# Raspberry Pi 3 Camera Setup Help

**URL:** <https://forums.balena.io/t/raspberry-pi-3-camera-setup-help/377486>\
**Category:** General\
**Tags:** support, raspberrypi3, picamera, iot\
**Created:** [April 24, 2026, 3:30am UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/raspberry-pi-3-camera-setup-help/377486 "2026-04-24T03:30:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Danieldsouza](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f6c823/32.png) [@Danieldsouza](https://forums.balena.io/u/Danieldsouza)\
**Post date:** [April 24, 2026, 3:30am UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/raspberry-pi-3-camera-setup-help/377486/1 "2026-04-24T03:30:49Z")

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I’m using a Raspberry Pi 3 with a camera module for a basic monitoring project. Camera not detecting properly sometimes. Any tips on setup, power supply, or troubleshooting would help.

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**Author:** ![alanb128](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/balena/user_avatar/forums.balena.io/alanb128/32/2839_2.png) [@alanb128](https://forums.balena.io/u/alanb128)\
**Post date:** [April 24, 2026, 8:36pm UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/raspberry-pi-3-camera-setup-help/377486/2 "2026-04-24T20:36:49Z")

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Which camera module are you using? (Pi camera module 2 or 3?) Are you using the 32 or 64 bit version of balenaOS for Pi 3? You should have at least a 5V 2.5A power supply on the Pi 3 when using the camera module.

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**Author:** ![Danieldsouza](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f6c823/32.png) [@Danieldsouza](https://forums.balena.io/u/Danieldsouza)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2026, 5:41am UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/raspberry-pi-3-camera-setup-help/377486/3 "2026-04-28T05:41:06Z")

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For the setup being used, it is the Raspberry Pi Camera Module 3, which features the Sony IMX708 sensor and supports powered autofocus. You can find the specific module here: Raspberry Pi Camera Module 3. ([Check This](https://robocraze.com/products/raspberry-pi-camera-module-3))

Regarding the operating system, it is running on the 64-bit version of balenaOS to ensure full compatibility with the latest camera software and libraries.

As for the power requirements, a 5V 2.5A power supply is indeed being used to ensure the Pi 3 remains stable while the camera module is active, especially during autofocus or high-resolution processing.

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**Author:** ![alanb128](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/balena/user_avatar/forums.balena.io/alanb128/32/2839_2.png) [@alanb128](https://forums.balena.io/u/alanb128)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2026, 8:33pm UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/raspberry-pi-3-camera-setup-help/377486/4 "2026-04-29T20:33:52Z")

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It sounds like your power is not an issue. When the camera is not detected, are you seeing any errors in dmesg? Checking `dmesg | grep -i imx708` or `dmesg | grep -i camera` may provide some clues. Are you on a Pi 3B, 3A+, or 3B+? We have an example repo for setting up a camera module on Pi 4 and Pi 5 but it should be somewhat applicable to a Pi 3 as well: [GitHub - balena-solutions/balena-pi-cameras: Example of running the Raspberry Pi AI Camera in a container on balena · GitHub](https://github.com/balena-solutions/balena-pi-cameras)