Star Light Mode is a function that a CCD camera is able to see clear color images under very low lighting situation such as 0.0002 lux illumination level. All CCD sensors are designed to work on 1/50,1/60 ~1/2000 sec. shutter speed. The minimum illumination level or so called sensitivity is limited on 3 to 6 lux with a F1.2 lens on 5600k. Starlight camera proprietary DSP can drive CCD shutter speed to as low as 1 sec ~10 sec. As a fundamental of physics the longer the shutter open, the more photon the CCD will capture, and it increases 100 ~ 600 times of sensitivity more than legacy cameras. Starlight cameras have 4 times of sensitivity on legacy mode more than the cameras of other series. Starlight cameras multiply light for 128X on star light mode. This brings Starlight cameras 512 times of sensitivity more than all other cameras on the market.

 

How to trigger star light mode? Does it turn on automatically ? How do I use the function?

Shutter Priority: When shutter priority is selected and lighting level goes down the frame integration, the mode will trigger first to maintain a clean brilliant noise free image with perfect color rendering. After shutter slows down to maximum 128X or 2 seconds and still can not maintain 100 IRE video level, the AGC will turn on to continue to hold the video level on 100 IRE until AGC pulls up to the maximum ( +32 dB ). The defect of this mode is that when the shutter slows down , the motioned pictures will become blurred in the early stage.

AGC Priority: When AGC priority is selected and incoming light goes down, the AGC will turn on first and the shutter will maintain on 1/60 or higher (1/50,1/60 ~ 1/120,000 ). Therefore, the motioned pictures will be very good and no blur. However, the defect of this function is that that when AGC function turns on and gradually pulls up to the maximum, the image will be more noisy and the color will be distorted. Normally, shutter priority is more often utilized in industry and astronomical fields, especially for steady object observations that the good picture quality is more considerable. On the other hand, AGC priority mode is more often utilized for surveillance, traffic control and military that catching clear motioned pictures is the main purpose.

In the Starlight cameras, the output of the CCD is 2 times bigger than the cameras which use normal CCD sensors. Due to this kind of special micro adjustment timing circuit controlled by advanced DSP, the sensitivity is naturally 2 times better even it is on 30 frame real time mode. The quality is almost the same as using a SONY EX-View. Therefore, using Starlight cameras shutter priority mode for the motioned pictures will be 2 times faster, and more action pictures can be sent out. When using AGC priority mode, the noise will naturally decrease to the half.

SONY Ex-View CCD: When a SONY Ex-View CCD is used in any legacy camera, the sensitivity on visible light will be 2-time advance. If it is installed in Starlight cameras. The sensitivity of Starlight cameras will be 4-time advance on 30 frame real time mode, and the motion and noise will be improved twice as well. However, anything is not able to be perfect. The defect of an Ex-View CCD is that it is twice more expensive than a SONY Super HAD CCD because of fine art of the photo sensors and micro lens. Furthermore, the bad spots on the CCD will increase due to Cosmos Ray bombing ( Claimed by SONY).