Why Engineers Prefer Cameras with Global Shutter

In embedded vision engineering, capturing a fast-moving subject is not just a matter of frame rate; it’s about timing precision down to the pixel. Traditional rolling shutter architectures, while cost-effective and sufficient for static scenes, introduce geometric distortions when objects are in motion.

For engineers building real-time vision systems, especially in robotics, industrial automation, and high-speed inspection, the answer lies in cameras with a global shutter. 

Understanding Cameras with Global Shutter Technology

A global shutter is a type of camera that causes the image sensor to initiate exposure and stop exposure of sensors at the same time within the designated exposure time. On expiration of the exposure time, the pixel data readout operations will commence, row by row, until all the pixel data is read. Global shutter Sensors are commonly deployed where high-speed moving objects have to be captured.

Shutter Architecture: Global vs. Rolling 

Let’s start with what matters most: temporal alignment. In rolling shutter sensors, pixel rows are exposed sequentially. Any object moving during that interval gets recorded in a distorted shape. This is why wheels look bent in low-end dash cams and fast-moving parts become unreadable in basic inspection systems. 

Global shutter sensors, by contrast, expose all pixels simultaneously. This avoids skew, wobble, or partial exposure artifacts, enabling the exact capture of object geometry, even under high-speed movement or vibration. 

From a hardware-level design perspective, the sensor includes storage nodes to hold the charge per pixel until it is read out. This architecture enables a true snapshot approach ideal for: 

• Synchronized multi-camera setups 

• Fast object tracking 

• Vibration-heavy environments (e.g., drones) 

• High-speed conveyor line inspections 

Rolling Shutter Artifacts vs. Motion Blur: Why Global Shutter Matters for Autofocus Sensors

Motion is a major challenge to image clarity in embedded imaging systems, particularly those with autofocus sensors. Two significant problems tend to pop up when capturing dynamically: rolling shutter effects and motion blur. These may get confused, but differ greatly in their causes, and it is this difference that must be understood in laying out systems of high-speed and high-precision autofocus.

Rolling Shutter Artifacts: A Readout Limit

A typical sensor readout mechanism (also known as rolling shutter) is exposing and reading a line at a time (not simultaneously). The method is one of the most popular because it has both cost- and power-efficient performance, but produces specific artifacts when there is fast motion.

Some common artifacts with rolling shutters are:

• Wobble or Jello effect: The picture gets deformed as the camera is shaking.

• Distorted items: Lines that run vertically work askew when the camera swings.

• Lighting discrepancies: Lighting shifts, halfway through the picture.

  In autofocusing systems, such distortions may fool sharpness detectors, particularly in contrast-based autofocus, or even the tracking of small moving features

Vadzo’s USB Cameras with Global Shutter Technology 

1. Falcon-900MGS – IMX900 Monochrome Global Shutter USB 3.0 Camera 

Designed around the Sony Pregius S™ IMX900 CMOS sensor, the Falcon-900MGS excels in environments requiring precision timing and high-speed tracking. Key technical specs include:

• Sensor: IMX900 Monochrome CMOS 

• Resolution: 3MP 

• Dynamic Range: Quad HDR up to 120 dB 

• Shutter Control: Programmable Quad Shutter Modes 

• Additional Features: High NIR sensitivity, fast auto-exposure 

Engineering Use Cases: Machine calibration, robotic arm vision, smart parking automation, and high-frame-count metrology.

2. Falcon-234CGA – AR0234 Global Shutter Autofocus USB 3.0 Camera 

This model combines global shutter imaging with autofocus capabilities, making it highly adaptive to variable-depth environments. Specifications include: 

• Sensor: Onsemi AR0234, Color CMOS 

• Autofocus: Integrated with ISP 

• Resolution: 2MP (1080p@60fps) 

• Shutter: Global 

• Use Case Fit: Autonomous drones, traffic enforcement cameras, and variable-range robotics. 

Autofocus is not common in global shutter designs; this model is an exception that balances motion-freeze performance with flexible focus distance handling.

3. Falcon-234CGS – AR0234 Color Global Shutter USB 3.0 Camera 

When your system needs color-accurate motion capture, the Falcon-234CGS meets that requirement with minimal latency. It provides: 

• Sensor: AR0234 Color 

• Streaming: 1080p at 60 fps, VGA at 90 fps 

• Interface: USB 3.0 with ISP control 

• Target Applications: Smart surveillance, real-time AI inference systems, robotics navigation 

This is ideal when color context is essential, for example, in facial recognition or traffic signal detection. 

Wrapping Up: Global Shutter Sets the Standard

If your application involves movement, especially movement that matters, cameras with global shutter are the logical choice. By eliminating spatial distortion at the point of capture, they allow downstream processing, recognition, and decision systems to operate without error-prone corrections. 

Vadzo’s global shutter USB camera lineup combines sensor-level intelligence with USB-based flexibility, making them ideal for engineers, system architects, and product builders deploying high-speed vision into real-world products. 

For engineers looking to bring clarity to motion, accuracy to automation, and reliability to fast-paced imaging, global shutter isn't an upgrade; it’s a baseline

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What types of cameras use a rolling shutter?

Most consumer-grade cameras—smartphones, DSLRs, mirrorless, webcams, and inexpensive industrial models—use rolling-shutter CMOS sensors. They're simpler, cost-effective, and offer high resolution.

2. Are there any wireless cameras with a global shutter?

Yes — Vadzo offers global-shutter camera modules that can be integrated into wireless systems. For example, the Falcon-900MGS (Sony IMX900) can be paired with a wireless transmission module to deliver low-latency global-shutter video for robotics, drones, and industrial automation.

3. Which digital camera has the least rolling shutter?

Vadzo’s Falcon-900MGS uses a global shutter sensor, which completely eliminates rolling shutter artifacts, making it ideal for high-speed machine vision, robotics, and automation where accurate motion capture is critical.

4. What is the global shutter?

A global shutter exposes all pixels simultaneously—like a snapshot—so moving objects are captured without skew or distortion.

5. What is a global shutter camera used for?

They’re ideal for capturing fast-moving scenes without distortion—used in machine vision, industrial automation, robotics, drones, and motion tracking.

6. How does a global shutter differ from a rolling shutter?

Rolling shutters scan line-by-line, causing artifacts (jello effect) in moving scenes. Global shutters capture the entire frame at once, eliminating those artifacts.

7. Are global shutter cameras better for fast-moving objects?

Yes—they produce distortion-free, accurate images of fast-moving subjects. Essential for high-speed applications.

8. Which industries use global shutter cameras?

Widely used in industrial automation, robotics, warehouse sorting, drones, autonomous vehicles, high-speed production, and scientific/high-speed imaging.

9. Do global shutter cameras have lower image distortion?

Absolutely—since all pixels are exposed simultaneously, distortions like skew or wobble are eliminated.

10. What are the advantages of using a global shutter camera?

• Eliminates motion distortion

• Accurate capture of fast-moving objects

• Easier synchronization in multi-camera setups

• More reliable in automation, machine vision, and microscopy

11. Are there disadvantages to global shutter cameras?

Yes—they're typically more expensive, may have lower resolution or sensitivity due to complex pixel circuitry, and sometimes consume more power.

12. Is a global shutter necessary for machine vision applications?

If imaging fast-moving objects (e.g., conveyor lines, robotics): yes—it ensures accuracy and lack of distortion. For static or slow scenes, rolling shutters suffice and are more cost-effective.

13. Which is the best global shutter camera for industrial automation?

There’s no one-size-fits-all. Top choices include industrial global-shutter modules from Onsemi, Sony Pregius,—choose based on interface (USB3, GigE, MIPI), resolution, frame rate, and environmental needs.

14. How to choose the right global shutter camera for my project?

Define motion speed and whether distortion-free imaging is essential

• Choose shutter type (global vs rolling vs hybrid/GRR)

• Evaluate sensor specs: resolution, sensitivity, frame rate, interface, trigger/sync support

• Consider environmental robustness, software/SDK support, and cost trade-offs