Often in high speed imaging, it is difficult to trigger on the event of interest. You may only have a second or two of record time at high frame rates, and you often cannot predict exactly when an event will occur.

Phantom® cameras have a very flexible triggering scheme that actually let's you "look back in time" and capture frames prior to the trigger. This tutorial will help you understand how to trigger your Phantom® camera.

Triggering Tutorial

This is a flash-based tutorial that explains in detail the use of the touch-sensitive LCD panel on the Miro® 1, 2 & 4. It takes about 20 minutes to complete the tutorial. It was made when the Miro was first introduced. With the new eX series and new features, this tutorial is a bit out-of-date. Still, it should be useful in learning about the main functions of the cameras and will get you started on using your new Miro camera.

It will open in a new window, just resize the window to meet your needs.

Miro LCD Tutorial

Vision Research has produced a series of video tutorials in the hope of jump starting your learning curve on our newly designed and upgraded software.

How to Properly Install a Battery on a Phantom Miro Camera

The key to properly installing a battery on a Phantom Miro camera is to tilt the battery slightly, with the bottom slightly forward of the top, as you insert the battery into the slot at the back of the camera, then gently pressing the battery down to make contact with the power pins

PCC Tutorial 1A, User Interface

In this first part of a two-part tutorial on the user interface for the Phantom Camera Control (PCC) software, you will learn various components that make up the PCC GUI and their functions, including the Manager, Live, and Play Control Panels, the Preview and Playback Panels, and the GUI Status Bar. You will also learn to create sub-groups for both cameras and previously opened cine files, add a simulated camera, remove a camera or cine file from the control panel, re-name a camera, determine if a camera is available for use, cine nomenclatures, and how to select a file to be reviewed.

(Length: 7:06)

PCC Tutorial 1B, User Interface

In this second part of a two-part tutorial on the user interface for the Phantom Camera Control (PCC) software, you will learn various components that make up the PCC GUI and their functions, specifically the Toolbar Buttons.

(Length: 5:05)

PCC Tutorial 2A, Defining Preferences

This is the first part of a two-part tutorial on defining the application preferences for PCC. In this tutorial, you will learn how to use various general settings associated with defining the PCC’s application preferences, including the; 
(1) Interface options, (2) Unit options, (3) Snapshot options, (4) Imaging option.

(Length 4:37)

PCC Tutorial 2B, Defining Preferences

This is the second part of a two-part tutorial on setting application preferences in PCC. In this tutorial, you will learn how to use the remaining general settings associated with defining the PCC software’s application preferences, including, the Camera Visibility options, and the Logging option.

(Length: 5:59)

PCC Tutorial 3A, Capturing Your First Cine

This is the first part of a two-part tutorial on how to use Phantom Camera Control (PCC) software to capture high-speed events for later playback or analysis. In this tutorial, you will learn how to; (1) Select a camera for use, (2) Perform a CSR, (3) Enable the Auto CSR feature, and (4) Perform a White Balance Adjustment.

(Length: 4:34)

PCC Tutorial 3B, Capturing Your First Cine

This is the second part of the two-part tutorial on using PCC to capture a cine. In this tutorial, you will learn how to; (1) Specify the Resolution, (2) Specify the Sample Rate, (3) Determine the recording Duration and the maximum number of (Frames) that can be recorded, (4) Define an Exposure Time, (5) Specify an Image Range and Trigger Position value, (6) Differentiate between Pre and Post Trigger Frames, (7) Place the camera into the Recording mode, (8) Supply one of the various triggering methods to the camera, (9) Determine if the camera is in the recording mode, (10) Verify a cine has been captured.

(Length: 6:43)

PCC Tutorial 4, Viewing a Captured Cine

In this tutorial, you will learn how to; (1) Select a cine to review, (2) The video control buttons, (3) Various methods to quickly search through the cine, and (4) the many features that allow you to specify how the cine should be played back.

(Length: 5:36)

PCC Tutorial 5, Editing and Saving a Cine

In this tutorial, you will learn how to; (1) Edit a cine, (2) Re-edit the cine, and
(3) Save the cine as a cine raw file.

(Length: 6:23)

PCC Tutorial 6A, Saving to Flash Memory

In this first part of a three-part tutorial, you will learn how to use PCC to save image data that is stored in the camera’s circular buffer to the camera’s internal flash memory, attached Phantom CineMag, or inserted Type 1 CompactFlash card manually.

(Length: 3:07)

PCC Tutorial 6B, Saving to Flash Memory

In this second part of a three-part tutorial, you will learn how to use PCC to save image data that is stored in the camera’s circular buffer to the camera’s internal flash memory, attached Phantom CineMag, or inserted Type 1 CompactFlash card automatically.

(Length: 3:28)

PCC Tutorial 6C, Saving to Flash Memory

In this third part of a three-part tutorial, you will learn how to use PCC to record directly into a camera’s attached Phantom CineMag, bypassing having to write the image data into the camera’s circular buffer first, prior to writing the image data into the attached CineMag.

(Length: 4:31)

PCC Tutorial 7A, Performing File Conversions

In this first of a two-part tutorial, you will learn how to convert a single cine file to one of the many supported file formats using the save command in PCC.

(Length: 6:25)

PCC Tutorial 7B, Performing File Conversions

In this second part of a two-part tutorial, you will learn how to convert multiple cine files, to one of the many supported file formats, using a single command, the batch convert command in PCC.

(Length: 5:29)

PCC Tutorial 8, EOS Lens Control

In this PCC Tutorial, you will learn how to use the EOS Lens Control feature. This feature allows users of Phantom cameras, equipped with a Canon EOS Lens mount, to remotely control lens aperture and focus. Making it ideal for applications where the Phantom camera is not accessible due to positing, the environment, or safety issues.

(Length: 2:13)

PCC Tutorial 9, MultiCine in PCC

In this PCC Tutorial, you will learn how to; (1) Specify the number of memory segments, or partitions, a camera’s DRAM or attached Phantom CineMag's memory will be evenly divided into. (2) Select which memory segment to capture or record image data into. (3) Delete the recorded cine, (image data), stored in a specific memory segment to free up that memory partition to perform another capture.

(Length: 8:27)

PCC Tutorial 10, EDR and Auto Exposure in PCC

In this PCC Tutorial, you will learn how to use both the EDR (Extreme Dynamic Range) feature which is extremely useful when hot spots do or potentially exist, and the Auto Exposure feature used to adjust the overall exposure of the field-of-view based on the light level measured within a user defined area of interest.

(Length: 6:59)

PCC Tutorial 11, Using Frame Rate Profile

In this PCC Tutorial, you will learn how to use the Frame Profile feature. Frame Rate Profile allows the user to define up to five different sample rates that automatically change, at a user specified points, during the capturing process of post trigger frames. This function also helps extend recording time, and help keep file sizes as small as possible. This feature is not available with all Phantom cameras.

(Length: 10:26)

PCC Tutorial 12, Image-Based Auto-Trigger

In this PCC Tutorial, you will learn how to use the Image-Based Auto-Trigger feature, of selected Phantom camera models, to trigger themselves when the image changes in a selectable region of the frame.

(Length: 7:05)

PCC Tutorial 13A, Continuous Recording

In this first part of a three-part tutorial, you will learn how to use the Continuous Recording in its native operational mode. Continuous Recording can be used, in a variety of ways, to automatically record a cine into the camera memory, then immediately edit, and save that cine, to a user specified location of an attached hard-drive without any user intervention, by providing a "hard" or "soft" trigger to the camera. Once the save process completes the camera will automatically be placed back into the recording mode to repeat the process until the continuous recording feature is disabled by the end-user.

(Length: 7:03)

PCC Tutorial 13B, Continuous Recording Combined with Image-Based Auto-Trigger

In this second part of a three-part tutorial, you will learn how to use Continuous Recording feature combined with the Image-Based Auto-Trigger feature to supply a trigger signal to the camera.

(Length: 7:17)

PCC Tutorial 13C, Continuous Recording Combined with Multi-Cine, Auto-Trigger, Firmware Ordered Recording, and Image Range

In this third part of a three-part tutorial, you will learn how to use Continuous Recording along with the MultiCine, Auto Trigger, Firmware Ordered Recording, and Image Range feature to trigger the camera at a specified interval, i.e., every 25 seconds, to provide time delayed triggers automatically.

(Length: 8:58)

PCC Tutorial 14A, Performing Measurements

At the end of this first part of a seven-part tutorial, you will be able to; (1) Specify the units of measure, (2) Perform timing measurements, (3) Calibrate a measurement scale, (4) Set an origin point, and (5) Perform coordinate measurements. Using this 2-D motion analysis tool essentially turns your Phantom camera into an extremely effective test instrument.

(Length: 8:50)

PCC Tutorial 14B, Performing Measurements

At the end of this second part of a seven-part tutorial, you will be able to; (1) Specify the units of measure, (2) Calibrate a measurement scale, (3) Set an origin point, (4) Perform distance, angle and speed measurements using the origin and 1 point, and (5) Generate a report file. Using this 2-D motion analysis tool essentially turns your Phantom camera into an extremely effective test instrument.

(Length: 8:55)

PCC Tutorial 14C, Performing Measurements

At the end of this third part of a seven-part tutorial, you will be able to; (1) Specify the units of measure, (2) Calibrate a measurement scale, (3) Perform distance, angle and speed measurements using 2 points, and (4) Generate a report file. Using this 2-D motion analysis tool essentially turns your Phantom camera into an extremely effective test instrument.

(Length: 7:57)

PCC Tutorial 14D, Performing Measurements

At the end of this fourth part of a seven-part tutorial, you will be able to; (1) Specify the units of measure, (2) Calibrate a measurement scale, and (3) Perform angle and angular speed measurements using 3 points. Using this 2-D motion analysis tool essentially turns your Phantom camera into an extremely effective test instrument.

(Length: 8:23)

PCC Tutorial 14E, Performing Measurements

At the end of this fifth part of a seven-part tutorial, you will be able to; (1) Specify the units of measure, (2) Calibrate a measurement scale, and (3) Perform angle and angular speed measurements using 4 points. Using this 2-D motion analysis tool essentially turns your Phantom camera into an extremely effective test instrument.

(Length: 8:42)

PCC Tutorial 14F, Performing Measurements

At the end of this sixth part of a seven-part tutorial, you will be able to; (1) Specify the units of measure, (2) Calibrate a measurement scale, (3) Perform collect points measurements, (4) Sort and optimize a collect points report file, (5) Compute a speed report file, and (6) Compute an acceleration report file for the collect points. Using this 2-D motion analysis tool essentially turns your Phantom camera into an extremely effective test instrument.

(Length: 8:13)

PCC Tutorial 14G, Performing Measurements

At the end of this seventh part of a seven-part tutorial, you will be able to review the report files created using the measurement analysis features in the PCC software.

(Length: 5:04)