At recording speeds in the range of 30 fps to 1 million fps, the HPV-1 produces high-definition images at a resolution of 312 x 260 – up to 80,000 pixels per image. This means that researchers can now avoid the precipitous drop in picture quality that normally accompanies increases in the shooting speed of their cameras. This kind of equipment is a boon to researchers, developers and engineers, and diagnosticians in a wide range of settings requiring hypervelocity imaging, such as: shock waves, ballistics, materials failure, micro-scale blast wave phenomena, fluid dynamics, nebulization, ignition and combustion, biomedical imaging research, neuroscience, and sports science.

Shimadzu's HPV- 1 also satisfies demands from users in these work arenas for cameras that can store greater numbers of shots. With storage capabilities built directly into the camera's imaging chip, 100 monochrome shots can be saved in BMP, TIF, or AVI formats, allowing for easier viewing, review, and distribution of pictures.

"The HPV-1 eliminates the traditional trade offs imposed on users when employing high-speed cameras," according to Gilbert Vial, Shimadzu's physical measurements product manager. "No longer forced to trade resolution or storage for speed, the research potential inherent in the clear, accurate and fast recording of high-speed phenomena can finally be realized."

Shimadzu's HPV-1, which can be used with general-purpose Nikon F-mount SLR lenses, also features user-friendly, dedicated control unit software that permits quick-start recording, and employs a newly developed image sensor chip to record the video. This sensor chip combines Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) technology with a design that expands the light-sensitive area per pixel, to deliver sharp images in a very broad range of lighting conditions. And with the variety of available trigger options, users can set their 'trigger point' at any frame and can vary the frame speed after that point to better suit their needs.