The Phantom T2540 is the newest addition to the T-Series lineup, and it is essentially a reduced frame rate version of the T4040 that was announced earlier this year. It is almost laughable to call it a reduced frame rate version, as it is still capable of 5,840 fps at its full resolution of 2.5K (2560 x 1664) and 277,000 fps when that resolution is reduced.
Above you can see what frame rates are available when recording in the Standard Mode. Recording time is limited to 6.9 seconds at maximum frame rate, 12 bits, 2560 x 1664 resolution into 256GB internal memory, however, you can record for longer when using the Phantom CineMags.
The RAM buffer determines the maximum duration of each high-speed recording. Memory can be segmented using Multi-Cine to capture several shorter events back-to-back with no downtime between shots. The CineMag V is available in 2TB and 8TB capacities and can save a 144 GB file in under 3 minutes. CineMags also supports direct recording for long record times at reduced resolution and supports video playback to review all the recordings.
Data on the CineMag V can be downloaded via a Phantom CineStation IV, or the camera, using 1Gb or 10Gb Ethernet. 10Gb Ethernet is the fastest way to download files to optimized systems. Cine Raw files are compatible with many of the video industry’s top editing and measurement programs, or they can be converted to a variety of formats.
The camera can record in the following codecs:
- Cine RAW & Cine Compressed
- AVI, H.264 mp4
- Apple ProRes .mov
- Multipage TIFF
- MXF PAL & MXF NTSC
- Uncompressed QuickTime
- Windows BMP
- OS/2 BMP, PCX, TGA
- TIFF, LEAD, JPEG
- JTIF, RAW, DNG, DPX
Above you can see how the T2540’s frame rates compare to the other T-Series cameras.
The camera utilizes a 4.2 MPX (2560 x 1664 pixels) CMOS Back Side Illuminated (BSI) Sensor with a 9.27 µm pixel size, 18.54 µm with binning enabled. The physical dimensions of the sensor are 23.7 mm x 15.4 mm; 28.2mm diagonal.
4.2 MPX BSI sensor and it records to Phantom CineMags. According to Phantom, a peak Quantum Efficiency rating above 90% ensures the sensor’s ability to capture images at low light levels.
Key features
- Binning Mode – frame rate boost at 1280 x 832 and below
- CineMag Compatibility
- SDI and HDMI video outputs
- Programmable I/O – Assign and define camera signals
- 10Gb Ethernet Included
A Binning mode combines pixels to increase the vertical resolution of the camera’s top frame rates at 1MPX and below. This is available for color and mono, but the output will switch to mono on a color camera.
Above you can see what frame rates are available when recording in the Binned Mode.
It is claimed that the EDR (Extreme Dynamic Range) provides mitigation for bright flashes by dynamically adjusting exposure in saturated areas of the image.
The camera features a programmable I/O to interface with DAQ systems and a variety of measurement sensors, which can be recorded and viewed as metadata in Cine files.
The Phantom T2540 has both SDI and HDMI outputs and 10Gb Ethernet. There are 2X 3G HD-SDI ports and a Micro-HDMI port. The maximum resolution that you can get out of the camera over HDMI or SDI is 1080p60.
The camera comes with a Nikon F-mount as standard, which supports F & G style lenses. Optional lens mount include:
- Canon EOS mount
- PL-mount
- C-mount
- M42-mount
The T2540 weighs 9.4 lbs / 4.3 kg and it has physical dimensions of 5 x 5 x 8.25 inches, 12.7 x 12.7 x 21 cm (H, W, L) without a handle or lens.
