5 Best Raspberry Pi IR Camera Options for Night Vision
The best Raspberry Pi IR camera for most projects is the Camera Module 3 NoIR. It has a 12MP sensor, autofocus, and works with any Pi that has a camera connector. Choose the Wide NoIR to cover a whole room or yard. Choose the Module 2 NoIR if you need to match older cases or tutorials. Pick an IR-cut camera with onboard LEDs if you want color by day and night vision after dark. If you are building a product on a Pi 4 or Pi 5 and need strong near-infrared response, look at Vadzo's Bolt-2020MRS.
A NoIR camera is a standard Pi camera with the infrared cut filter removed. That lets the sensor see near-infrared light, so with a few 850nm LEDs you can watch a dark garden, a nursery or a workshop. The tradeoff is a pink color cast in daylight, because the sensor now sees light your eyes do not. The confusing part is sorting out the models, the filter types and which one fits your Pi, cable and case.
This list covers five options, what each does differently, who it suits and roughly what it costs. Prices are approximate and vary by reseller, so check the current listing before you buy.
Raspberry Pi IR Camera: Comparison
1. Vadzo Bolt-2020MRS NIR-enhanced MIPI camera
The Vadzo Bolt-2020MRS is a 20MP monochrome MIPI CSI-2 camera board with enhanced near-infrared response at 850nm and 900nm. It is aimed at product developers, not weekend builders.
Key specs and how it differs
Unlike a NoIR module, this camera does not rely on removing a filter from a color sensor. It uses a monochrome sensor, so there is no color filter array to block light and no pink daylight cast. Frames are grayscale at every hour, which is exactly what most machine vision and night monitoring software wants.
Sensor: onsemi AR2020, 20MP, rolling shutter
Output: up to 4K and 20MP
NIR response enhanced at 850nm and 900nm
Wake on motion and high signal-to-noise ratio
MIPI CSI-2 with driver support for Raspberry Pi 4 and Raspberry Pi 5
Vadzo ships its board cameras without an enclosure, so the module mounts inside your own housing, drone frame or inspection rig. The company also offers lens and filter integration, which helps if you want an optical filter matched to your illuminator.
A monochrome NIR sensor gives you clean night frames without the pink cast of a modified color camera.
Who it suits and where to buy
This is the pick when your Pi sits inside a product, such as a robot, an inspection station or a surveillance unit. It costs well above a $25 hobby module, so it makes little sense for a backyard wildlife camera. There is no minimum order quantity, and Vadzo's application engineers can help with lens and field-of-view selection and platform integration. Pricing and cables are listed on the Vadzo site, so confirm the cable that matches your Pi's connector before ordering.
2. Raspberry Pi Camera Module 3 NoIR
Camera Module 3 NoIR is the best all-round Raspberry Pi IR camera for hobby and prototype work. It is the standard Module 3 without the infrared cut filter.
Key specs and how it differs
It uses the Sony IMX708 sensor with phase detection autofocus, so it refocuses quickly as a subject moves. That is a real step up from the fixed-focus Module 2. The camera is supported by libcamera and works with any Pi that has a camera connector.
Resolution: 12MP, 4608 × 2592
Field of view: 75 degrees diagonal
Video: 1080p50, 720p100, 480p120
HDR mode with output up to 3MP
Size: 25 × 24 × 11.5mm, with a 200mm cable
The board is several millimeters taller than Module 2, so cases made for Module 2 may not fit. A Pi Zero needs an adapter cable.
For most night vision projects, a Module 3 NoIR plus an 850nm IR lamp is the simplest working combination.
Who it suits and where to buy
It suits nearly everyone starting a night vision build: pet cameras, bird boxes, time-lapse and security prototypes. Expect to pay about $25 to $30, depending on the reseller. Buy from a Raspberry Pi Approved Reseller or a hobby electronics shop, and remember the NoIR looks pink in daylight unless you add a filter or accept the cast.
3. Raspberry Pi Camera Module 3 Wide NoIR
The Camera Module 3 Wide NoIR is the same 12MP autofocus camera with a 120 degree diagonal field of view. Pick it when you need to see a lot of space from one spot.
Key specs and how it differs
Only the lens changes. The sensor, autofocus, HDR mode and video modes match the 75 degree NoIR, and the board is slightly taller at 12.4mm. The wider view means each subject takes up less of the frame, so detail at a distance drops compared with the standard lens. Edge distortion is also more noticeable.
Resolution: 12MP, IMX708 sensor
Field of view: 120 degrees diagonal
Autofocus: phase detection
Height: 12.4mm
Your IR lamp matters more here. A narrow LED beam will light the center of a wide frame and leave the corners dark, so choose illumination that spreads wide.
The wide lens covers more room, but your IR lighting has to cover it too.
Who it suits and where to buy
Use it for hallways, doorways, small rooms, sheds and any build where the camera sits close to the scene. Skip it for a bird feeder 10 feet away, where the standard lens gives more detail. Retail prices run about $35 to $40. Reseller listings differ, so compare a few before you order.
4. Raspberry Pi Camera Module 2 NoIR
The Camera Module 2 NoIR is the older 8MP infrared module, and it is still sold and supported. Raspberry Pi says it will stay in production until at least January 2028.
Key specs and how it differs
It uses the Sony IMX219 sensor and is fixed focus. It also ships with a small square of blue gel, which Raspberry Pi suggests for monitoring plant health. The table shows the two NoIR generations side by side.
Feature | Module 2 NoIR | Module 3 NoIR |
|---|---|---|
Sensor | Sony IMX219 | Sony IMX708 |
Resolution | 8MP, 3280 × 2464 | 12MP, 4608 × 2592 |
Autofocus | No | Phase detection |
Best video | 1080p30 | 1080p50 |
It works with every Pi that has a CSI connector. The exceptions are the Pi 400, 500 and 500+, which lack one, and the 2016 launch version of the Pi Zero. Every Pi Zero model needs the narrower Zero camera cable.
Choose the Module 2 NoIR for compatibility with existing cases and tutorials, not for image quality.
Who it suits and where to buy
It fits builders who already own cases, mounts or guides written for Module 2. Check its price against the Module 3 NoIR first, because the gap is small and the newer camera is better. You can buy it from Raspberry Pi Approved Resellers and large marketplaces.
5. IR-cut camera with onboard IR LEDs
An IR-cut camera with onboard LEDs switches its filter automatically, so you get normal color in daylight and infrared vision at night. These are third-party boards that connect to the Pi's camera port.
Key specs and how it differs
A motorized filter slides in front of the sensor when light is bright and moves away when it is dark. Many boards include a light sensor and a ring of infrared LEDs, so you need no separate lamp. That fixes the pink daylight problem of a fixed NoIR.
Sensor: often an older 5MP class sensor
Lighting: onboard IR LEDs
Filter: switches by light level
Focus: usually fixed, set by hand
One hobbyist review found it arrived in three parts that needed bolting together, with a very short cable. Some older boards also need the legacy camera interface enabled in raspi-config, so confirm the software stack before you buy.
You trade resolution and polish for color by day and night vision from one board.
Who it suits and where to buy
It suits a single always-on camera that must look right at noon and at midnight, such as a porch or garage monitor. Prices typically fall in the $20 to $40 range at Amazon and Pi hobby shops. Quality varies between sellers, so read the listing for sensor, cable length and driver support.
Choosing your night vision camera
For most people, the Camera Module 3 NoIR with an 850nm lamp is the right starting point. Move to the Wide NoIR for rooms, the Module 2 NoIR only to match old gear, and an IR-cut board when you need color in daylight. If your Pi is going into a product that needs a clean, monochrome near-infrared signal, a board-level camera is the sturdier path.
If you are at that stage, explore Vadzo Imaging's MIPI cameras for Raspberry Pi and ask the application engineering team to help match a sensor, lens and cable to your build.
