Kron’s Chronos Q12 brings APS-C 9 µm global-shutter sensor to high-speed capture

Kron Technologies has expanded its Chronos family with the Chronos Q12, a compact high-speed camera built around an APS-C sensor with 9 µm photosites. The sensor’s native readout is 2560 × 2016, and Kron quotes peak frame rates of 2,313 fps at full resolution and up to 29,515 fps when using the smallest 128 × 32 window.

The Q12 represents the largest-sensor Chronos so far, with the silicon measuring 23.04 x 18.14mm (0.91 x 0.71in) and a 29.3mm (1.15in) diagonal that yields a 1.5x crop factor. That larger image area brings 2560 × 2016 native pixels into play and adds 512 columns relative to the earlier 2048 × 2016 specification Kron previously described. The company says the result is a move to 11.9 gigapixels per second of maximum throughput, a ceiling that governs the frame-rate trade-offs at different windows and bit depths.

Kron’s published frame-rate matrix shows how throughput and resolution interact. At 2560 × 2016 the camera records 2,313 fps in 8-bit, 1,900 fps in 10-bit and 975 fps in 12-bit. Dropping resolution buys higher rates: 2560 × 1440 reaches 3,116 fps, 1920 × 1080 hits 5,148 fps and 1536 × 864 climbs to 7,471 fps. The Q12 can be reduced to a 128 × 32 window for ultra-high-speed imaging, topping out at 29,515 fps.

Capture is buffer-based rather than continuous. With the 64GB configuration the camera can record 5.7 seconds at full native resolution; the 128GB model doubles that to 11.5 seconds. After a take the footage is written to selectable media: an internal 1TB NVMe SSD, an SD card, an external USB-C SSD or a network share. Files can be saved as CinemaDNG RAW, TIFF or H.264/H.265 depending on workflow and storage choices.

Kron also documents how the Q12 differs from the Q12 variant they outlined in 2023. That earlier specification used a 2048 × 2016 window at 2,782 fps and showed 11.8 gigapixels per second of throughput with 8-bit and 12-bit capture modes. The new, larger native readout incorporates the original window at 2,782 fps in 8-bit, so the smaller window remains available while the full sensor now covers more of a lens’s image circle. A 10-bit option has been added between the 8-bit and 12-bit modes to give an intermediate trade-off between precision and data rate.

The sensor itself is an electronic global shutter design that can expose down to 4 µs (1/250,000 s), a range that removes rolling-shutter skew from high-speed subjects. Kron lists a rated color sensitivity band of ISO 80 to 640 for the color model, and the factory-fitted 650nm infrared filter is user-removable for IR and scientific applications.

Lens mounting is handled via a passive, multi-mount plate system. Buyers choose a pre-installed plate in C, E, F, EF, MFT or PL, and field backfocus adjustments are made with the included shim kit. The mount plates are passive only: there is no electronic communication between the body and the lens, so autofocus and electronic iris control are not provided. For E-mount or EF lenses that lack a physical iris ring, iris control must be managed manually or with a lens that offers a mechanical aperture.

Kron built the Q12 with a focus on lab and industrial integration as well as high-speed cinematography. Triggering hardware is comprehensive: two inputs use an adjustable 0 to 6.6V threshold on a 4-pin 3.5mm TRRS connector, and the ship kit includes breakout blocks to dual BNC and a 4-pin terminal. Trigger modes include end trigger, toggle, exposure trigger, shutter gating and a frame sync output. For automation the camera exposes an HTTP REST API on an open-source codebase so it can be driven from motion control systems and lab software.

On the I/O side the body offers live video output to 4096 x 2160 or 3840 x 2160 at 30 fps, and 1920 x 1080 at 60 fps. The layout does not include SDI on the housing; as Kron states, "There is no SDI on the body." Two USB-C ports are fitted: one at 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) and the other at 3.2 Gen 2×2 (20 Gbps) for fast external storage. A USB-C to 2.5 Gbps Ethernet adapter is supplied for network saving and remote control.

The interface is a 5-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen panel rated to 1,000 nits, which Kron says handles shooting, preview, trimming and saving directly on the camera. Physically the camera measures 188 x 111 x 53mm (7.40 x 4.37 x 2.08in) and weighs 1.32 kg (2.91 lbs). Unlike some of Kron’s smaller models, the Q12 does not contain an internal battery: power is delivered at 12 to 24V DC at 60W through a 5.5/2.5mm barrel connector. Kron includes a D-Tap to barrel cable as well as a 90W mains supply in the box.

On paper, the Q12 targets users who need large photosites for sensitivity and the timing precision of a global shutter, while accepting the constraints that follow. Kron positions the Q12 as an alternative to its own 4K12 for those who prefer bigger pixels: the 4K12 remains available for anyone who needs 4096 x 2160 at 1,397 fps and can work with a smaller pixel pitch. The Q12 sacrifices continuous recording, electronic lens control and SDI while delivering higher frame rates at comparable resolutions, 12-bit capture and a trigger plus API layer tuned for science and industry.

Each camera ships with the chosen mount plate and shim kit, a multi-mount bracket, trigger switch cable, the 2.5 Gbps Ethernet adapter, dual-BNC and terminal block breakouts, an SD card, the D-Tap power cable and 90W power supply, and a Nanuk 920 case. Kron lists the standard warranty as one year and offers one- and two-year extension options at checkout.

Kron’s published figures are manufacturer numbers rather than independent measurements; the company’s chart and spec sheet define the throughput, frame rates and dynamic-range figures it expects customers to see. For reference, Kron lists 11.26 stops (67.6 dB) of dynamic range in 12-bit mode and 8.35 stops (50.1 dB) in 8-bit mode.

For crews and labs building high-speed workflows the Chronos Q12 stitches together a larger, more sensitive sensor with modern high-bandwidth capture paths and networked control. Its design clearly favours burst-style, high-frame-rate shooting and instrumented integration over long-form continuous recording or fully electronic lens ecosystems.