Differences between line scan and area scan cameras

Selecting the right camera is one of the most important decisions when designing a machine vision system. Before comparing specific camera models, you first need to determine whether a line scan camera or an area scan camera is the best fit for your application. While both are widely used in industrial imaging, each offers distinct advantages depending on factors such as object movement, inspection speed, resolution requirements, and field of view. So, what are the differences between them?

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Line scan cameras

Line scan cameras are most effective when you need to inspect long, continuous items, or a variety of items that have many different lengths or sizes. When the object does not have a well-defined start, end, or even size to it, a line scan camera is most suitable for your application.

For example, for so-called “web” inspection, when you need to inspect rolls of paper, textiles or steel, a line scan camera is the obvious choice. Likewise, conveyor systems filled with randomly arranged fruit or produce, or aerial imaging flying over forests or farmlands are good candidates for line scan cameras. A line scan camera scans moving objects by repeatedly capturing a single line of pixels at a high-frequency.

The continuous “linear images” that the camera captures can be analyzed instantaneously as they are captured, or can be reconstructed line-by-line by software into larger images for analysis.

Because they operate continuously, line scan cameras have a vertical resolution that is effectively “unlimited” and can easily construct two dimensional images with much greater total resolution than area scan cameras.

Area scan cameras

An area scan camera is typically used when the items that are being inspected, sorted, or analyzed have definite shapes or boundaries. For example, when you need to inspect individual, 3-dimensional items like fruit, boxes or printed circuit boards, an area scan camera, which uses a matrix of pixels to create a 2D image of each object, will most likely be your choice.

In some situations, area scan cameras can be used for imaging of continuous, moving objects but only by capturing discrete overlapping images. This may require considerable processing effort to “stitch together” the pieces for proper analysis.
Area scan cameras can create an image of a defined area very quickly. Area scan cameras are easier to set-up and install than line scan cameras and serve a more general purpose.

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Line scan vs area scan cameras

The table below provides a comparison of the key characteristics of line scan and area scan cameras.

Feature	Line scan cameras	Area scan cameras
Image Capture	One line at a time	All at once
Field of view	Wide	Limited
Resolution	Determined by line rate and object speed	Determined by sensor pixel count
Distortion	Minimal when motion is synchronized	Motion blur possible with moving objects
Applications	Web, print, battery, wafer inspection	General machine vision and robotics

Which camera best suits your machine vision application?

Selecting the right camera technology is essential for achieving reliable machine vision performance. While both line scan and area scan cameras are designed for industrial imaging, factors such as object movement, production speed, object size, field of view, and resolution requirements determine which technology is best suited to your application.

Need help selecting the right color imaging camera for your application? Download our Tech Guide: Color Imaging, and walk through several steps to select the right color imaging camera for your application

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