The infrared Camera Module v2 (Pi NoIR) has a Sony IMX219 8-megapixel sensor (compared to the 5-megapixel OmniVision OV5647 sensor of the original camera).

The Pi NoIR gives you everything the regular Camera Module offers, with one difference: it does not employ an infrared filter. (NoIR = No Infrared.) This means that pictures you take by daylight will look decidedly curious, but it gives you the ability to see in the dark with infrared lighting.

We bundle a little square of blue gel with the Pi NoIR, which you can use with the camera to monitor the health of green plants. The Pi NoIR is very popular among wildlife hobbyists: with a few infrared LEDs, you can monitor what nocturnal animals are doing in your garden without disturbing them.

The camera works with all models of Raspberry Pi 1, 2, 3 and 4. It can be accessed through the MMAL and V4L APIs, and there are numerous third-party libraries built for it, including the Picamera Python library.

See the Getting Started with Picamera resource to learn how to use it.

Note: it hasn’t an audio microphone.

• For the NoIR v2 version, there is no Infrared filter making it perfect for taking Infrared photographs or photographing objects in low light (twilight) and dark conditions
• Fixed focus lens on-board
• Improved resolution - 8 megapixel native resolution sensor-capable of 3280 x 2464 pixel static images
• Supports 1080p30, 720p60 and 640x480p90 video
• Size 25mm x 23mm x 9mm
• Weight just over 3g
• Connects to the Raspberry Pi board via a short ribbon cable (supplied)
• NoIR Camera v2 is supported in the latest version of Raspbian, Raspberry Pi's preferred operating system
• Uses the Sony IMX219PQ image sensor - high-speed video imaging and high sensitivity
• 1.4m X 1.4m pixel with OmniBSI technology for high performance (high sensitivity, low crosstalk, low noise)
• Optical size of 1/4"
• Works with any version of the Raspberry Pi or compute module

With a tiny size at around 25mm x 23mm x 9mm and a weight of just over 3g it makes it the perfect accessories for mobile or other applications where size and weight are important. The Raspberry Pi Camera Module offers reduced image contamination such as fixed pattern noise & smearing. It also features automatic control functions such as exposure control, white balance and luminance detection.

A 15 cm ribbon cable (included) attached to the module slots straight into your Pi Camera Serial Interface port (CSI). Once connected, you can access the camera board via the Multi-Media Abstraction Layer (MMAL) or the Video for Linux (V4L) APIs. Alternatively there are libraries such as Picamera Python, and many others that you can find online.

• Infrared photography
• Low light photography
• Monitoring plant growth
• CCTV security camera
• HD videos and still photography at night
• When used with IR LEDs you are able to see in the dark, so you can monitor plant health or even nocturnal animals