Machine Vision Sensor Review

Today, you have more options when it comes to machine vision camera models than ever. Having that many to choose from is great, but it can also make it harder to narrow down which one will work best for your implementation. Different manufacturers might use different metrics or leave out vital information making comparing cameras models across brands very difficult.

Using the EMVA1288 international standard, FLIR has independently tested 100+ machine vision mono and color camera sensor configurations across a wide range of specifications. Now you can easily see which cameras perform best for the specifications that matter to you.

As an added bonus, we help explain the difference in optical format, readout, pixel structure, technology type, lens compatibility, shutter functionality, sensor illumination, polarization, and much more.

Download the guide for free and make your machine vision camera selection a whole lot easier.

Compare dozens of machine vision camera sensors head to head

Trying to decide between a Sony IMX287 and IMX183? Our sensor review makes it simple to see exactly how they stack up for the specifications that mean the most to you. And the color-coding system makes it easy to immediately differentiate CMOS (global shutter), CMOS (rolling shutter), and CCD sensors.

Clear explanations of metrics like saturation capacity, temporal dark noise, and quantum efficiency help you know exactly what you're looking at allowing you to pick the perfect camera for your machine vision application.

Machine Vision Camera Sensor Comparison Chart Example

Make accurate comparisons using EMVA1288 standard metrics

Quantum Efficiency

Quantum efficiency (QE) is a measure of what percent of photons are converted to electrons at a specific wavelength by the sensor. QE is often used as an indicator for low light sensitivity.

Sensor review quantum efficiency comparison example showing RGB comparisons of Sony IMX250 and Sony IMX250MYR

Temporal Dark Noise (Read Noise)

The amount of noise (or grain) that appears when there is no signal (light). The lower a sensor's temporal dark noise, the cleaner the final image will look.

Absolute Sensitivity Threshold

Absolute sensitivity threshold (AST) is the lowest intensity signal that can be detected above the noise floor of a sensor. AST combines quantum efficiency and temporal dark noise to give you a very useful measure of the actual sensitivity of a sensor. If low-light performance is critical for your application, this is the metric to pay attention to.

The absolute sensitivity threshold is the point where the signal becomes distinguishable above the read noise

Signal to Noise Ratio

It's the ratio between the signal at saturation versus the noise at saturation. The higher the ratio, the greater amount of signal there will be relative to noise. A higher signal to noise ratio means better contrast, clarity, and low-light performance.

Saturation Capacity

The maximum amount of charge that a sensor's pixel can hold. The higher the saturation capacity, the wider the range of brightness that can be captured by a sensor.

At saturation, additional light or exposure time will not result in an increase in pixel brightness value

Dynamic Range

The ratio between the signal at saturation (maximum brightness) versus the minimum light intensity (minimum brightness) that the sensor can measure. A high dynamic range will enable a sensor to capture greater detail in dark shadows and bright highlights.

Gain

The number of electrons required to observe a change in a 16-bit greyscale. Sensors with higher gain can detect very small differences in brightness in low-light conditions.

Machine Vision Sensor Review

Compare dozens of machine vision camera sensors head to head

Make accurate comparisons using EMVA1288 standard metrics

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