Binning
Binning is supported by the Cantega G2. Users can select modes of 1x, 2x, 4x and
8x binning. This means sensitivity can be increased above the already high level supplied by the CCD in full resolution.

Frame Rate
The Cantega G2 supports different frame rates. In the 5 MHz mode the cameras offers about 6 frames per second at binning 4. The high quality 2 MHz mode supports 14 bits and offers 3 frames per second at binning 8. A partial read-out mode can be used for searching throughout the sample, making it attractively convenient to find features of interest and to adjust microscope parameters. At any resolution, this camera provides superb dynamic range and sensitivity.

Cooling
Noise, known as “dark current“, is generally introduced into an image when the CCD chip is not cooled to a sufficiently low temperature,. This thermal noise is not a problem with the Cantega G2, however. The CCD chip is cooled by water-cooling to -10° C (with 18°C TEM water temperature), resulting in an extremely high signal-to-noise ratio.

Variable exposure times
CantegaG2 offers extremely low exposure times (as little as 1 ms and up to 100 s), making acquisition viable with intense illumination and with images of very low intensity.

Fiber optic
The Cantega G2 camera system couples the scintillator to the CCD chip using unique fiber optics. This innovative approach gives the user an attractive price/performance advantage. In conjunction with the highly sensitive CCD chip and the optimized scintillator, this ensures high sensitivity and efficiency, as well as an unsurpassed signal-to-noise ratio.

High sensitivity
Combining a dark current of < 0.6 e-/s, a full well capacity of about 250K, a read-out noise of about 8 e, and it’s low temperature, the high sensitivity of the Cantega G2 allows the observation of samples on the computer monitor at beam intensities so low they prohibit any image on the TEM view screen.

Housing
Like all of Olympus Soft Imaging Solutions cameras, the Cantega G2 is housed in a compact and attractive manner.

Real-time functions
Integration of the Cantega G2 with iTEM, Olympus Soft Imaging Solutions TEM imaging platform, ensures real-time shading correction, intensity histograms, auto contrast adjustment and Fast Fourier Transformations during image acquisition.

Integration
Integration of the camera into iTEM also provides functions such as labeling, processing, archiving, analyzing and report generation. Photographic quality printouts can be obtained virtually seconds after acquisition –  without the darkroom.