Build your own webcam with a Pi Zero 2W and a Cam Module 3
Enjoying the View

© Lead Image © Alexandar Sidorov, 123RF.com
Combine a Raspberry Pi Zero and the new Raspberry Pi Cam 3 to create your own cost-effective, energy-saving webcam.
Cameras are everywhere these days, including in many technical devices. Often networked as IP cameras, they can be found in home intercom or room surveillance systems. Some webcams show you views of faraway places that you might want to visit on vacation. But what if you want to publish live images that provide information about your home location and register your weather camera on public sites?
This is exactly how my project came about: a webcam based on a Raspberry Pi that is just as simple as it is reliable and also consumes little power. The idea was for the device (Figure 1) not to take up too much space so that it can be attached to a window frame behind the pane.
The Raspberry Pi Zero 2W in combination with the new Raspberry Pi Camera Module 3 was just what the doctor ordered. The whole setup is controlled by a Python script. The do-it-yourself cam is within range of the home WLAN and only requires a power supply. The bottom line is that the complete webcam cost just EUR50 (~$54).
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

News
-
openSUSE Joins End of 10
openSUSE has decided to not only join the End of 10 movement but it also will no longer support the Deepin Desktop Environment.
-
New Version of Flatpak Released
Flatpak 1.16.1 is now available as the latest, stable version with various improvements.
-
IBM Announces Powerhouse Linux Server
IBM has unleashed a seriously powerful Linux server with the LinuxONE Emperor 5.
-
Plasma Ends LTS Releases
The KDE Plasma development team is doing away with the LTS releases for a good reason.
-
Arch Linux Available for Windows Subsystem for Linux
If you've ever wanted to use a rolling release distribution with WSL, now's your chance.
-
System76 Releases COSMIC Alpha 7
With scores of bug fixes and a really cool workspaces feature, COSMIC is looking to soon migrate from alpha to beta.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 6.0 Available for Installation
The latest release of OpenMandriva has arrived with a new kernel, an updated Plasma desktop, and a server edition.
-
TrueNAS 25.04 Arrives with Thousands of Changes
One of the most popular Linux-based NAS solutions has rolled out the latest edition, based on Ubuntu 25.04.
-
Fedora 42 Available with Two New Spins
The latest release from the Fedora Project includes the usual updates, a new kernel, an official KDE Plasma spin, and a new System76 spin.
-
So Long, ArcoLinux
The ArcoLinux distribution is the latest Linux distribution to shut down.