Posted by
jcv2@uw.edu on
URL: http://confocal-microscopy-list.275.s1.nabble.com/CMOS-inquiry-for-camera-gurus-tp7589055.html
*****
To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopyPost images on
http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting.
*****
Dear camera gurus,
our Andor Zyla 5.5 sCMOS camera shows condensation on the chip when we cool it. Andor told us this might be caused by a backfill issue and it costs ~$1,000 to take a look, possible 4-6weeks turnaround and probably more money to fix the problem. I have a couple questions and I am also looking for a little advice.
1. I remember hearing a little bit about cameras holding vacuum, but not about this backfill problem. Anyway, what is backfill and how does it go wrong? Is it some kind of an inert, dry gas around the sensor that may now have some moist air in it? How is it possible to get a backfill problem without the seal on the vacuum also breaking? Interestingly, I believe I saw online that the (pre-2016) Andor warranty is 5years on the vacuum and 3years on the backfill.
2. If we have to spend ~$1k to have Andor take a look and then, assuming it is repairable pay more money (not sure how much, but I'd guess at least $1-2k), I wonder whether we might be better off just getting something new. Most recently, we had been using the Zyla on a spinning disc, though it might have been overkill there. Does anybody have suggestions for an alternative, such as a good and affordable CMOS camera? We're looking for something with >1MP, >50Hz, QE>65%, some cooling to help keep the read noise low, a fire signal for synchronization, and compatibility with Micromanager.
Related to 2, here is a little info on the sort of thing we are interested in. We recently purchased a ZWO CMOS camera for ~ $900 and it has been very nice on our benchtop LED/epi scope (ZWO ASI 174 Cooled). It gives surprisingly good performance for the price. The specs state 2.4MP, 5.9um pixels, cooled to 40C below ambient, peak QE of 79%, up to 128FPS, works fine with Micromanager, but *lacks* a fire signal and we think only has a buffer of one frame. So it is very close to what we want, but we need really need a fire signal for synchronization on our spinning disc and we think a bigger buffer would probably also be important.
https://optcorp.com/products/zwo-asi-174-cooled-monochrome-cmos-telescope-cameraThanks!
Best regards,
Josh
--
Joshua C. Vaughan
Assistant Professor
Department of Chemistry
Box 351700
University of Washington
Seattle, WA 98195
206-543-4644