Raspberry Pi HQ Camera (M12): specs
12.3 megapixel Sony IMX477R camera board from Raspberry Pi with an FPC cable and a milled aluminium lens mount with a tripod thread. This is the M12 mount variant.
Specs
| Spec | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Sensor | Sony IMX477R stacked, back-illuminated; 12.3 megapixels; 7.9 mm diagonal; 1.55 um x 1.55 um pixels | source Raspberry Pi High Quality Camera product brief (Jan 2023), Specification, p.3 |
| Output | RAW12/10/8, COMP8 | source Raspberry Pi High Quality Camera product brief (Jan 2023), Specification, p.3 |
| Back focus length | 2.6 mm to 11.8 mm | source Raspberry Pi High Quality Camera product brief (Jan 2023), Specification, p.3 (M12 Mount variant) |
| Lens sensor format | 1/2.3 inch (7.9 mm) or larger | source Raspberry Pi High Quality Camera product brief (Jan 2023), Specification, p.3 |
| IR cut filter | Integrated; can be removed to enable IR sensitivity, modification is irreversible | source Raspberry Pi High Quality Camera product brief (Jan 2023), Specification and footnote 2, p.3 |
| Ribbon cable length | 200 mm | source Raspberry Pi High Quality Camera product brief (Jan 2023), Specification, p.3 |
| Tripod mount | 1/4 inch-20 | source Raspberry Pi High Quality Camera product brief (Jan 2023), Specification, p.3 |
| Lens mount | Milled aluminium M12 mount with three lens locking rings (one required, two spare) | source Raspberry Pi High Quality Camera product brief (Jan 2023), Overview, p.2 |
| Compatibility | All Raspberry Pi models from Raspberry Pi 1 Model B onwards, excluding early Zero models that lack the FPC connector | source Raspberry Pi High Quality Camera product brief (Jan 2023), Overview, p.2 |
Power
| Value | Source | |
|---|---|---|
| Supply | Powered from the Raspberry Pi camera connector | source Raspberry Pi High Quality Camera product brief (Jan 2023), no supply or current figure given |
Pinout
We don't publish a pin table for this part: no official source we could verify gives one. Check the labels printed on your module, and see the notes below.
The product brief gives no connector pin table. Camera connector pinouts are in the Raspberry Pi camera documentation.
Build with it
Project ideas for the Raspberry Pi HQ Camera (M12). Each link opens Soldr with the prompt filled in; Soldr assigns the pins, checks power and shows how to wire every part.
- Plant growth time-lapse: The camera connects with its 200 mm ribbon cable to the Pi 4's camera port. Before buying a lens, check in the lens maker's own documentation that it is made to cover this camera's sensor. Point it at plants, not at people.
- Bird feeder camera: The camera cable is only 200 mm, so the Pi must sit right beside the camera: put the camera behind a window facing the feeder with the Pi indoors next to it, and keep the Pi and its mains supply dry and indoors. Before buying a lens, check in the lens maker's own documentation that it is made to cover this camera's sensor. Place it so it does not record neighbours or passers-by; give notice if anyone could be filmed.
- Workbench build time-lapse: The mount has a 1/4 inch-20 tripod thread, so it fits a standard camera stand, and the 200 mm cable keeps the Pi close to the camera. Before buying a lens, check in the lens maker's own documentation that it is made to cover this camera's sensor. Point it at your project, not at people; if anyone could be in frame, tell them and get their consent first. Learning project.
Common mistakes
- Expecting a lens to be included: the board and lens mount are supplied without a lens; the M12 variant needs an M12 lens and the CS variant a C- or CS-mount lens (source: link, Overview)
- Using a lens that is too small for the sensor: lens format must be 1/2.3 inch (7.9 mm) or larger (source: link, Specification)
- Removing the IR cut filter without meaning to keep it removed: the modification is irreversible (source: link, Specification footnote 2)
Not covered by the official source
- The brief gives no supply voltage or current draw.
Sources
- link (Raspberry Pi High Quality Camera product brief, published January 2023, covers the CS and M12 variants)