From: andpph@ritvax.isc.rit.edu
Subject: Re: High Speed Video
Reply-To: andpph@ritvax.isc.rit.edu
Organization: Rochester Institute of Technology
Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1992 21:22:52 GMT

In article <2300085@hpgrla.gr.hp.com>, daveb@hpgrla.gr.hp.com (Dave Boyd) writes:
>In rec.photo, biz@soil.NoSubdomain.NoDomain (Dave Bisignano) writes:
>>I have a need for a video camera that operates at around 1000 -1200 frames 
>>per second.  It's for some experiments that we are currently doing.
>>Is there such a camera on the market?
>
>     This is all from memory, but here goes.
>
>     At one time a company called Spin Physics sold a unit called the
>SP2000 that could do full screen black and white video at 2000 frames
>per second.  I think if you were willing to get partial-screen bands,
>I think you could get 12000 frames/second.  The tape was not standard
>video tape.
...etc.

I am not sure if the SP2000 is still made but there is an Ektapro 1000 made by
the Motion Analysis Division of Eastman Kodak Company. Spin Physics also was 
(is?) a division of Kodak.

Anyway, the Ektapro can make up to 1000 full frames per second, 6000 1/6th
frames per second. The latest version is the EM and this one does not use tape
but rather stores the images in memory. The total is up to 16,000 images at
this time allowing a recording time of up to 16 seconds at fastest rate.

The fact that the images are digitally stored in memory means the camera has
the unique capability to capture random events by simply refreshing memory
chips with new image data after it runs out of space. It keeps refreshing its
memory chips sequentially until after an event happens and then it records up
to a few frames (variable) before the event started and shuts down. Thus, on 
playback one can see the conditions that lead to the initial stages of the 
event and the event itself that could last almost 16 seconds at full speed. 

The Ektapro can now also be equipped with an intensified, gated camera that
allows photography under extremely low light level conditions and at very short
exposure times. I believe exposure times down to a few nanoseconds are possible
and the camera can be run at full speed with nothing more than normal room
light. Anyway, the system is simply astounding in terms of high speed motion
analysis capability. In my opinion it is truly the first major advance in high
speed imaging in the last 50 or more years.

Unfortunately the price is not insignificant with a full system costing upwards
of $ 100K. But if you think of all the money the camera can potentially save in
terms of solving high speed problems in manufacturing the cost sure does not
seem exorbitant.

andy

     .....                                                               \
.....|   |..                                                              \
            | Andrew Davidhazy, RIT, High Speed Photography Lab.           \
            :____________________________________________________ |'''''''\ \
            : IN%"andpph@ritvax.isc.rit.edu"    fax 716-475-5804  |......./ /
____________:                                                              /
                                                                          /
                                                                         /