Vision Research announces another high-ultra-speed beast, expanding its mid-level T Series family. Meet the new T2410 which sits between the T1340 and the T3610, and it’s capable of shooting up to 24,370 FPS at 1280 x 800 resolution, armed with a CMOS Back Side Illuminated (BSI) sensor.

Phantom T2410

As stated by Vision Research: “The T2410 is the latest camera model to join Vision Research’s T-Series product family, offering Ultrahigh-frame rates of 24Gpx/second in the convenient T-Series platform. The new T2410 complements the T3610 which brought groundbreaking backside-illumination technology to the T-Series, delivering identical imaging performance now at a reduced price point”. The company offers upgrade paths that are available from T2410 to T3610, for those who want to take advantage of higher frame rates in the future. The phantom T2410 allows lower FPS at HD compared to the high-end model of the T-Series. For instance, the T1340 can shoot 3,270 fps at 2048 x 1952 resolution, and 9,900 fps at 1024 x 976 resolution. As a comparison, the T3610 can shoot 38,040 fps at 1280 x 800 resolution.

Ultra-high-speed BSI sensor packed in a compact body

The T-Series platform is designed to perform imaging techniques like digital image correlation and when using advanced optics. The custom BSI sensor delivers fast exposures and a native ISO of 40,000D mono and the ability to shoot in environments with limited supplemental light. Binned mode combines pixels 2X2 – this is a key feature for increased vertical resolution at the camera’s top frame rates. Binning is available on mono and color cameras; however, the output will switch to mono when used on a color camera. The main advantage of the T-Series is its compact form factor that facilitates shooting in complex environments. The T2410 includes premium features to enable a variety of applications including:

• EDR (Extreme Dynamic Range) provides flash mitigation for ballistic studies by dynamically adjusting exposure in saturated areas of the image.
• Programmable I/O to interface with DAQ systems and a variety of measurement sensors, which can be recorded and viewed as metadata in Cine files.
• Remote, standalone operation is achieved by using the on-camera controls, video monitor, and CineMag.

The RAM buffer

When you shoot with these cameras, you have to remember that the shooting times are very limited and depend on the RAM buffer. The RAM buffer determines the maximum duration of each high-speed recording. For example, a T3610 with 256 GB RAM can capture 1280 x 800 at 38,040 fps for 4.5 seconds. Memory can be segmented using Multi-Cine to capture several shorter events back-to-back with no downtime between shots. Furthermore, the T-Series cameras can be equipped with a CineMag interface for use with secure, removable Phantom CineMag V media. The CineMag V is available in 2TB and 8TB capacities and can save a 144 GB Cine under 3 minutes. CineMags also supports direct recording for long record times at reduced resolution and supports video playback to review all the recordings.

T2410 highlights

Here’re the basic specs of the T2410:

• CMOS Back Side Illuminated (BSI) Sensor – Global electronic shutter
• 64GB, 128GB, 256GB high-speed internal RAM
• 24,370 fps at 1280 x 800
• 18.5 µm pixel size, 37 µm with binning enabled
• 23.7 mm x 14.8 mm; 27.94mm diagonal
• 12-bit depth
• ISO Color 12,500D, 16,000T, and ISO Color 12,500D, 12,500T (Binned Mode)
• Recording times: 4.5 seconds at maximum frame rate, 12 bits, 1200 x 800 resolution into 256GB internal memory
• 10Gb Ethernet (optional)
• 2X 3G HD-SDI ports
• Micro-HDMI 
• Lensing: Nikon F-mount standard, supports F & G style lenses, Canon EOS mount optional, PL-mount optional, C-mount optional, M42-mount optional
• Supported File Formats: Cine RAW & Cine Compressed, AVI, h.264 mp4, Apple ProRes .mov, Multipage TIFF, MXF PAL & MXF NTSC, Uncompressed QuickTime, Windows BMP, OS/2 BMP, PCX, TGA, TIFF, LEAD, JPEG, JTIF, RAW, DNG, DPX
• Mechanical Specifications: 5 x 5 x 8.25 inches, 12.7 x 12.7 x 21 cm (H, W, L) without handle or lens. Weight: 9.4 lbs, 4.3 kg

For further information, check out the full manual of the T-Series. 

Final thoughts

It appears that Vision Research launches new cameras in a rhythm that other camera manufacturers are not even close to matching. Although Vision Research’s ultra high-speed cameras are mainly dedicated to scientific and manufacturing applications, they can deliver pretty awesome stuff when utilized correctly by smart filmmakers. For instance, check out these results derived from the TMX which is the fastest Phantom (800,000FPS). In that case, The Slow Mo Guys demonstrate how to use these ultra-high speed cameras correctly to capture unique imagery. Hence, even the T2410 can be used for a very specific cinematography missions.