| CCD Type. These
cameras use solid state CCD chips to convert light into video signals,
and are suitable for brightfield, phase contrast and DIC applications.
They are compact, lightweight, and not easily damaged by strong light.
Integrating CCD Type. These cameras use solid state CCD chips and the
ability to adjust the exposure times of the chip to make images at lower
light levels than standard CCDs. Some, like the C2400-75i camera, provide
on-chip integration of the electrical charge generated by incident light
and use background subtraction to eliminate thermal noise.
In others, like the ORCA-100, C4880-XX series, C5985 and C5810 , the
camera comes equipped with integrated cooling of the CCD chip to reduce
thermal noise. This feature makes long integration times possible and these
CCD cameras are most suitable for FISH, GFP, and other stationary fluorescence
sample observation.
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| Intensified CCD Camera Type:
These cameras consist of a vacuum tube called an "image intensifier",
which multiplies the incoming signal, and a camera for read-out. The image
intensifier makes it possible to detect very low fluorescence and luminescence
that is invisible to the naked eye. A CCD camera is coupled to the intensifier
output to read out the image. This type of camera configuration is called
an "ICCD Camera". The ICCD camera is best for measurements of
kinetic changes of fluorescence like intracellular calcium ion concentration
and for observation of low light level images in real time. |
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| Tube Camera Type:
This type of camera converts light to a video signal using a vacuum tube
with a photoconductive window to create an electronic image from photons.
This type of camera is best for brightfield, phase contrast and DIC observation.
Tube cameras offer high resolution and extended sensitivity outside the
wavelength range available with CCD cameras. Many different tubes are available
for special applications. |
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