DFC9000
What type of digital interface does the Leica DFC9000 feature?
The Leica DFC9000 GT comes with USB 3.0 interface. The Leica DFC9000 GTC comes with CameraLink interface. Both camera types are shipped with the appropriate PCI board and cables.
What happens if I accidentially connect the Leica DFC9000 GT to a USB 2.0 socket?
The camera will not start.
Can I use my onboard USB 3.0 socket of the PC for the Leica DFC9000 GT?
In many cases you can. Yet, to benefit from the full performance of the camera we recommend that you use the PCI board which is delivered with every camera. For information on how to insert the PCI board, please refer to the camera's instruction for use.
What type of c-mount do you recommend?
The camera features a 4.2 MP sensor with a diagonal of 19 mm. Leica Microsystems developed a specific 1x c-mount which fits perfectly to the 19-mm imaging port of most of the inverted and upright Leica research microscopes such as the Leica DMi8 or the Leica DM6 B.
What type of sensor is used in the Leica DFC9000 GT and Leica DFC9000 GTC?
The core of both cameras is the 4.2 MP original sCMOS sensor of BAE with a maximun of 82% quantum efficiency, depending on wavelength.
What does "sCMOS" stand for?
sCMOS stands for scientific CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). For researchers, sCMOS sensors have proven a synonym for high-end, high quality sensors for live cell imaging due to their high dynamic range, low noise and high quantum efficiency as well as high acquisition rate. Image your sample in 12-bit allows for high speed, i.e. 50 fps full-frame with the USB 3.0 interface, or use the 16-bit support to leverage the increased dynamic range.
What does "GT" and "GTC" stand for in the names Leica DFC9000 GT and Leica DFC9000 GTC?
"G" means grayscale, since the camera is a monochrome camera. "T" stands for temperature, since the camera is cooled. "C" means CameraLink interface, since the Leica DFC9000 GTC has a CameraLink interface instead of the USB 3.0 interface of the Leica DFC9000 GT.
Does the camera feature a rolling or global shutter?
Both Leica DFC9000 GT and Leica DFC9000 GTC work with a rolling shutter.
Why do the Leica DFC9000 GT and Leica DFC900 GTC offer two bit-depth values, namely 12- and 16-bit?
Image your sample in 12-bit allows for high speed, i.e. 50 fps full-frame with the USB 3.0 interface, or use the 16-bit support to leverage the increased dynamic range.
The Leica DFC9000 GT and Leica DFC9000 GTC offer a high full-well capacity of 30.000 electrons. Why is this important?
The dynamic range of the camera depends on the full-well capacity. Both cameras offer a large dynamic range, i.e. the sensor is able to capture signals of both high and low intensity at the same time. This Introduction to Digital Camera Technology provides a more detailed explanation.
How do I benefit from the large dynamic range in the Leica DFC9000 GT and Leica DFC9000 GTC?
Your images display areas with low and high intensity signals. In many cases areas with low fluorescence intensity are the background, signals with high intensity are the fluorescence signals. The larger the dynamic range, the better you can document both in the same image.
If a camera does not capture these signals simultaneously, a so-called high-dynmic range (HDR) algorithm must be applied. For this, you need to acquire sequential images with different illumination settings and combine them. This bears the risk of inaccuracies and is also time-consuming. Since the Leica DFC9000 GT and Leica DFC9000 GTC offer a large dynamic range, resorting to HDR images is not necessary.
How can you make sure no image is lost during high-speed acquisition?
The camera has an onboard memory of 1 GB.
What do I need to acquire high-speed, real-time time-lapse?
You need a high-speed trigger cable and an extension board of the microscope CTR box.
Can I use my climate chamber for the Leica DMi8?
Yes, you can.
Which software packages do currently support the Leica DFC9000 GT and Leica DFC9000 GTC?
The camera is supported in Leica Application Suite (LAS) X. It is not supported in LAS.
I already have a LAS X 2.0 version installed. How can I make sure the Leica DFC9000 GT or Leica DFC9000 GTC is supported?
You can easily upgrade your system with the appropriate camera driver via the Leica software updater (provided by LAS X). In addition, the camera package always includes the newest LAS X version free of charge.
What happens if the camera needs a repair?
Please contact your local sales representative. We will check if the camera can be repaired swiftly or if we rather exchange it.
To which microscopes can I attach the Leica DFC9000 GT and Leica DFC9000 GTC?
You can attach the camera to any Leica compound or stereo microscope with a documentation tube or documentation port. If the camera port has a 19 mm diameter, you will achieve a real field of view of 19 mm over the entire imaging system. For microscopes other than Leica please contact your local Leica representative.