New Phantom TMX Ultrahigh-Speed Camera with BSI Sensor : 1,280 x 800 HD at 76,000 FPS
[13:04 Sun,7.March 2021 by Thomas Richter]
Vision Research, a specialist in high-speed cameras, has introduced the new TMX camera series, which consists of two models: the top-of-the-line TMX 7510 with a maximum data throughput of 75 gigapixels per second and the TMX 6410 with 64 Gpx/s.
Phantom TMX 7510
The TMX 7510 is thus capable of capturing 76,000 frames per second at a resolution of 1,280 x 800 pixels (i.e. slightly higher than 720p HD). As always with high-speed cameras, the limit of the maximum recording speed is set by the data rate at which the pixels can be read out - but since this is a product of the number of frames per second and the resolution of the images, much higher speeds can also be recorded at lower resolutions.
Resolutions and frame rates
For example, the TMX 7510 can record a whole 1,750,000 frames per second with a resolution of 640 x 64 pixels using the FAST option and a minimum exposure time of 95ns, while the MX 6410 still manages 1.5M fps.
Phantom TMX 7510
The second limiting factor for the (reasonable) recording speed is the light intensity of the 12-bit sensor, since the exposure time per frame gets shorter and shorter the higher the frame rate (high-speed recordings therefore always require good lighting).
Phantom Research therefore uses in the two TMX cameras for the first time ever a Back-side Illuminated (BSI) sensor, which is able to capture more light due to its special construction and therefore has a better low-light performance than traditional (front-side illuminated) sensors - Sony therefore also uses BSI technology in the new Sony A7S III.
Comparison of back-side and front-side illuminated sensor
In traditional FSI sensors, the active matrix is located on the front side, which simplifies fabrication, but on the other hand reduces the amount of light reaching the underlying photocathode layer because the matrix, as well as the metallic wiring of the individual cells, reflects some of the light. In a BSI sensor, on the other hand, the photocathode is above the wiring, which increases the probability of capturing an incoming photon from 60% to 90%, resulting in greater light sensitivity and dynamic range.
For fast temporary storage of images, the cameras have up to 512GB of RAM; for permanent storage, this data is then written to a 2TB/8TB Phantom Cinemag V storage module - these are compatible with other Phantom camera models such as the Flex4K, UHS and T series. The TMX cameras are equipped with a 10Gb Ethernet port through which the video data can be read out.
The Phantom TMX cameras, like most Phanto Kmaera, have interchangeable optics - by default they come with Nikon F-mount, but they are also available with Canon EOS, PL, C-mount and M42.
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