The hobby and DIY world’s favorite digital doodad – the Raspberry Pi – just got better with the launch of a new accessory: An interchangeable lens camera.
Priced at USD 50, the 12.3MP High Quality Camera is based on Sony’s IMX477 sensor, which, at 1.55μm offers double the pixel area of the previous generation of Raspberry Pi camera (the Camera Module V2, based on Sony’s IMX219).
The folks at Raspberry Pi have also managed to stuff in a tripod mount and an integrated focus ring, which should open up a whole new world of possibilities. Two new lenses are also available alongside via Raspberry Pi resellers: A 6mm CS‑mount lens ($25), and a 16mm C-mount lens ($50).
Will the new camera work with my Raspberry Pi?
The new High Performance Camera module will work out of the box with the Raspberry Pi 1 Model B and newer devices. Raspberry Pi Zero users will have to check whether their variant supports cameras (early revisions do not), and if it does, they’ll also need the Raspberry FPC Camera adapter.
What lenses can I use with the Raspberry Pi High Performance Camera?
You can use any CS-Mount lens with your new Raspberry Pi High Performance Camera, and there’s also an included C-CS mount adapter that makes it possible to use C-Mount lenses. That should be enough for a lot of users as C and CS mounts are commonly seen on cinema and CCTV lenses. But if it’s not, Raspberry Pi also says that it should be possible to use other lenses (including perhaps the ones that came with your DSLR) using adapters.
To help hobbyists make the most of this new accessory, Raspberry Pi has also released a new Official Raspberry Pi Camera Guide which walks you through basic usage, as well as laying out a bunch of DIY projects.
