Camera system for recording images of the environment of the camera system, which comprises the following components: - two camera units, specifically a sensor unit and a lens unit, - wherein the sensor unit comprises an image sensor, at least one circuit board and a housing base body as a first housing component, - wherein the circuit board has signal and supply lines as well as electronic components for operating the image sensor and is electrically connected to the image sensor and - the image sensor and the circuit board are mounted in or on the housing base body, - wherein the lens unit comprises a lens for imaging the environment on the image sensor, a lens holder for receiving the lens and a housing cover as a further housing component, and - wherein the lens is arranged in front of the image sensor at a distance a therefrom and with parallel optical axes (20, 21) of the two constituent parts, - wherein the two housing components are directly connected to one another on a joining surface by laser welding and - enclose the image sensor and the lens in such a way that the light used for the image recording impinges on the image sensor only through the lens, - wherein at least one of the two housing components is absorbent at least in the region of the joining surface for the light used for the laser welding, subsequently referred to as laser-absorbent, and - the second of the housing components is transparent at least in the region of the joining surface for the light used for the laser welding, subsequently referred to as laser-transparent, characterized in that - the said second housing component is configured in multiple parts and comprises a joining and balancing element as a separate constituent part, which is laser-transparent at least in the region of the joining surface, and the constituent parts of the second housing component are connected to one another. - two camera units, specifically a sensor unit and a lens unit, - wherein the sensor unit comprises an image sensor, at least one circuit board and a housing base body as a first housing component, - wherein the circuit board has signal and supply lines as well as electronic components for operating the image sensor and is electrically connected to the image sensor and - the image sensor and the circuit board are mounted in or on the housing base body, - wherein the lens unit comprises a lens for imaging the environment on the image sensor, a lens holder for receiving the lens and a housing cover as a further housing component, and - wherein the lens is arranged in front of the image sensor at a distance a therefrom and with parallel optical axes (20, 21) of the two constituent parts, - wherein the two housing components are directly connected to one another on a joining surface by laser welding and - enclose the image sensor and the lens in such a way that the light used for the image recording impinges on the image sensor only through the lens, - wherein at least one of the two housing components is absorbent at least in the region of the joining surface for the light used for the laser welding, subsequently referred to as laser-absorbent, and - the second of the housing components is transparent at least in the region of the joining surface for the light used for the laser welding, subsequently referred to as laser-transparent, characterized in that - the said second housing component is configured in multiple parts and comprises a joining and balancing element as a separate constituent part, which is laser-transparent at least in the region of the joining surface, and the constituent parts of the second housing component are connected to one another.