Vision Research Phantom v2511 camera boast 25.6K fps

Yes, you read that right. Vision Research, which specializes in high-speed digital imaging systems, announced the Phantom v2511, a high-speed camera that is capable of recording video at an astounding 25,600 frames per second. The only draw back is that the v2511 is part of the company's Phantom v-series family, which means the highest resolution it has is at 1280x800 or 1 megapixel.

That might sound like a terrible trade off for a camera, but that is only if you consider it as a consumer digital camera. Vision Research's products, however, as you might infer from the name, have a more scientific bent. These cameras can be used by scientists, researchers, and, of course, even enthusiasts to capture events too fast for even the fastest consumer digital cameras, like say, a tablesaw as demonstrated in the video below. The Phantom v2511's framerate can reach up to 1,000,000 fps, but the resolution will have to be reduced to a measly 138x32 pixels.

This camera is loaded with advanced features that will be of tremendous help to researchers. Image-based auto-trigger allows them to setup the camera to automatically start recording based on the target's motion, perfect for instances when the target only makes random and unpredictable movements. The continuous recording feature will automatically save a recorded footage to a connected computer once a specified period has lapsed and then resets the camera for the next trigger, a valuable feature for leaving the camera unattended. And speaking of data transfer, the Phantom v2511 naturally supports Vision Research's CineMag data storage hardware, allowing the camera to save a recording as big as 96 GB to the CineMag in only 1.5 minutes at a rate of 1 GB/s.

As for other camera-related features, the Phantom V2511's CMOS sensor is capable of a sensitivity of ISO 6400. But that's only for color images. If you go monochrome, you can reach an even higher ISO mark of 32,000. As you can imagine, this camera is built for speed, so you won't find any snail-paced WiFi or Bluetooth connectivity here. Instead, it offers two HS-SDI (high-speed serial digital interface) ports, one 1 GB Ethernet connection, and one 10 GB Ethernet port.

The Phantom v2511 will launch in late August, though price details have not been disclosed and are most likely negotiated on a case-to-case basis. Vision Research promises that the new camera will be compatible with existing Phantom v-series accessories and software, so there will be no hidden cost when upgrading from an older model.

SOURCE: Vision Research