The Imaging Source DFK 38UX255 Review
Updated: 7 days ago

The Imaging Source DFK 38UX255 supplies a documented color area imaging configuration. This source-based review distinguishes the model, acquisition and practical system scope without claiming hands-on testing. Price: Request a quote.
The camera should be selected as part of an imaging system rather than evaluated from one headline specification. The useful result is an image that reveals the required feature at the right time, followed by a reliable inspection or measurement decision. This review considers the documented acquisition package, optical implications and practical purchasing scope for DFK 38UX255.
Quick Verdict
DFK 38UX255 merits evaluation when 4096 × 2160 pixels and sony pregius imx255lqr color cmos suit the required evidence. The color IMX255 branch differs from DMK 38UX253 mono. Raw Bayer, RGB24 and YUV have different data and processing contracts. A 16-bit container is not by itself evidence of sixteen effective sensor bits. Select the complete ordering code rather than assigning one family maximum to every variant. The useful outcome is a reproducible image and accepted interpretation delivered at the required time. Sensor resolution and acquisition cadence should be assessed with the complete optical and receiving configuration.
DFK 38UX255 Technical Specifications
Specification | Value or configuration |
Product | The Imaging Source DFK 38UX255 |
Image format | 4096 × 2160 pixels |
Acquisition | Global |
Interface | USB3 Vision / USB 3.1 Gen 1 |
Capture rate | Catalog maximum up to 42 fps |
Pixel geometry | 3.45 µm square |
Optical format | 1 inch; C/CS mounting scope |
Output options | Raw Bayer, reconstructed RGB or YUV; mode-specific |
Controls | Global shutter, trigger and I/O |
Price | Request a quote |
Design and Optical Requirements
The one-inch sensor requires suitable lens coverage and resolving power. The documented IR-cut filter shapes spectral response. Color interpretation needs stable useful illumination and a defined interpolation or camera conversion method. Choose useful field, working distance and smallest required feature together. The sampling grid alone does not establish optical resolving power or measurement uncertainty. Test focus, distortion, contrast and exposure with realistic surface, pose and lighting variation. A bright reference picture can hide glare, clipping or missing fine detail. Preserve the accepted optical geometry so a service adjustment does not silently change the information used by the inspection.
Acquisition Speed and Integration
Confirm the output mode that supplies 42 fps with the actual USB receiver. Trigger timing and global exposure do not remove blur during exposure. Budget raw and reconstructed color separately. Catalog maximum up to 42 fps is the identified rate scope. USB3 Vision / USB 3.1 Gen 1 determines the documented receiving architecture. Confirm delivered representation, exposure, trigger behavior and receiver capacity together. A headline maximum is not a guarantee of completed decisions or retained recordings at that cadence. Qualify acquisition completeness and correct result association under sustained load, including disconnect, restart and invalid-image conditions.
Programming and Image Processing
Preserve exposure, gain, white balance, representation and the accepted color-processing method. Windows/Linux support identifies a software scope that must still be qualified with the actual receiving application. Preserve exposure, gain, output format and supported corrections with the accepted analysis. Automatic adjustment or preprocessing can change thresholds or quantitative meaning. Confirm whether the application consumes raw samples, reconstructed channels or processed output. Version that contract with the receiving and analysis software, and evaluate changes against independent references before adopting them for production.
Image Data and Host Capacity
Budget the delivered spatial samples, channels, bytes per sample and acquisition cadence together. A family maximum may refer to another mode or branch; compressed and raw representations are not interchangeable evidence. Include transfer overhead, buffers, processing and retained references. For line or scanning acquisition, account for the motion dimension and reconstruction. Validate the sustained complete receiving workflow rather than assuming a port label establishes usable throughput.
DFK 38UX255 Applications and Use Cases
Qualified optical inspection, microscopy or traffic-scene acquisition can justify a trial when the required feature is distinguishable in the accepted image. Use representative normal variation and deliberately difficult cases. Keep independent validation examples separate from tuning samples and record wrong accepts, wrong rejects and unusable acquisitions. For quantitative measurement, qualify the actual calibration against appropriate references. For classification, define how uncertain or unseen conditions are handled before treating the output as a production decision.
Building a Useful Acceptance Trial
Prepare representative parts or scenes that include the smallest required feature, normal production variation and realistic faults. Confirm the field of view and exposure before tuning the inspection. Record wrong accepts, wrong rejects, missing frames and the complete trigger-to-decision timing. A trial should also show what happens when the expected image is absent or unusable. This connects camera selection to the station's actual acceptance requirement rather than relying on a sharp reference picture.
DFK 38UX255 Price and Value
Price: Request a quote. Ask for the complete DFK 38UX255 ordering code and an itemized scope covering the camera, suitable optics, receiving hardware, cables, power and commissioning. Compare quotations for the same image format, acquisition mode and integration scope. The cost of a camera component is different from the cost of a working inspection station. Evaluate any financial return with the plant's actual labor, defect, rework and maintenance data; no universal payback period follows from these specifications.
Comparison and Selection
Compare DFK 38UX255 with another supported imaging configuration using equal useful field, exposure and accepted output. The color IMX255 branch differs from DMK 38UX253 mono. Raw Bayer, RGB24 and YUV have different data and processing contracts. A 16-bit container is not by itself evidence of sixteen effective sensor bits. Differences in sensor, interface, illumination, numerical representation or preprocessing can change the inspection contract. Include receiving hardware, optics, power, software and commissioning in equivalent quotations. A cheaper component or a higher maximum does not by itself establish a better complete station.
Ordering, Environment and Lifecycle
Request the current complete ordering code, datasheet, supported firmware/software and installation limits. Confirm which catalog features apply to the supplied variant, especially when archived and current descriptions differ. Preserve optics, acquisition controls, analysis configuration and independent references. Demonstrate supported replacement and restoration against the accepted trial. Mechanical fit or a compatible interface alone does not establish an equivalent image or decision after service.
Pros and Cons
Pros
The documented acquisition scope supports a focused sample trial.
Specific sensor and receiver choices enable concrete integration planning.
Preserved settings and references can support reproducible operation.
Cons
Maximum sampling and speed are not complete inspection performance.
Optics, lighting and delivered representation affect useful evidence.
Supported software and replacement scope need a precise quotation.
Who Should Buy DFK 38UX255?
Shortlist DFK 38UX255 when its documented sensor, interface and acquisition mode match the imaging task and the team can demonstrate the complete host pipeline. Use the sample trial to establish whether the relevant features remain distinguishable under the expected lighting, presentation and motion. Before purchase, settle the optical configuration, ordering variants and support requirements. The best choice is the configuration that satisfies the acceptance criteria with a maintainable system architecture.
DFK 38UX255 FAQ
What sampling scope is identified?
4096 × 2160 pixels. Confirm the exact ordering configuration.
What sensor or architecture is described?
Sony Pregius IMX255LQR color CMOS.
Which receiving interface applies?
USB3 Vision / USB 3.1 Gen 1.
What acquisition rate is documented?
Catalog maximum up to 42 fps. Validate the actual output and receiving mode.
Are nearby models automatically equivalent?
No. The color IMX255 branch differs from DMK 38UX253 mono. Raw Bayer, RGB24 and YUV have different data and processing contracts. A 16-bit container is not by itself evidence of sixteen effective sensor bits.
Does an image utility supply an accepted detector?
No. Configure acquisition and independently validate the task-specific interpretation.
What is the price?
Price: Request a quote for the exact imaging component, optics, receiving hardware, software and commissioning.
What should acceptance verify?
Useful detail, repeatability, correct interpretation, acquisition completeness, end-to-end timing and service restoration.
Price: Request a quote. Final configuration, pricing, availability and support terms depend on the supplier's current quotation.





