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Welcome to the April 2015 edgertronic newsletter
You're receiving this newsletter because you signed up at edgertronic.com and asked to be informed about edgertronic news and developments.
IEEE Spectrum
IEEE Spectrum's Tekla Perry wrote a nice article about Sanstreak Corp. and the edgertronic camera. If you missed the print article, you can view it online at http://spectrum.ieee.org/at-work/start-ups/startup-profile-sanstreak-lowers-the-cost-of-highspeed-photography. Be sure to watch the excellent video that IEEE created, including some new clips, performed hands-on by Tekla (water balloons, slinky and a light bulb)
Software Version 2.1
Software Version 2.1 is now available for download and adds a number of useful new features:
- Multi-shot recording lets you quickly capture several short videos and postpone encode
- External Genlock Mode for scientific and industrial users
- Re-save Video if an error occurs during encode/save
- Smart Calibrate Mode skips the calibrate phase when not needed
- User Defined URL's to extend camera API
- Improved preview latency and frame rate
- Current Settings Window displays the camera's active settings
- Last Used Settings now stored on the camera, not the removable media
- WIFI support documented using ZyXel MWR102 Travel Router
- CIFS support (experimental)
- And of course, bug fixes
To upgrade your camera, go to: http://wiki.edgertronic.com/index.php/Software_releases and follow the instructions carefully.
Color vs Monochrome
We sell color and monochrome cameras for the same price ($5495 + options), so why would anyone want monochrome? It all comes down to how color is implemented and the tradeoffs involved.
The color camera has an RGB Bayer filter http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayer_filter. While the Bayer filter makes color imaging possible, it comes at the cost of reduced light sensitivity and resolution compared to the monochrome version.
Without the Bayer filter, the monochrome camera is 4X more sensitive to light (400-6400 ISO vs 100-1600 for color). At the short exposure times common to high speed video, the extra light sensitivity can be very useful. Further, the color camera has internal image processing algorithms that process the RGB Bayer grid pixels and unavoidably cause a slight loss in sharpness. The monochrome camera can skip this processing step and the loss it entails.
If color is essential to your application, buy the color camera. On the other hand, if color isn't important, the monochrome will need less intense lighting and give you slightly sharper videos. In fact, about 80% of our industrial and scientific users opt for monochrome.
IR Blocking Filter
The human eye and film are sensitive to wavelengths in the visible 400-700nm range. Silicon sensors, like the one in the edgertronic, are sensitive to a wider range of 400-1100nm and this can lead to some complications.
The RGB Bayer filter in the color camera only works properly for visible wavelengths, and requires an IR blocking filter to cut the 700-1100nm near IR wavelengths. As a result, all edgertronic color cameras include an IR blocking filter.
The monochrome camera comes standard with the same IR blocking filter, and as an extra cost option, the IR filter can be deleted. Why not make the IR filter optional for all monochrome cameras? It turns out that the simultaneous combination of visible (400-700nm) and near IR (700-1100nm) causes a loss of sharpness due to chromatic aberration in lenses. Here's a good explanation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromatic_aberration
The IR filter minimizes chromatic aberration with typical lighting and serves as a window to keep dust and dirt out of the camera. This is why it's standard on monochrome cameras. If you're like 90% of our monochrome customers, and don't explicitly need near IR sensitivity, buy our standard version with the IR blocking filter.
On the other hand, if you're like the other 10% and require near IR sensitivity, such as nocturnal animal research, the IR filter delete option is appropriate. Note that this option is a factory build option and can't be converted in the field.
Production and Delivery Time
Sales are increasing, but we're still holding delivery time to 1 week on standard configurations. Some options, like IR Filter Delete may take slightly longer.
User Videos
We know our users are doing amazing things with the edgertronic, and we'd love to see them. If you have a video you'd like to share, please let us know and we'll include it on our wiki page:
http://wiki.edgertronic.com/index.php/Websites_featuring_video_captured_using_edgertronic_camera
Google Chrome
We do all of our testing with Google Chrome. It's free and it works. Just use it.
Thanks from all of us at edgertronic
Mike
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