Product News: Andor Technology Launches Zyla 4.2 – High Quantum Efficiency, Low Noise sCMOS Camera

23 Oct 2013

Andor Technology, a world leader in scientific imaging and spectroscopy solutions, has announced the launch of their new ultrasensitive Zyla 4.2 Scientific CMOS (sCMOS) camera. Offering the highest QE available from sCMOS technology, coupled with extremely low read noise and 100 fps frame rate, Zyla 4.2 is ideal for applications that demand speed and sensitivity, such as ion signaling microscopy, super-resolution microscopy, light sheet microscopy and TIRF.


The high resolution 4.2 megapixel camera delivers 72% QE, < 1 e- read noise and 33,000:1 dynamic range in a light, compact, low vibration design, intended for both research and OEM usage. Comprehensive on-head FPGA real-time data processing ensures superior image quality and quantitative stability.

Thermoelectrically cooled to 00C and utilizing a very low noise fan, ideal for vibration sensitive set-ups such as super-resolution, Zyla 4.2 also benefits from Andor’s Dark Noise Suppression (DNS) Technology to yield an extremely competitive darkcurrent of only 0.14 e-/pixel/sec, maintaining the low noise advantage across a range of exposure conditions. Zyla is also available in a -10 0C water cooled variant.

Dr Colin Coates, Andor’s Imaging Product Manager, said; “The high QE Zyla 4.2 is an exciting addition to our sCMOS range and sits alongside the Zyla 5.5, which uniquely offers both Rolling Shutter and Global Shutter ‘Snapshot’ exposure modes for absolute application flexibility. While sCMOS cameras do not possess the raw sensitivity of higher end EMCCD cameras for extreme low light applications, such as single molecule detection, they do dramatically out-perform interline CCDs across several key parameters, yet within a similar price bracket They are also excellent cameras for live cell imaging. The Zyla 4.2 should be strongly considered by those looking for superb sCMOS sensitivity and speed.”