World's fastest camera shoots at 6.1 million frames per second

Leonard Goh | Apr 30, 2009

(Credit: Wired)

For shutterbugs who like to take pictures of fast-moving subjects, nothing beats a dSLR with high frame rates to capture precious moments like scoring a goal at a soccer game or a rally car cornering at neck-breaking speeds. However, high-end dSLRs such as the Nikon D3 can fire off at only 11 frames per second (fps). Are there other shooters that can rattle off much faster?

Scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles, have developed what they claim is the fastest camera ever. In 1 second, it can capture 6.1 million shots with the shutter speed measuring 440 trillionth of a second.

By using a laser that emits different infrared frequencies to illuminate the subject, each pixel picks up individual signals that are amplified to be visible. According to the scientists, this technology is called serial time-encoded amplified microscopy, or STEAM for short.

Right now, STEAM can capture an image of only 3,000 pixels, but the team is planning to develop a multi-megapixel shooter which can record 100 million snaps a second. Did someone say fast?

Via Wired

Filed under: Digital Cameras
Leave a comment | Bookmark | Share