101 History of High-Speed Imaging

Up to the early 1960's, film was the only medium available to record motion or MOCAP that was too fast for observation. Finding a facility to process the film was not always easy either, especially when TV stations started to move toward broadcast quality video systems, and did away with their film processing facilities. This loss of an important resource for processing film, and the environmental concerns over the disposal of chemicals, created a reduction in the number of processing facilities. Even with these challenges, film processing became more automated, the chemical solutions more balanced, and the processing time reduced. There is still a small need for special developing facilities as the Automotive Industry and the Military still use film in some of their applications.

In the late 1960's, the development of reliable video technology gave researchers and engineers another tool for slow motion capture analysis and the benefit of immediate review of the recorded event. Although high-speed video became the technology of choice in motion analysis applications, the transformation to video, because of the relative higher cost of high-speed cameras would take many years.

In the early 1970's, Video Logic Corp. offered a high-speed video system (tape based) called Instar that could record up to 240 frames per second (fps). A strobe manufacturing company, Unilux, offered a 120 fps system that utilized a Sony disk system that allowed the capture and replay 10 seconds of recorded data. When Sony decided to discontinue the disk technology, this system could no longer be supplied.

Also during the late 70’s, NAC Image Technology introduced the NAC 200. This system was tape-based and offered color for the first time. Also in the late 70’s Polaroid introduced a camera called the Mekel 300. It was manufactured by Mekel Engineering and marketed by Polaroid. It used a special Polaroid film that would develop during the first pass through the Player. It would only record at 300 fps. Polaroid sold it until 1982 and then Mekel Engineering continued to sell it until Polaroid discontinued making the film in about 1984.

In 1980-1982 timeframe, Kodak MASD introduced the SP2000. This tape-based monochrome system was capable of recording 2,000 full resolution frames (192x240) and up to 12,000 partial frames per second. This high-speed camera system had a selling price of approximately $140,000. In spite of the cost of this system, Kodak was successful in selling quite a few of these cameras.

Finally, in the mid to late 1980's, Kodak MASD introduced the Ektapro-1000 a smaller, less costly tape-based system than the SP2000. This system was re-named to Ektapro TR (for tape Recorder) when the Ektapro EM1012 (electronic memory) Camera System was introduced in early 1990. This was the first totally electronic imaging system.

Around 1991, Photron manufactured the first 4540 high-speed camera system and marketed it under the Kodak name. This high-speed camera system offered resolution of 256 by 256 was extremely light sensitive and could record up to 4,500 fps at full resolution, and up to 40,500 fps at reduced resolution. This camera sold in the U.S. for approximately $140,000 and had a capture memory of ¼ of a second (250 milliseconds) and a maximum memory of 1.1 second.

Around 1994, Redlake Imaging (formerly Redlake Camera Corporation) offered its first high-speed camera, called the MotionScope, MS 300. This basic high-speed camera system was soon replaced by two new models called the MotionScope MS 250 and MS 500. Then they were replaced with the HR250 and HR500. These models were later replaced by the MotionScope S Series cameras. Redlake was the first company to offer a low cost high-speed imaging system and the market was changed forever.

Around the mid 90’s Photron also manufactured a small inexpensive camera system, again under the Kodak name, called the MotionCorder in response to Redlake’s MotionScope cameras. In early 2000, Roper Scientific purchased the Motion Analysis Systems Division of Kodak and the Redlake Imaging Corporation. This provided the opportunity for Photron to establish their own distributor network and, and as a result, most of Redlake’s Distributor network went over to Photron. Today, the 4540 has been through a couple of major changes and different names, one called the 4540mx and the latest the Ultima SE. In 2003 the SE is being replaced by the Ultima APX (see our products section for more information). What was the Kodak MotionCorder is now being sold under the name Photron FASTCAM Super 10K.

In the last two years (2002 and 2003) there have been more changes in the world of high-speed digital imaging than ever before. High-speed imaging has now truly joined the “Digital World”. Today, several manufacturers have introduced Digital Imaging Systems that offer faster recording capabilities, higher resolutions, superior image quality, and better light sensitivity at a lower cost.

Please visit our high-speed camera products section to see the latest models and the wide selection of cameras we offer. There is a camera for every application and price range. If new cameras are beyond your budgeted amount, check out our preowned high-speed camera equipment section.

Continue to High-Speed University 102 - What is High-Speed Imaging?