HIKROBOT Industrial Area Scan & Line Scan Cameras (MV-CS / MV-CA / MV-CE / MV-CH): Global Shutter Sensor Selection & C-Mount Lens Focal Length Calculator Guide
How Do HIKROBOT MV-CS, MV-CA, MV-CE, MV-CH (Area Scan) and MV-CL (Line Scan) Industrial Cameras Differ, What Does a Model Code Like MV-CS050-10GM Mean, and How Do You Calculate MP Resolution and C-Mount Lens Focal Length for Your Exact Working Distance?
HIKROBOT industrial cameras (hikrobot camera) span 2D Area Scan series—MV-CS (Gen2 29×29 mm compact), MV-CA (standard), MV-CE (economic), and MV-CH (12MP–65MP+ ultra-high resolution)—plus Line Scan MV-CL cameras for continuous web and 360° cylindrical inspection. A model code like MV-CS050-10GM denotes a 5.0MP Sony IMX264 Global Shutter, GigE PoE, Monochrome camera, matched to a C-Mount lens using f = (Sensor Width × Working Distance) ÷ FOV Width with Better Code Co., Ltd., Official HIKROBOT Distributor in Thailand.
How to Decode HIKROBOT Industrial Camera Model Numbers in 1 Minute (e.g., MV-CS050-10GM, MV-CA050-10GM, MV-CS016-10GM, MV-CE120-10GM)
When automation engineers and procurement teams search for a hikrobot camera to integrate into an inline Machine Vision inspection station, part numbers like MV-CS050-10GM, MV-CA050-10GM, MV-CS016-10GM, or MV-CE120-10GM encode the exact optical and electrical configuration across 6 structured segments:
1. Prefix MV + Series CS / CA / CE / CH / CL
MV stands for Machine Vision, followed by two letters defining the camera architecture:
• CA (Standard Gen1): First-generation standard Area Scan housing (
MV-CS serves as the drop-in upgrade)• CE (Economic): Cost-optimized Area Scan series
• CH (High Resolution): Large-format 12MP–65MP+ Area Scan cameras
• CL (Line Scan): 1D continuous line-scan cameras (2K/4K/8K/16K)
2. Three Digits 016 / 050 / 060 / 120 + Suffix -10
The 3-digit number specifies Megapixel (MP) resolution with an implied decimal after the second digit:
• 016 = 1.6 MP (1440×1080 px, e.g.,
MV-CS016-10GM for high-speed OCR)• 050 = 5.0 MP (2448×2048 px, e.g.,
MV-CS050-10GM / MV-CA050-10GM #1 bestseller)• 060 = 6.0 MP (3072×2048 px)
• 120 = 12.0 MP (4096×3000 px, e.g.,
MV-CE120-10GM)• 200 = 20.0 MP (5472×3648 px)
*(The hyphenated code
-10, -20, or -60 denotes the specific CMOS sensor revision and frame-rate tier)*3. Final Two Letters: G / U / X + M / C
The last two characters define the data cable interface and sensor spectrum:
• G = GigE (Gigabit Ethernet + PoE): Supports shielded Cat6 cables up to 100 meters with single-cable Power over Ethernet
• U = USB 3.0: High-bandwidth plug-and-play interface for 3–5 meter IPC links
• X / C = CoaXPress / CameraLink: Ultra-high-speed interfaces requiring a PCIe Frame Grabber
Final Letter (Spectrum):
• M = Monochrome: Maximum light sensitivity & sharp edge contrast
• C = Color: RGB Bayer array for color sorting
MV-CS050-10GM) and comparison across all 5 industrial camera series by Better Code Co., Ltd.Comparing All 5 HIKROBOT Industrial Camera Series: Area Scan (MV-CS / MV-CA / MV-CE / MV-CH) vs Line Scan (MV-CL)
To match your camera hardware to your part motion and project budget (note: if your application only requires dedicated 1D/2D/DPM barcode reading with built-in lighting and lenses, see our separate guide on HIKROBOT ID2000 / ID3000 / ID5000 Industrial Code Readers), compare the 5 core MV-series Machine Vision camera families below:
| HIKROBOT Camera Series | Popular Model Numbers | Sensor & Shutter Type | Resolution Range & Form Factor | Interface & Trigger I/O | Ideal Factory Applications |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. HIKROBOT MV-CS Series (Gen2 Compact Area Scan — Current Flagship) | MV-CS050-10GM (5MP)MV-CS016-10GM (1.6MP)MV-CS060-10GM (6MP)MV-CS200-10GM (20MP) | Predominantly Global Shutter (Sony Pregius IMX264 / IMX273) plus high-MP Rolling options | 0.4 MP – 20 MP (Ultra-compact 29×29×30 mm 4-sided heatsink body) | GigE (PoE up to 100m) or USB 3.0 + 6-pin Hirose opto-isolated Trigger/Strobe I/O | #1 Factory Standard: High-speed OCR date verification, cap/label inspection, dimensional gauging & PLC OK/NG sorting |
| 2. HIKROBOT MV-CA Series (Standard Gen1 Area Scan) | MV-CA050-10GM (5MP)MV-CA016-10UM (1.6MP)MV-CA060-10GC (6MP) | Global Shutter (Sony IMX264 / IMX273 / Python) & Rolling Shutter | 0.4 MP – 20 MP (Standard 29×29×42 mm housing) | GigE PoE or USB 3.0 | Legacy machine BOM replacements specifying MV-CA050-10GM or seamless pin-compatible migration to MV-CS050-10GM using existing C-Mount lenses |
| 3. HIKROBOT MV-CE Series (Economic Area Scan) | MV-CE120-10GM (12MP)MV-CE060-10UC (6MP)MV-CE050-30GM (5MP) | Primarily high-MP Rolling Shutter (with select Global Shutter models) | 1.3 MP – 12 MP | GigE or USB 3.0 | Stationary / Stop-and-Go indexing stations or slow-moving targets requiring high 6MP–12MP resolution at an economical hardware cost |
| 4. HIKROBOT MV-CH Series (Ultra-High Resolution Area Scan) | MV-CH120-10GM (12MP)MV-CH250-90GM (25MP)MV-CH650-90XM (65MP) | Large-format Global Shutter sensors (1.1", APS-C, 35mm Full Frame) | 12 MP – 65 MP+ (C-Mount / F-Mount / M42 / M58 lenses) | GigE, 10GigE, USB 3.0, CameraLink, CoaXPress (CXP) | Wide-FOV micron-level defect inspection on large PCBs, flat-panel displays, automotive stampings, or multi-cavity tray inspection in a single shot |
| 5. HIKROBOT MV-CL Series (Industrial Line Scan Camera) | MV-CL022-91GM (2K)MV-CL042-91GM (4K)MV-CL084-90CM (8K) | 1D Line Array Sensor (synchronized line-by-line to a quadrature Shaft Encoder) | 2K (2048 px), 4K (4096 px), 8K (8192 px), 16K (16384 px) | GigE, CameraLink, or CoaXPress + direct Encoder A/B phase input | Continuous web inspection (plastic film, paper, steel coils, non-wovens) and 360° unrolled cylindrical bottle / can label inspection |
2 Core Optical Engineering Formulas Before Buying a Machine Vision Camera & C-Mount Lens
A common pitfall when purchasing an industrial camera body is ordering a high-megapixel sensor without matching the C-Mount lens focal length and image circle to the physical mounting clearance above the conveyor. Engineers at Better Code Co., Ltd. apply two foundational optical equations to size every HIKROBOT vision station:
Formula 1: Calculating Required Camera Resolution (MP) from the Smallest Target Defect
Reliable machine vision algorithms require at least 3 to 5 pixels spanning across the smallest defect, character stroke, or edge feature to prevent false rejects from image noise:
Worked Engineering Example: To inspect a 150 mm wide tray (FOV = 150 mm) and reliably detect a 0.25 mm pinhole defect → Required Horizontal Pixels = (150 ÷ 0.25) × 4 = 2,400 pixels. This matches the 2448 × 2048 pixel (5.0MP) resolution of the MV-CS050-10GM!
Formula 2: Calculating C-Mount Lens Focal Length (f in mm)
Once the camera model is selected, look up its physical Sensor Width (mm) and combine it with your lens-to-part Working Distance (WD in mm) and required FOV Width (mm):
Worked Engineering Example: Using a HIKROBOT MV-CS050-10GM (2/3" Sony IMX264 sensor with Sensor Width = 8.45 mm) mounted at WD = 300 mm to capture an FOV = 150 mm → f = (8.45 × 300) ÷ 150 = 16.9 mm. Engineers select the nearest slightly wider standard focal length—a 16mm 5MP C-Mount Lens—yielding a ~158 mm horizontal FOV with safe margin for part wander.
Reference Table: HIKROBOT CMOS Sensor Formats & Physical Dimensions (mm) for Lens Calculations
| Optical Sensor Format | Active Sensor Width × Height (mm) | Typical CMOS Sensor | Representative HIKROBOT Models | Optical Matching & Application Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/2.9" | 4.96 × 3.72 mm (6.2 mm diag.) | Sony IMX273 / IMX296 (Global Shutter) | MV-CS016-10GM (1.6MP, 1440×1080)MV-CA016-10GM | High-speed date code OCR, cap presence, and 70–100+ fps conveyor inspection |
| 1/1.8" | 7.37 × 4.92 mm (8.9 mm diag.) | Sony IMX178 (Rolling) / IMX250 (Global) | MV-CE060-10GM / MV-CS060-10GM (6MP, 3072×2048) | Economical 6MP inspection on indexed/stationary assembly stations |
| 2/3" (Industry Standard) | 8.45 × 7.07 mm (11.0 mm diag.) | Sony Pregius IMX264 / IMX250 (Global Shutter) | MV-CS050-10GM (5MP, 2448×2048)MV-CA050-10GM (5MP) | #1 Industrial Workhorse: Optimal balance of 5MP Global Shutter clarity, sensitivity, and 2/3" C-Mount lens availability |
| 1" | 13.13 × 8.76 mm (15.8 mm diag.) | Sony IMX183 (Rolling) / IMX255 (Global) | MV-CS200-10GM (20MP, 5472×3648)MV-CA089-10GM (8.9MP) | High-density electronics inspection and wide-tray multi-part verification |
| 1.1" | 14.13 × 10.35 mm (17.5 mm diag.) | Sony Pregius IMX304 / IMX253 (Global Shutter) | MV-CH120-10GM (12MP, 4096×3000) | High-precision sub-pixel dimensional metrology across wide moving conveyors |
Global Shutter vs Rolling Shutter & Monochrome vs Color: 4 Hardware Selection Rules to Prevent Blurry Images on the Factory Floor
Rule 1: Global Shutter vs Rolling Shutter — Eliminating Motion Blur & Skew on Moving Conveyors
Whenever products travel continuously on a conveyor (20–100+ m/min), you must specify a Global Shutter camera (such as the MV-CS016-10GM or MV-CS050-10GM powered by Sony Pregius CMOS sensors). Global Shutter exposes every pixel across the array simultaneously within 100–500 microseconds alongside an LED strobe pulse. By contrast, a Rolling Shutter sensor (such as MV-CE060-10GM or MV-CE120-10GM) scans line-by-line sequentially—causing moving parts to skew diagonally ("jello effect")—and should only be used on stationary stop-and-go stations.
Rule 2: Monochrome (M) vs Color (C) Sensors — Why 80% of Industrial Vision Uses Monochrome
A common misconception is that a Color camera (MV-CS050-10GC) outperforms a Monochrome camera (MV-CS050-10GM). In industrial machine vision, color sensors place a RGB Bayer filter mosaic over pixels and interpolate colors—sacrificing 50–60% of incoming light and softening pixel-to-pixel edge sharpness. A Monochrome (M) sensor captures unfiltered photons at every pixel, enabling shorter exposure times and delivering far sharper edge contrast for OCR date inspection and sub-pixel gauging when paired with colored LED illumination.
Rule 3: Matching C-Mount Lens Image Circle & Megapixel Rating to Your Camera Sensor Format
Although all C-Mount lenses share the same 1-inch 32 TPI thread and 17.526 mm flange focal distance, lenses are engineered for specific maximum sensor diagonals (Image Circles) and resolving powers (lp/mm). Mounting a budget 1/2"-format lens onto a 2/3" MV-CS050-10GM causes dark corner vignetting, while mounting a 2MP lens onto a 12MP MV-CH120-10GM blurs fine details. Always match both the optical format (e.g., 2/3" or 1.1") and the MP rating.
Rule 4: Choosing GigE PoE vs USB 3.0 & Wiring the 6-Pin Hirose Opto-Isolated Trigger/Strobe I/O
In factory environments with VFD motor noise and cable runs exceeding 5 meters to the control cabinet, we recommend GigE PoE models (ending in GM/GC) with screw-locking shielded Cat6 cables supporting runs up to 100 meters. Meanwhile, the camera’s 6-pin Hirose I/O port wires directly to a photoelectric trigger sensor and LED strobe controller—firing microsecond exposures with hardware determinism and sending OK/NG signals into your PLC automated reject system.
6-Point Checklist to Request a HIKROBOT Camera Quotation or Free Optical Lab Test from Better Code Co., Ltd.
Whether you want to purchase standalone HIKROBOT camera hardware (such as MV-CS050-10GM, MV-CA050-10GM, MV-CS016-10GM, or MV-CE120-10GM) with C-Mount lenses and LED lighting for in-house integration, or need a complete turnkey Machine Vision inspection & PLC reject station (see our Vision Camera Pricing Guide), share these 6 details via LINE @bettercode or our Request a Quote page:
If you already have a BOM model code such as MV-CS050-10GM or MV-CA050-10GM, send it for an immediate quote—or describe the defects, dimensions, or OCR characters you need to inspect.
Specify the inspection area width × height (e.g., 50×40 mm or 150×120 mm) and the smallest defect or feature size (e.g., 0.2 mm) to calculate required megapixel resolution.
How much clearance exists between the lens front and the target surface (e.g., 150 mm, 300 mm, or 500 mm) so our engineers can calculate the exact C-Mount lens focal length.
Are parts moving continuously at high speed (requiring Global Shutter), pausing on an indexing table, or moving as a continuous web / spinning cylinder (requiring a Line Scan camera + encoder)?
Specify GigE PoE or USB 3.0, and whether you use HIKROBOT VisionMaster (VM), free MVS SDK (C#/C++/Python), or third-party GenICam / GigE Vision software (Halcon, LabVIEW, OpenCV).
Better Code Co., Ltd. supplies both individual components (cameras, C-Mount lenses, LED lights, Industrial PCs) for system integrators/factories and complete turnkey conveyor + PLC sorting stations.
Frequently Asked Questions: HIKROBOT Area Scan & Line Scan Cameras and Lens Selection (FAQ)
What do HIKROBOT camera model codes like MV-CS050-10GM and MV-CA050-10GM mean, and how do they differ?
Both MV-CS050-10GM and MV-CA050-10GM are 5.0 Megapixel (050 = 5.0MP, 2448×2048 px) Area Scan industrial cameras equipped with the flagship 2/3" Sony IMX264 Global Shutter CMOS sensor, a GigE PoE interface (G), and a Monochrome sensor (M). The difference lies in the housing generation: MV-CS050-10GM belongs to the Second-Generation MV-CS compact series (29×29×30 mm footprint) featuring upgraded thermal dissipation, lower power draw, and enhanced onboard ISP image preprocessing compared to the first-generation MV-CA050-10GM.
What is the difference between a HIKROBOT Area Scan camera and a Line Scan camera?
An Area Scan camera (MV-CS, MV-CA, MV-CE, MV-CH series) uses a 2D rectangular pixel matrix (e.g., 2448×2048 px) to capture complete two-dimensional frames in a single exposure—ideal for discrete items like cartons, bottle caps, blister packs, and PCBs. A Line Scan camera (MV-CL series) uses a single 1D row of pixels (2K, 4K, 8K, or 16K) synchronized to a quadrature shaft encoder to scan moving materials line-by-line at tens of thousands of lines per second—making it essential for continuous webs (plastic film, paper, steel coils, textiles) and 360° unrolled inspection of spinning bottles or cans.
Why is a Global Shutter sensor mandatory for high-speed conveyors, and when is Rolling Shutter acceptable?
A Global Shutter sensor (such as in the MV-CS016-10GM and MV-CS050-10GM) exposes all pixels across the entire array simultaneously within microseconds, freezing rapidly moving targets without geometric distortion. A Rolling Shutter sensor (found in economical high-MP models like MV-CE060-10UC or MV-CE120-10GM) exposes pixel rows sequentially from top to bottom; if the part moves during exposure, the image suffers from skew or "jello" distortion. Rolling Shutter should only be used on stationary (index/stop-and-go) stations or very slow-moving targets.
How do I calculate the right C-Mount lens focal length for a HIKROBOT machine vision camera?
Use the standard optical formula: Focal Length f (mm) = (Sensor Width in mm × Working Distance WD in mm) ÷ Field of View Width (FOV in mm). For example, if you use a HIKROBOT MV-CS050-10GM with a 2/3" Sony IMX264 sensor (Sensor Width = 8.45 mm), mount the lens at WD = 300 mm above the conveyor, and need to capture an FOV Width of 150 mm, then f = (8.45 × 300) ÷ 150 = 16.9 mm. You would select a standard 16 mm C-Mount low-distortion industrial lens (providing a slightly wider ~158 mm safety margin).
Should we choose a Monochrome (M) or Color (C) HIKROBOT camera for factory inspection?
Over 80% of industrial machine vision applications use Monochrome cameras (ending in M, such as MV-CS050-10GM or MV-CS016-10GM). Because a monochrome sensor lacks a Bayer color filter array over its photodiodes, every pixel receives full light intensity—delivering 2–3× higher light sensitivity, sharper sub-pixel edge contrast for dimensional gauging, and superior OCR/barcode decoding. Choose a Color camera (ending in C, such as MV-CS050-10GC) only when true color differentiation is required, such as verifying cap colors, wire harness colors, or food baking/roasting color grades.
What factors determine HIKROBOT industrial camera pricing, and does Better Code Co., Ltd. offer free optical lab testing?
HIKROBOT industrial camera pricing depends on sensor resolution (from economical 0.4MP–1.6MP MV-CS016-10GM units to flagship 5MP MV-CS050-10GM and 12MP–65MP MV-CE/MV-CH models), shutter type (Global vs Rolling), interface (GigE PoE vs USB 3.0 vs CoaXPress), C-Mount lens resolution rating, and industrial LED lighting. As an Official HIKROBOT Distributor in Thailand, Better Code Co., Ltd. provides free sample testing in our optical lab—send us your product samples to receive real test images, lens focal length calculations, and a complete quotation.
Request an Official HIKROBOT Camera Quote or Free Optical Lab Test from Better Code Co., Ltd.
Whether you need immediate stock pricing on HIKROBOT industrial cameras (MV-CS050-10GM, MV-CA050-10GM, MV-CS016-10GM, MV-CE120-10GM, MV-CL Line Scan) and C-Mount lenses, or a complete Machine Vision inspection station for OCR date code verification, HIKROBOT industrial barcode reading, and PLC OK/NG sorting, Better Code Co., Ltd. (Official HIKROBOT Distributor in Thailand) is ready to support your factory.
Engineering References & Machine Vision Standards
- Technical datasheets for HIKROBOT Area Scan (MV-CS Gen2, MV-CA, MV-CE, MV-CH Series), Line Scan (MV-CL Series) industrial cameras, and C-Mount / F-Mount machine vision lenses: Machine Vision Engineering Division, Better Code Co., Ltd. (Official HIKROBOT Distributor in Thailand).
- International industrial camera interface and sensor characterization standards: AIA GigE Vision, USB3 Vision, CoaXPress (CXP), and EMVA 1288 paired with HIKROBOT MVS SDK and VisionMaster (VM) algorithm platform.
