Raspberry Pi Global Shutter Camera

The Raspberry Pi Global Shutter Camera is a specialised 1.6-megapixel camera from Raspberry Pi that is able to capture rapid motion without introducing artefacts typical of rolling shutter cameras.

It is ideally suited to fast motion photography such as sports photography and machine vision applications, where even small amounts of distortion can seriously degrade inference performance.

To use this camera with a Raspberry Pi 5, you will need to buy this adapter cable!

To use this camera with a Raspberry Pi Zero, you will need to buy this adapter cable!

With a large pixel size of 3.45μm × 3.45μm providing high light sensitivity, the Global Shutter Camera can operate with short exposure times (as low as 30μs with adequate lighting), an advantage for high-speed Raspberry Pi photography. It features a 1.6MP Sony IMX296 sensor, and it has the same C/CS-mount lens assembly and tripod mount as the Raspberry Pi High Quality Camera, for compatibility with the same broad variety of lenses and accessories.

In common with other global shutter sensors, the IMX296 has a lower resolution than similarly sized rolling shutter sensors; a low pixel count is appropriate for machine vision applications, where high-resolution images are challenging to process in real time. The Global Shutter Camera’s lower resolution means that with appropriate lens magnification, an image suitable for processing by a machine vision model can be captured natively.

The Raspberry Pi Global Shutter Camera includes a C- to CS-mount adapter, a screwdriver, and a 150mm ribbon cable, as well as a removable plastic back cover for protection. It is compatible with any Raspberry Pi computer that has a full-size CSI camera connector.

Don’t forget to grab a lens, tripod, mounting plate and any other accessories you might need!

Note: You’ll need to update Raspberry Pi OS to use the new camera: run sudo apt update; sudo apt full-upgrade; sudo reboot and you’re good to go.

Community Video

Jeff does a great job explaining the difference between Global Shutter and Rolling Shutter cameras here:

Compatibility

The GS Camera is compatible with all Raspberry Pi boards with a full-size camera connector (CSI connector).

• To use this camera with a Raspberry Pi 5 (which has a smaller CSI connector), you will need to use a Raspberry Pi 5 camera adapter cable
• To use this camera with a Raspberry Pi Zero (which has a smaller CSI connector), you will need to use an adapter cable

Specifications

Form factor	38 × 38 × 19.8mm (29.5mm adapter and dust cap)
Weight	34g (41g with adapter and dust cap)
Sensor	Sony IMX296LQR-C
Resolution	1.58 megapixels (colour)
Sensor size	6.3mm sensor diagonal
Pixel size	3.45μm × 3.45μm
Output	RAW10
Back focus length of lens	Adjustable (12.5–22.4mm)
Lens standards	CS-Mount
	C-Mount (C-CS adapter included)
IR cut filter	Integrated
Ribbon cable length	150mm
Included accessories	C-CS mount adapter
	Screwdriver
Tripod mount	1/4”-20
Compliance	FCC 47 CFR Part 15, Subpart B, Class B Digital Device
	Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive (EMC)
	2014/30/EU
	Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive
	2011/65/EU

Package Contents

• 1x Raspberry Pi GS Camera
• 1x Removable plastic cover
• 1x 150mm ribbon cable
• 1x C to CS-mount adapter
• 1x Screwdriver

Resources

• Launch news article
• Raspberry Pi Global Shutter Camera Product Brief
• Raspberry Pi Global Shutter Camera mechanical drawing
• Raspberry Pi Global Shutter Camera documentation

Physical Specification