Point Grey Launches New 2.8 Megapixel Grasshopper3 USB 3.0 Camera, Sets New Standard for CCD Sensitivity
April 26th, 2013 – Richmond, BC, Canada – Point Grey, a world-leading designer and manufacturer of innovative, high-performance digital cameras, today announced a new addition to the Grasshopper3 camera family, which features high quality, high resolution CCD sensors with a USB 3.0 interface.
The new Grasshopper3 GS3-U3-28S5 camera models are based on color and monochrome versions of the fast and highly sensitive Sony ICX674, a 2/3" CCD featuring 4.54 micron square pixels and capable of sending 1932 x 1452 images at 26 FPS. The ICX674 sensor supports high definition (HD) 1080p30 imaging and uses Sony’s EXview HAD CCD II™ technology—a further evolved version of the well-known EXview HAD CCD™ technology—to improve quantum efficiency, reduce smear, and increase sensitivity, including into the near infrared.
Like all Point Grey USB 3.0 cameras, the Grasshopper3 is built on an FPGA and frame buffer-based architecture to provide optimal reliability, a rich set of features, and a full image processing pipeline including color interpolation, look up table, gamma correction and pixel binning. Additional Grasshopper3 cameras using 6 megapixel and 9.1 megapixel EXview HAD CCD II sensors will be released later this year.
"The Sony ICX674 sensor, with its 2.8 MP resolution and larger pixels, is quickly becoming the new industry standard for low noise, high-sensitivity CCD imaging," explains Michael Gibbons, Director of Sales and Marketing. "Customers in machine vision and life science want to capture the best possible images with the highest dynamic range possible from a wide range of USB 3.0-enabled desktop and laptop computers where other digital interfaces, such as Camera Link, are not an option. This new Grasshopper3 camera addresses the needs of these customers, making it ideal for a wide range of applications, including print inspection, 3D measurement, flow-scanning cytometry, and fluorescence imaging."
The Grasshopper3 GS3-U3-28S5 color and monochrome models are list priced at USD $1995 and EUR €1495 and are available to order now from Point Grey and its network of distributors.
About Point Grey
Point Grey Research, Inc. is a world-leading designer and manufacturer of innovative, high-performance digital cameras for industrial, life science, and traffic applications. We offer a unique and comprehensive portfolio of USB 3.0, GigE, FireWire, USB 2.0 and Camera Link products known for their outstanding quality, ease of use, and unbeatable price-performance. Point Grey was founded in 1997 and is based in Richmond, Canada. A broad range of hardware, software and mechanical engineering skills under one roof has allowed Point Grey to successfully bring many innovative and ground-breaking products to market. This drive for innovation has led to many industry firsts, including the world’s first and smallest 1394b digital camera, the smallest GigE camera, and the first USB 3.0 machine vision camera. Point Grey currently employs over 160 people and has international offices in Germany, China, Japan, and Italy. The company also has a strong network of distributors in Japan, Korea, Singapore, China, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit www.ptgrey.com