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pco_panda-26

26MPix sCMOS Camera

Key Features:

  • 5120 x 5120 pixel array
  • Available in mono and color
  • True charge domain global shutter
  • Dust-protected housing
  • Ultra-compact design
  • Up to 65 % quantum efficiency
  • Double-shutter version with an interframing time of 1 µs

Applications:

  • Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) imaging
  • brightfield microscopy
  • fluorescence microscopy
  • digital pathology
  • mesoscopy (low magnification microscopy)
  • highspeed bright field ratio imaging
  • high throughput screening
  • high content screening
  • biochip reading
  • spinning disk confocal microscopy
  • 3D metrology
  • industrial quality inspection

Product Documents

CAMERA DOCS

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The pco.panda 26 sCMOS camera represents a unique value proposition with a large pixel count (26Mpix). It is offered in a choice of monochrome or color imagers and is well suited for a multitude of microscopy applications. These cameras are ideal for applications such as high-content screening, digital pathology. Its small 2.5 µm x 2.5µm pixels are well-matched to the optical resolution of microscopes, even when imaging large fields-of-view under low magnification. For a more detailed explanation of the effectiveness of small pixels in low-magnification microscopy, check out this topic in our knowledge base.

The pco.panda 26’s true charge domain global shutter enables the imaging of moving objects without the imaging artifacts associated with rolling shutter. Combined with a remarkably low readout noise and low dark current, this makes the pco.panda 26 a truly versatile camera for many applications.

The outstanding global shutter capabilities of the pco.panda 26 sCMOS sensor make it a perfect candidate for effective double imaging – a prerequisite to perform all types of Particle Image Velocimetry measurements in flow analysis. In PIV, light scattering particles are added to the flow under test. A laser beam is formed into a light sheet, illuminating the scattering particles twice with a short pulse at a time interval Δt. The lower limit for this time interval is defined by the double shutter interframing time of the camera. The scattered light is recorded onto two consecutive frames of a high resolution digital camera.

The shorter the double shutter interframing time, the higher the flow speeds which can be analyzed. The pco.panda 26 DS camera can acquire double shutter images with an interframing time of only 1 µs.

Host Interface: USB 3.1

Spectral Options:

  • Monochrome
  • RGB Color
Image Sensor sCMOS monochrome or RGB Color
Pixels (H x V) 5120 x 5120
Frame Rate (fps) at full resolution 6
Pixel Size (µm)  2.5 x 2.5
Image Sensor dimensions (mm) 12.8 x 12.8 (diagonal: 18.1)
Peak QE (monochrome) 65%
Spectral Range (nm) 320 - 1000
Full Well Capacity (e-) 4,500
Readnoise (e-) 2.3(med) / 2.5(rms)
Dark Current (e-/p/s) @ 21 °C ambient temperature 3
A/D conversion factor (e-/DN) 1.1
Dynamic Range 1,957:1
Dynamic Range (dB) 66
Bit depth 12
Shutter Type Charge Domain Global Shutter
Exposure range 27μs - 20ms
Time Stamp In image (1μs resolution)
Cooling Method Passive
Camera Interface USB3.1 Gen1
Binning horizontal x1, x2, x4
Binning vertical x1, x2, x4
ROI horizontal steps of 32 pixels (min 32)
ROI vertical steps of 1 pixels (min 8)
Trigger input signals frame trigger, sequence trigger, programmable input (SMA connectors)
Trigger output signals exposure, busy, programmable output (SMA connectors)
Software pco.camware
SDK pco.sdk Included
3rd Party Software support LabVIEW, MATLAB, Micro-Manager and others
Optical Interface F-mount, C-mount
Dimensions (mm) 65 x 65 x 72
Weight (grams) 600
  • Use your mouse to read QE data at wavelengths of interest.
  • Right-click and drag to zoom-in along the X-axis to expand the view for a desired range of wavelength.
  • To pan left or right within a zoomed-in view, hold down the Shift key and use your mouse.
  • To revert from a zoomed-in view to a normal view, click on the “Reset zoom” button that is displayed at the top-RHS of the graph.

All QE values on this website are the best estimates available from various sources, and not necessarily from the manufacturer of the specific image sensor or from the manufacturer of the cameras in our Product Showcase. They represent the best estimates for the imagers by themselves, with the caveat that glass and other optics in the imaging path can significantly impact the spectral sensitivity of an imaging system.

As described on our Knowledge Base article on this subject, these values exist in a range. Therefore no absolute precision is implied, even when QE values are shown to two decimal places! These values and graphs are intended to be used for reference can be use for making useful comparisons between cameras. They are not intended to be a specification or a performance guarantee.

Using the method described in our Knowledge Base Article titled “How Diffraction Limits the Optical Resolution of a Microscope” one can estimate the performance of this camera when used in a microscope with commercially available microscope objectives. In the table below, it is assumed that the microscope is comprised of the objective and a tube lens with the correct focal length for the objective such that the nominal optical magnification of the microscope is the value that is specified for the objective.

Camera Parameters
Optical Format #Megapixels #H pixels #V pixels Pixel size (μm) H size (mm) V size (mm) Diagonal (mm)
18.1mm < 4/3" 26 5120 5120 2.5 12.8 12.8 18.1
Commercially Available Objectives
Objective: Mag/NA 1X\0.03NA 2X\0.1NA 4X\0.13NA 10X\0.26NA 20X\0.5NA 40X\0.75NA 60X\0.85NA 100X\1.4NA
Min. feature size (um) 11.18 3.36 2.58 1.29 0.67 0.45 0.39 0.24
Max pix size (um) 5.59 3.36 5.16 6.45 6.70 9.00 11.70 12.00
FN (mm) 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22
WD (mm) 8 56.3 17.2 16 2.1 16 0.66 0.31-0.4
NA 0.03 0.1 0.13 0.26 0.5 0.75 0.85 1.4
Magnification 1 2 4 10 20 40 60 100
Estimated Performance of Camera and Objective Combinations
(*) Limiting Resolution (µm) 11.18 3.36 2.58 1.29 0.67 0.45 0.39 0.24
Vignetting? No No No No No No No No
FOV (H x V) mm 12.8 x 12.8 6.4 x 6.4 3.2 x 3.2 1.28 x 1.28 0.64 x 0.64 0.32 x 0.32 0.21 x 0.21 0.13 x 0.13
FOV (diagonal) mm 18.1 9.05 4.53 1.81 0.91 0.45 0.3 0.18
Please contact our imaging experts for assistance in selecting a camera & objective combination that fulfils your FOV & resolution requirements at application-specific wavelengths.
1) The minimum feature size is estimated using the Rayleigh Criteria at λ = 550nm; it can be re-calculated for other wavelengths. R = 1.22*λ/(2NA)
2) The maximum pixel size is estimated by applying the Nyquist criteria to the minimum feature size as it appears on the imager plane. Maximum pixel size = R*magnification/2
3) Camera and Objective combinations which meet the Nyquist criteria and are therefore diffraction limited are indicated by showing the Limiting Resolution in green font. (*)
4) Values for Working Distance (WD) and Field Number (FN) are shown for reference only. Actual values may vary.
5) Vignetting, a darkening of the image at the corners, may be observed if the Imager Diagonal is larger than the Field Number of the Objective.

Optical Format #Megapixels #H pixels #V pixels Pixel size (μm) H size (mm) V size (mm) Diagonal (mm)
18.1mm < 4/3" 26MP 5120 5120 2.5 12.80 12.80 18.10
In applications that require the best achievable optical resolution, it is desirable to use a lens with an optical resolution ≥ 200 lp/mm for an image sensor with a pixel size of 2.5μm. This will ensure that the optical resolution of the camera & lens combination is Nyquist-limited by the pixel-size of the camera, and not by the quality of the lens.

The imager in this camera has a diagonal of 18.1mm, which is smaller than the ~21.6mm diameter image projected by lenses designed to be compatible with the 4/3″ optical format. These lenses can be used with this camera without vignetting, since their projected image will slightly overfill the image sensor.

Lenses with lower than the the limiting optical resolution of 200 lp/mm do not meet the Nyquist criteria, as is the case of the 4/3″ lenses shown in the table below. These lenses have a high optical resolution of 160 lp/mm (center), but the 2.5μm pixels of this camera have a higher effective optical resolution than the lenses. The limiting resolution for the camera and lens system (shown in the table below as the minimum resolvable feature) is therefore set by the lens, and not the camera. Even though the lenses shown do not meet the Nyquist criteria, they are the highest resolution 4/3″ lenses currently available from Navitar. They can be used with this camera, with the awareness that lenses of higher optical resolution – if available – could provide a higher optical resolution for the overall system, at a price that is likely to be higher. Please check out our Knowledge Base Article for more details.

Notes:
The working distance (WD) is defined as the distance from the object plane to the front of the lens.
The above are theoretical estimates provided for reference, and are not a guarantee of performance. Actual FOVs and optical resolution are best determined by experiment.
The FOVs and smallest resolvable feature sizes are estimated with the object plane placed at the minimum WD of the lens. A similar calculation may be performed for longer WDs. Please contact us for assistance: our specialists can help you identify a lens that meets your FOV requirements at a Working Distance that is convenient for your workflow.
Increasing the WD will result in larger FOVs, and lower optical resolution (an increase in the smallest resolvable feature size).
(*) The system meets Nyquist criteria if the optical resolution at the center of the lens (in lp/mm) is ≥ the pixel-size limited resolution (see above).
(**) The minimum resolvable feature size is estimated based on whether the lens meets the Nyquist criterion. If the Nyquist limit is met, then the resolution of the system is the estimated to be the distance on the sample plane that corresponds to two pixels in the image plane. If not, it is estimated based on the limiting resolution of the lens.

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