Digital Cameras for Fluorescence

Digital cameras suited to fluorescence and dark ground microscopy.

There are two types of chips used in digital cameras - CMOS (Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) and CCD (Charge-coupled device). These names relate to the way that light (photons) falling on to the pixels of a chip are ‘harvested’ and turned into electron charges and ultimately into digital images. CCD image sensors are widely used in professional, medical, and scientific applications where high-quality image data is required. In applications with less exacting quality demands, such as consumer and professional digital cameras, active pixel sensors (CMOS) are generally used; the large quality advantage CCDs enjoyed early on has narrowed considerably and the differences between a good quality CCD and CMOS is now only slight.

CMOS is the chip used almost exclusively in compact and SLR digital cameras. They are to a degree less sensitive than CCD chips but are easier from a technical point of view to build into camera design - not the least reason being that CCD chips do tend to produce quite a large amount of heat when operating. However the major advantage of CCD chips is their sensitivity to low levels of light which significantly reduces the amount of ‘noise’ that they reproduce in low light situations such as fluorescence and dark ground microscopy. The more expensive units have in built cooling systems or have been designed with a physical shape that promotes cooling.

Historically for fluorescence imaging monochrome cameras were preferred with colours being reintroduced with software packages. However this is no longer the case and both units we offer below are colour rendering units. The cameras are USB 3.0 but work equally as well with USB 2.0 ports. Should you need further advice then please call us.

Digital Microscope Cameras

Brunel Toupcam Fluor1

Brunel Toupcam Fluor2

Sony ICX274AQ CMOS chip
Fine colour engine
High S/N ratio
Supporting up to 4 minutes exposure time
USB 3.0 interface (also works with USB 2.0)
1/1.8 inch sensor size
2.8M resolution which allows a good frame rate
ROI white balance
Still picture and movie capture

Price: £636.67 + vat

Brunel Toupcam Fluor1

Scientific research grade camera with SONY CCD chip
Ultra fine colour engine
Higher S/N ratio
USB 3.0 interface (also works with USB 2.0)
Semiconductor cooling structure
2/3 rd inch sensor size
1.4M resolution which allows a good frame rate
ROI white balance
Still picture and movie capture

Price: £1604.17 + vat

SLR and Compact Cameras

Brunel HDMI Cameras

Brunel Toupcam Fluor1

Brunel Toupcam Fluor2

Toupcam Fluor2

Toupcam Fluor1

At the end of the day it is all about the quality and resolution of the microscope matched with the quality of the camera chip and of course the budget available. There has been a significant improvement in the results from CMOS chips in recent years and the images below show the difference in results between the Toupcam Fluor1 (CCD chip) and the Toupcam Fluor2 (CMOS chip).

Toupcam Fluor2

Toupcam Fluor1