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RunCam Nano 3 (800TVL): specs

A 14 x 14 mm analog FPV camera with a 1/3-inch CMOS sensor, 800 TVL horizontal resolution and a 2.3 mm lens (140 degree field of view), made by RunCam. It outputs analog NTSC video, so it needs an analog video receiver or capture device to show a picture.

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Specs

Power

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.

RunCam's page gives no wire colours or connector pinout for this camera, so none are listed here. Read the label or the plug on your unit and check the supply and ground wires with a meter before powering it.

Build with it

Project ideas for the RunCam Nano 3 (800TVL). Each link opens Soldr with the prompt filled in; Soldr assigns the pins, checks power and shows how to wire every part.

• Camera power-draw tester: RunCam lists 110 mA at 5 V, far below the current any common INA219 shunt can pass; read the shunt value printed on the module before use. The power bank gives 5 V, inside the camera's 3 V to 5.5 V range. The ESP32 is a 3.3 V board and talks to the INA219 over I2C. It shows measured current on the OLED so you can compare it with the maker's figure.
• Single-cell battery runtime log: The camera accepts 3 V to 5.5 V, so one 3.7 V cell can power it directly. Put the cell behind a protection board and charge it only with a TP4056 single-cell charger module (one cell only). The TP4056 sheet gives 1000 mA at an RPROG of 1.2 kohm, and many modules of this type ship set for 1 A, which is above 1 C for this 600 mAh cell. Before charging, read the programming resistor on your module and change it to about 2 kohm, which the sheet's RPROG table lists as 580 mA, so the charge current stays at about 0.6 A or below, keep it in the charging bag when charging, and never leave it charging unattended. The ESP32 runs from its own USB supply with a common ground to the INA219, not from the 3.7 V cell. It logs voltage and current until the pack voltage nears the camera's 3 V minimum. Learning project for understanding battery runtime.
• Camera warm-up temperature logger: At 110 mA and 5 V the camera draws about 0.55 W. Tape the probe to the camera housing and log the temperature while it runs to see whether it needs airflow in a tight enclosure. The DS18B20 data line needs a pull-up resistor to 3.3 V, taken from the resistor pack of 4.7 kohm (check that your resistor pack contains that value). The maker gives no operating temperature range, so treat the log as a learning tool.

Common mistakes

• Powering it from more than 5.5 V (for example straight from a 2S or 3S LiPo): the maker's supply range is 3 V to 5.5 V, so use a regulated 5 V rail or a single Li-ion/LiPo cell (source: link, Specifications: Power)
• Expecting PAL output: the maker names this model 'NTSC only' and lists NTSC as the signal system, so check that your receiver or capture device accepts NTSC (source: link, Specifications: Signal System)
• Expecting a USB or Wi-Fi image: the Nano 3 is an analog camera with no digital video output described by the maker, so an analog receiver or capture device is needed (source: link, Specifications)

Not covered by the official source

• RunCam's download page does not list a Nano 3 manual, so wire colours, connector pinout, operating temperature and video output level are not given.
• The maker page names the model 'RunCam Nano 3 (NTSC only)'; the product name here does not say NTSC.
• The video output needs an analog receiver or capture device; none is described on the maker page.
• Retailers list a different lens (2.1 mm, 160 degrees); this page follows the maker's 2.3 mm, 140 degrees.

Sources

• link (RunCam store page 'RunCam Nano 3 (NTSC only)', archived 14 Nov 2025; copy hosted by the Internet Archive)