quality Camera with a native M12 mount, available for $50.

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