Kron Technologies has announced its new Chronos Q12 High-Speed Camera. The Chronos Q12 captures over 2,313 frames per second (FPS) at its native 2560 × 2016 resolution and reaches up to 29,515 FPS at reduced resolutions. The camera could be used for anything from filmmaking to scientific applications.
For researchers, engineers, scientists, industrial professionals, and creative teams, the Chronos Q12 enables users to capture, analyze, and better understand events that happen too quickly to observe with conventional imaging systems.
While this could be used for filmmaking applications, it’s probably more suited to scientific applications, as it doesn’t capture 4K and it isn’t really a direct competitor to cameras such as the PIXBOOM Spark.
The Q12 features a compact body that weighs 1.32 kg / 2.91 lbs and a 5″ 800 x 480, 1000-nit touchscreen that supports easy setup and monitoring without a separate laptop or monitor. According to the company, the housing was built to withstand repeated use outside a controlled studio.
The camera utilizes a 23.04mm (H) x 18.14mm (V); 29.3mm Diagonal CMOS APS-C-sized global shutter sensor with a pixel pitch of 9 μm. The ISO range is 80 to 640. It also has a 650nm, user-removable IR filter.
Dynamic range is claimed to be 11.26 stops (67.6 dB) in 12-bit mode, and 8.35 stops (50.1 dB) in 8-bit mode.
Resolution & Frame Rates
- 2560 × 2016 @ 2,313 FPS
- 2560 × 1440 @ 3,116 FPS
- 1920 × 1080 @ 5,148 FPS
- 1536 × 864 @ 7,471 FPS
At reduced resolutions, the Q12 can achieve maximum frame rates of up to 29,515 FPS.
Unlike the PIXBOOM Spark, which can do continual recordings, the Q12 can only record at its maximum resolution for 5.7 Seconds (64GB) or 11.5 Seconds (128GB).
RAW & Compressed Codecs
Users can record in RAW or compressed footage to reduce file size and simplify storage and review, which is useful for anyone running frequent tests or recording for long periods of time.
You also have the ability to capture in 8-bit, 10-bit, or 12-bit, and you can choose from Cinema DNG or H.264/H.265.
Below you can see what the bit rates are for shooting at certain speeds:
2313 FPS (8-bit)
1900 FPS (10-bit)
975 FPS (12-bit)
You can capture to an internal 1TB NVMe SSD, SD Card, or external USB-C SSD. Over an Ethernet connection, you could also capture to SMB/NFS network drives.
The camera records into the ring buffer. Once a trigger occurs, video can then be reviewed and saved.
Lens Mounts
The Q12 supports C-mount, Sony E-mount, Nikon F-mount, Canon EF-mount, PL-Mount, and MFT-mount lenses, which allows you to utilize a large array of different lenses.
Inputs & Outputs
The Q12 has:
- 1x Full-size HDMI
- USB-C Port 1: 3.2 Gen 1, 5 Gbps (Peripheral)
- USB-C Port 2: 3.2 Gen 2×2, 20 Gbps (Peripheral, SSDs)
- 2 trigger inputs/frame strobe outputs (4-pin 3.5mm TRRS Connector). Adjustable input threshold 0 to 6.6V
- Gigabit Ethernet via USB-C Adapter
- 12-24V 60W (5.5/2.5mm barrel jack, positive tip) Power Input
Pricing & Availability
The Chronos Q12 is available to purchase now, with pricing starting at $19,995 USD for the 64GB configuration and $21,995 USD for the 128GB configuration.
You get the following items with the camera:
- Chronos Q12 Camera Body
- Mount Plate
- Lens Mount Shim Kit
- Multi-Mount Bracket
- Trigger Switch Cable
- USB-C to 2.5 Gbps Ethernet Adapter
- 3.5mm to Dual-BNC Adapter Block
- 3.5mm to 4-pin Terminal Block
- SD Card
- 3.0mm Allen Key
- D-Tap to Barrel Jack Cable
- 90W DC Power Supply
- Region-Specific Power Cord
- Quickstart Guide
- Certificate of Quality
- Nanuk 920 Carrying Case
