We told you recently about the release of the Raspberry Pi Camera Module 3 series, and ideas around what to do to put these higher-quality imagers have been swirling around in the gray matter.
 
Camera Module 3 variants.png
The new Raspberry Pi Camera Module 3 series.
We know they can take remarkable snapshots and record video (although the cameras don’t have audio), but what’s the lowest cost-to-entry to actually play with one of them?

Turns out, just a few days before the announced release of the new camera modules, @RedditPlatinumUser over on the raspberry_pi subreddit had come up with a quick-and-dirty MVC (minimum viable camera) that can do both audio and video, using an earlier Raspberry Pi Camera Module.

He needed a microcontroller board, for which he selected the original, cheapest, Raspberry Pi Zero, the microSD card it needs for OS and storage, a trusty 18650 battery and associated power supply for it, plus a couple of push-buttons for operation.

Then, there’s the special (optional extra) bonus: The circuit can record audio, thanks to a tiny Adafruit I2S MEMS microphone breakout board!
 
The GoPoor “breakout board” sports a MEMS microphone.
The GoPoor “breakout board” sports a MEMS microphone and a couple push-buttons.

Now, what about a fancy enclosure? He suggests using the cardboard shipping container it came in — yes, it’s called the GoPoor, not the GoBroke.

There were many options for mounting, and he chose a hat clip.
GoPoor
A hat clip makes a great improvised GoPoor mount.
With this rig, he shot a YouTube short video of some time on the shooting range, but this time sporting a more stylish stetson hat.
 
 
As you see, he selected the wide angle version of the camera module.

Is this the cheapest action cam you can get? Certainly not, but it definitely represents one of the cheapest ways for a Pi hobbyist to get into using the cameras out in the field to capture some real-world action. It sure has the gears turning in my head!