The Raspberry Pi Camera Module 3 is a significant upgrade from its predecessors, offering a range of advanced features that make it suitable for both beginners and advanced users. Here's a detailed overview of this camera module:

The Camera Module 3 is equipped with a 12-megapixel Sony IMX708 sensor, which is a back-illuminated and stacked CMOS sensor. This sensor is known for its high signal-to-noise ratio and large pixel size of 1.4μm × 1.4μm, allowing for better low-light performance and image quality. The sensor's resolution provides 11.9 megapixels, with a horizontal/vertical resolution of 4608 × 2592 pixels, which is a substantial increase from the 8.1 megapixels of the previous generation .

One of the standout features of this camera module is its Phase Detection Autofocus (PDAF) system, which enables rapid and accurate autofocus. This is particularly useful for applications that require quick focus adjustments, such as tracking moving objects or time-lapse photography.

The Camera Module 3 also supports High Dynamic Range (HDR) mode, which can output images up to 3 megapixels. This feature allows the camera to capture more detail in both bright and dark areas of a scene, resulting in well-exposed images even in challenging lighting conditions.

The module is available in both standard and wide-angle variants, with the wide-angle version offering a 120° field of view. This provides users with the flexibility to choose the perspective that best suits their project. Additionally, there are NoIR versions available, which do not have an infrared cut filter, making them suitable for applications that require sensitivity to infrared light .