Wide angle Raspberry-Pi camera 12 MegaPixels - V3 - Auto-focus, HDR, Low light sensitivity

Wide angle Raspberry-Pi Camera module V3 with 12 Megapixels with auto-focus - 120 ° angle of view

Here is the brand new camera module from Raspberry-Po foundation based on the Sony IMX708 sensor. This new module does not only offers a higher resolution and advanced auto-focus (Omni-directional auto-focus, also named All Pixel) but introduces HDR and Improved Low Light Sensitivity.

The IMX708 from Sony is a camera designed for Mobile Phones and use the omnidirectional focusing technology which offers a faster and more accurate autofocus capability.
Usual auto-focus are based on Phase Detection AutoFocus (PADF) detect pattern changes in vertical direction only. As a result the usual auto-focus have difficulties to adjust properly with horizontal pattern changes.
With Omnidirectional focusing work on pattern changes on vertical and horizontal direction, this makes more calculation resulting in a more approriate focusing. As a final result, the overall focus operation is faster. The omnidirectional focus also offer better performance in low-light environment and is capable to focus on small object (or finer details). The fast auto-focus allows the camera to jump from one focus to other focus without transition.

The HDR (High Dynamic Range) technology which avoids backlight and offers sharp image over 100% of the picture. HDR is an image processing used to make darker part of picture more illuminated and highly exposed part of picture darker. To accomplish this miracle, the HDR do takes 2 pictures (high exposure, low exposure) and recombine parts of pictures to globaly offer the best enlightenment  on the final picture. Notice that HDR should only be used to take picture with large light differences (otherwise the colors would be less natural... like resulting of PhoShoping treatment). Because HDR is base on 2 underlaying pictures, it is not suitable for taking picture of moving objects (the result could appears blurry).

The Improved Low Light Sensitivity allows to take picture into area with low light exposure, this extra capability also allows auto-focus in such situation.

The IMX708 digital camera is clearly oriented to video recording.

Technical detail

• Sensor: IMX708 de Sony
• Angle of view: 120°
• Visible light
• Resolution: 12.2 MPixels
• Sensor Size: 7.4mm (diagonal)
• HDR: High Dynamic Range
• Continuous Auto-Focus (thanks to PADF pixel)
• I2C controlled auto-focus
• onChip video with HDR up to 3 MegaPixels
• Compatible with all version of Pi (Warning Pi5 requires a specific CSI ribon).
• Camera V2 form-factor
• Picamera2 python library