Chapter 3 Acquiring an Image
Using pixel binning, you can balance sensitivity, resolution, and exposure time to produce
an image best suited for your purposes:
n Sensitivity — as binning increases, sensitivity to light increases in most images, which
improves the ability of the lens to detect faint bands. A binning of 4x4 uses 16 pixels
compared to a binning of 2x2, which uses four pixels. As a result, a binning of 4x4 is
four times more sensitive than a binning of 2x2.
Note: At higher binning settings, sensitivity may depend on the signal intensity
and size of the feature being imaged relative to the background. If the bin contains
more pixels than the feature (for example, a band), the intensity is averaged over
the binned area. In some images, a higher binning setting may render the feature
not visible above the background.
n Resolution — resolution decreases at the higher binning settings. As pixel binning
increases, fewer pixels appear in the resulting image.
n Exposure time — as binning increases, the larger pixel size reduces the time it takes
to acquire the image.
Tip: Zooming in on the area to be imaged increases the resolution and might increase
the optimal binning. The loss in resolution with a higher binning setting can be offset
by the increase in resolution and shorter exposure time.
52 | ChemiDoc Touch Imaging System
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