PI-CAM-IR-A
BUILDING A INFRARED CAMERA
The Pi-Cam-IR-A is a custom built digital Infrared (IR) camera using some spare tech parts and a 1950s Kodak Duaflex II retrofitted for the housing.
THE HARDWARE:
-Pi Zero 2 W
-Waveshare 3.5″ Touchscreen
-IMX219 No-IR
-PiSugar 3 battery
-1950’s Kodak Duaflex II
(Back left) The original tin soup can used for the housing of the Pi setup.
(Front) NOIR sensor taped through cardboard holder. E-ink-Pi zero-PiSugar stack
(Right) Canon EOS Rebel T3i for size reference .
THE BUILDS:
Pi-Cam-IR-A : MK-I
The Pi-Cam-IR-A Started with an E-ink display. Slow to both capture and display. Remotely triggered from a python script from my iPhone.
Wildly inconvenient but a solid working prototype.
Pi-Cam-IR-A : MK-II
Still using a tin soup can.
Upgraded to a 1.4” display/ 8 input hat.
Still wildly inconvenient but became an all in one package.
(The left directional pad up down changes ISO, left and right adjust shutter speed and white balance, Key 1 captured. Key 3 reviewed last capture.)
Pi-Cam-IR-A : MK-III
Modifying the Kodak camera and mounting the NOIR sensor in line with the shutter hole.
(Modifications to the internal Kodak in this image)
Fully contained Pi stack with 3.5″ LCD screen on top.
Pi stack sits on the left side with some extra space on the right to leave the charging cord plugged in to the pi sugar and stay inside Duaflex housing.
THE SOFTWARE:
The gallery server allows instant access to the captures over WIFI.
Using the integrated pi webserver, allows for instant download and editing on the go without returning to the home WIFI.
HDR merge handled Pi side, either before downloaded, or as multiple photos to stack layers in post process.
(Seen here with Photo_0111_hi and Photo_0111_low with the merge HDR_0111 button between and a full HDR_0111 as a tiff)
Fully converted 1950’s Kodak Duaflex with PI zero 2, NoIR sensor and 3.5” Touchscreen.
THE PHOTOS:
Infrared photos taken on the Pi-Cam-IR-A
FEATURED-IN ARTICLES ABOUT THE
Pi-CAM-IR-A
Issue 169
September 2026
