Pharsighted E9 Series | Photron
Ultra-High-Speed Camera Series

Pharsighted E9 Series

The world’s first full-frame backside-illuminated high-speed camera platform, engineered for exceptional light sensitivity and visualization at hundreds of thousands to millions of frames per second.

E9·50S   /   E9·80S   /   E9·100S   /   E9·150S
Pharsighted E9 Series ultra-high-speed camera

Capture the Impossible

The Pharsighted E9 Series combines a custom full-frame backside-illuminated CMOS sensor with very large 52 µm pixels to deliver extraordinary sensitivity for demanding ultra-high-speed imaging.

At full 640 × 480 resolution, the four-model family reaches from 164,000 fps to 489,000 fps. Reduced image heights extend recording speed to as much as 2.72 million fps, while global shutter exposure times as short as 34 nanoseconds freeze extremely rapid motion.

The system is built for demanding test environments with rugged construction, active cooling, flexible I/O, 10-Gigabit Ethernet, removable U.2 NVMe storage, active lens-mount support, and cross-platform SLOW control software.

Extreme Speed. Exceptional Sensitivity.

Capture dim, fast, and transient events with a sensor architecture designed specifically for ultra-high-speed scientific imaging.

489,000 fps Maximum full-frame speed at 640 × 480 pixels
2.72 million fps Maximum reduced-resolution recording speed
ISO 200,000 Monochrome light sensitivity
ISO 80,000 Color light sensitivity
34 ns Minimum global-shutter exposure on E9·150S
52 µm Large pixel size for efficient photon collection
10 Gigabit Ethernet camera control and image download
U.2 NVMe Fast removable long-term image storage

Four E9 models for demanding imaging

Select the recording speed, exposure capability, and memory capacity that fit your test requirements.

E9·150S

489,000 fps full frame
  • 2,720,000 fps maximum
  • 34 ns minimum exposure
  • 162 GB, 324 GB, or 648 GB memory

E9·100S

326,000 fps full frame
  • 2,720,000 fps maximum
  • 59 ns minimum exposure
  • 108 GB, 216 GB, or 432 GB memory

E9·80S

272,000 fps full frame
  • 2,457,000 fps maximum
  • 98 ns minimum exposure
  • 108 GB, 216 GB, or 432 GB memory

E9·50S

164,000 fps full frame
  • 1,980,000 fps maximum
  • 98 ns minimum exposure
  • 54 GB, 108 GB, or 216 GB memory

Designed around the complete workflow

From test setup and synchronization to image storage and conversion, E9 integrates the tools needed for demanding laboratory and field applications.

Backside-Illuminated Sensor

A full-frame BSI CMOS architecture and large pixels maximize light collection for extremely short exposures.

Flexible Synchronization

Six configurable BNC I/O connections, dedicated trigger, analog input, SDI output, and PTPv2 time code support complex test setups.

Rugged 10G Ethernet

Control the camera and download images through a fast 1 / 2.5 / 5 / 10 Gigabit Ethernet interface with a rugged connector.

Removable NVMe Storage

Each camera supports removable U.2 NVMe SSD media for fast backup, direct recording, and convenient long-term storage.

Flexible Lens Support

Choose Nikon F/G, Canon EF, or 1-inch C-mount lens options, with active lens support where applicable.

Harsh-Environment Design

An actively cooled, sealed, rugged camera body supports demanding scientific, industrial, aerospace, and defense tests.

Fast storage and a straightforward SLOW workflow

Included U.2 NVMe SSD storage reduces save times and provides rapid permanent storage of critical test data. Files can be moved through the included dock and viewed in a standard operating-system environment.

SLOW software provides live camera control, playback, image processing, and conversion of proprietary RAW files to common formats such as MP4, AVI, and TIFF.

~1.6 TB SSD included Every E9 includes a drive, tray, and USB-C dock.
Cross-platform software Compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Up to 1,024 partitions Segment internal recording memory for repeated events.
RAW plus metadata .SLOW files retain image data and related test information.

Applications that demand more light and more speed

The E9 Series is suited to transient phenomena that are difficult to illuminate or impossible to capture with conventional high-speed cameras.

Combustion and Propulsion

Record flame fronts, ignition events, injectors, detonation, rotating detonation engines, and shock-driven combustion.

Ballistics and Impact

Freeze projectile flight, penetration, fragmentation, blast effects, and material response with nanosecond exposures.

Hypersonics and Shock Waves

Visualize shock structures, plasma, flow interactions, and ultra-fast aerodynamic phenomena using advanced optical methods.

Plasma and Electrical Discharge

Capture low-light plasma evolution, arcing, pulsed-power events, and rapidly changing electromagnetic phenomena.

Recherche scientifique

Support Schlieren, shadowgraphy, microscopy, spectroscopy, PIV, DIC, and other quantitative imaging techniques.

Industrial Testing

Study failures, high-speed mechanisms, material fracture, turbine behavior, spray development, and rapid manufacturing processes.

Pharsighted E9 Series specifications

Key performance and integration specifications for the four E9 camera models.

Specification E9·150S E9·100S E9·80S E9·50S
Full-frame performance 640 × 480 at 489,000 fps 640 × 480 at 326,000 fps 640 × 480 at 272,000 fps 640 × 480 at 164,000 fps
Maximum frame rate 2,720,000 fps at 640 × 48 2,720,000 fps at 640 × 32 2,457,000 fps at 640 × 32 1,980,000 fps at 640 × 16
Minimum exposure 34 ns 59 ns 98 ns 98 ns
Internal memory 162 / 324 / 648 GB 108 / 216 / 432 GB 108 / 216 / 432 GB 54 / 108 / 216 GB
Light sensitivity ISO 200,000 monochrome / ISO 80,000 color
Dynamic range 9-bit ADC
Sensor / pixel size 33.28 × 24.96 mm / 52 µm
Camera interface 1 / 2.5 / 5 / 10 Gigabit Ethernet
Video output HD-SDI
Lens mounts Nikon F/G compatible, Canon EF, or 1-inch C-mount
Camera dimensions 240 mm H × 212 mm W × 175 mm D
Camera weight 10.88 kg / 24 lb
Operating temperature 0 to 40°C / 32 to 104°F
Software compatibility Windows, macOS, and Linux

Downloads and product resources

The principal datasheet, hardware manual, software documentation, and contact links from the original page are retained below.

E9 Series Datasheet

Review performance, frame-rate examples, memory options, interfaces, mechanical details, and environmental specifications.

Download Datasheet →

E9 Hardware Manual

View camera setup, hardware interfaces, SSD operation, synchronization, lens mounts, cooling, mounting, and accessories.

View Hardware Manual →

SLOW Software

Download the latest version of SLOW for Windows, macOS, and Linux. SLOW provides complete camera control, live acquisition, playback, image processing, SSD management, and conversion of .SLOW files to MP4, AVI, TIFF, and other formats.

Download SLOW Software →

Product Manuals

Access Photron’s central product-manual resource for additional hardware and software documentation.

View Product Manuals →

Technical Support

Contact Photron for camera setup, software, service, integration, and application support.

Visit Technical Support →

Discuss Your Application

Share your required frame rate, exposure, lighting, synchronization, lens, storage, and test-environment requirements.

Contact Photron →

Capture what other cameras cannot see

Talk with Photron about your required speed, available light, exposure time, recording duration, synchronization, lens configuration, and operating environment.

Contacter Photron