Point Grey today announced a new addition to the Grasshopper3 camera family, which features high quality, high resolution CCD sensors with a USB 3.0 interface. The new Grasshopper3 GS3-U3-28S5 camera models are based on color and monochrome versions of the fast and highly sensitive Sony ICX674, a 2/3″ CCD featuring 4.54 micron square pixels and capable of sending 1932 x 1452 images at 26 FPS. The ICX674 sensor supports high definition (HD) 1080p30 imaging and uses Sony’s EXview HAD CCD II technology—a further evolved version of the well-known EXview HAD CCD technology—to improve quantum efficiency, reduce smear, and increase sensitivity, including into the near infrared.


Like all Point Grey USB 3.0 cameras, the Grasshopper3 is built on an FPGA and frame buffer-based architecture to provide optimal reliability, a rich set of features, and a full image processing pipeline including color interpolation, look up table, gamma correction and pixel binning. Additional Grasshopper3 cameras using 6 megapixel and 9.1 megapixel EXview HAD CCD II sensors will be released later this year. The Grasshopper3 GS3-U3-28S5 color and monochrome models are list priced at USD $1995 and are available to order now from Point Grey and its network of distributors.