If small is good, smaller has to be better

If it’s true that the best things come in small packages, then the Guppy family of cameras from AVT should be pretty darned good. They measure a diminutive 44.8 x 29 x 29mm, so if you’re struggling with a space or packaging issue these might be worth a look.

But not to be outdone, Point Grey throws the Flea 2 family into the same market space. These Firewire b cameras are an astounding 29 x 29 x 30mm, so they might be what you really want.

I didn’t think machine vision cameras could get any smaller and still feature a C-mount lens mounting, but Sony have proved me wrong. Their just-announced XCD-MV6 camera measures just 29 x 29 x 19mm.

Let’s just think about that for a moment. The 29mm square is dictated by the C-mount thread, so that can’t go any smaller, but 19mm deep? Isn’t the distance from lens flange to sensor on a C-mount lens 17.5mm? How did they manage to get the circuit board in there?

Well of course this isn’t an apples-to-apples comparison. AVT for instance measure over the connectors while Point Grey specifies just the actual enclosure. And I’m pretty sure that Sony don’t include the lens mounting in their measurements. So if you need a really small camera, all three of these might be contenders, but check the small print before placing your order or you may be disappointed.