element14 launches Raspberry Pi camera board

The Raspberry Pi camera board enables pictures and video to be taken with the Raspberry Pi which can be used for security and VoIP projects as well as image and video capture.

One of a strong pipeline of exclusive Raspberry Pi accessories to be launched this year, the camera board is available through Newark element14 and MCM in North America, Farnell element14 in Europe, CPC in the UK and Ireland and element14 in Asia-Pacific.

The camera board is a custom-designed add-on for the Raspberry Pi that attaches to one of the small sockets on the board’s upper surface. This interface uses the dedicated CSi interface, designed especially for interfacing to cameras. The camera board itself is tiny at around 25 x 20 x 9 mm.

Key features of the camera board: 5 megapixel native resolution sensor - capable of 2592 x 1944 pixel static images; supports 1080p30, 720p60 and 640x480p60/90 video; the camera is supported in the latest version of Raspbian - Raspberry Pi’s preferred operating system.

Claire Doyle, Global Head of Raspberry Pi at element14, said: “Since the launch of the Raspberry Pi, element14 has led the activity through the phenomenal journey of this little computer. The camera board is the latest in a suit of accessories added to the Raspberry Pi portfolio providing customers with solutions. It is an exciting journey and the camera board has been so eagerly anticipated we felt we should commemorate the launch with a competition for our customers.”

element14 is calling all budding photographers to enter its Raspberry Pi photography competition to win a supply of new Raspberry Pi accessories throughout the remainder of the year.  Anyone owning a Raspberry Pi and camera can enter the competition, which calls for images taken with the device to be submitted in four categories: your workshop/den; your Pi project; people and pets; outdoors. Finalists will be selected in each category and these will be uploaded to Facebook for a public vote to select an overall winner. The competition will run from 14 May to 14 June 2013.