Arducam LB024 50° F2.0 6mm M12 Lens for Raspberry Pi HQ Camera

Yes, the included M12 lens adapter is essential. It screws onto the threaded mount of the Raspberry Pi High Quality Camera module, providing the standard M12 female thread required to securely attach and focus this LB024 lens. Without it, the lens cannot be physically mounted to the camera board.

The integrated 650nm infrared cut filter blocks near-infrared light wavelengths from reaching the camera sensor. This is crucial for achieving accurate color reproduction in visible-light applications, as camera sensors are naturally sensitive to IR. It eliminates the unnatural color casts (often a pinkish hue) that occur without filtering, making the lens ideal for daylight photography, surveillance, and color-based machine vision tasks.

While designed for the Pi HQ Camera, it can physically attach to any camera module with a compatible M12 mount and a sensor size up to 1/2.3 inches. However, the specified 50° field of view is calculated for the Pi HQ Camera's sensor. On a different sensor, the effective field of view will change. It is not recommended for cameras with larger sensors (like 1-inch) due to potential vignetting.

First, attach the provided M12 adapter to the Pi HQ Camera module. Then, screw the LB024 lens into the adapter. To focus, gently rotate the lens barrel while viewing a live feed from the camera on a monitor. Rotate until the image is sharp at your desired working distance. Once focused, you can optionally secure the setting with a small amount of thread-locking adhesive if the application is subject to vibration.