The Camera Lens is an Uncommon recyclable item in ARC Raiders that drops from Security loot containers. It cannot be crafted, and its only mechanical purpose is to be broken down into Plastic Parts or sold for coins. But whether you should immediately toss it into the recycler depends on where you are in your quest progression.
Quick answer: Recycling a Camera Lens at the Raider Den gives you 8× Plastic Parts; salvaging it topside gives 4× Plastic Parts. Selling it outright nets 640 coins. If you don't need it for an active or upcoming quest, it's generally safe to recycle or sell.
Camera Lens Stats
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Recyclable |
| Weight | 0.8 kg |
| Stack Size | 5 |
| Sell Value | 640 coins |
| Found In | Security containers |
Where to Find the Camera Lens
The Camera Lens spawns exclusively inside Security loot containers. These containers appear across multiple maps, so you're not locked into a single zone to farm them. Any time you crack open a Security container during a raid, there's a chance a Camera Lens will be inside. The item is obtained through scavenging only — no trader sells it, and no blueprint produces it.
Recycling vs. Salvaging vs. Selling
You have three options when deciding what to do with a Camera Lens, and the right choice depends on what resources you're short on.
Recycling at the Raider Den is the most efficient conversion. You'll receive 8 Plastic Parts per Camera Lens. Plastic Parts are a fundamental crafting material used across a wide range of Workshop recipes, weapon mods, and gear, so stockpiling them early pays off.
Salvaging topside — breaking the item down in the field before extracting — gives you only 4 Plastic Parts. That's half the return compared to recycling back at base. The only reason to salvage on the spot is if your inventory is full and you need the space immediately to grab something more valuable.
Selling for 640 coins is a reasonable option if you're flush on Plastic Parts and need cash for trader purchases. At 0.8 kg per unit, the Camera Lens has a decent value-to-weight ratio for a quick coin injection.
Should You Keep It for Quests?
This is where things get a little murky. The Camera Lens is categorized as a pure recyclable with no crafting recipe that calls for it directly. Community loot cheat sheets have generally listed it as safe to recycle. However, some players have flagged that the Camera Lens — sometimes referred to as the "security lens" — may be required for certain quests. ARC Raiders doesn't always telegraph future quest requirements, and items you recycle today could be needed for a quest that unlocks later in your progression.
A cautious approach is to keep one or two Camera Lenses in your stash until you've completed the bulk of the game's quest lines. With a stack size of 5 and a weight of only 0.8 kg each, holding a small reserve won't cripple your storage. Once you're confident no active or pending quest needs one, recycle the rest for Plastic Parts.
Plastic Parts and Why They Matter
Plastic Parts are one of the five core crafting materials in ARC Raiders, alongside Metal Parts, Rubber Parts, Fabric, and Chemicals. They feed into a huge number of Workshop recipes — from weapon attachments to shields to medical items. Because so many recyclables break down into Plastic Parts, it's easy to assume you'll always have enough. But mid-to-late-game crafting demands ramp up quickly, and having a healthy reserve prevents bottlenecks when you're trying to build specific gear.
The Camera Lens is one of the better Uncommon recyclables for Plastic Parts specifically, yielding 8 per full recycle. For comparison, many Common recyclables produce far fewer per unit. If Plastic Parts are your priority material, the Camera Lens is worth recycling over selling every time.
The Camera Lens isn't flashy, and it won't change your loadout. But smart inventory management in ARC Raiders means knowing exactly what each scavenged item is worth — in coins, in materials, and potentially in quest progress. Treat it as a reliable Plastic Parts source, keep a small safety stock until your quests are clear, and recycle the surplus.