Industrial camera datasheets are dense tables of numbers written by engineers for engineers, and every one of those numbers is load-bearing if you know how to read it. The problem is that buyers fixate on the headline row - megapixels - while the lines that actually predict performance sit quietly a few cells below. Here are the ten that matter, in roughly the order you should read them.
1. Sensor model
The sensor part number (Sony IMX264, IMX183, IMX226 and so on) is the single most information-dense field on the sheet. It tells you the sensor generation, whether it is global or rolling shutter, its expected noise characteristics, and lets you cross-check every other claim against Sony's own documentation. Two cameras with the same sensor will produce near-identical images; two cameras with the same megapixel count often will not.
2. Resolution (actual pixels, not "MP")
Read the horizontal x vertical count, not the rounded megapixel figure. 2448 x 2048 on the MV-CS050-10GM and 4024 x 3036 on the MV-CU120-10GM are what you plug into your sampling math: field of view divided by pixels equals microns per pixel. Rounded marketing numbers hide the aspect ratio, which matters when your part is wide and short.
3. Pixel size
Listed in micrometers, this drives sensitivity and optical matching. Large 3.45 um pixels (IMX264) gather far more light than 1.85 um pixels (IMX226) - the difference between comfortable exposure on a fast line and stacking gain. Pixel size also sets the bar your lens must resolve: tiny pixels demand better optics.
4. Optical format
1/1.7", 2/3", 1" - the sensor's physical size. It determines the image circle your lens must cover. A 2/3" sensor works with the enormous used pool of 2/3"-class FA lenses; a 1" sensor immediately restricts your lens choices to pricier formats. This line quietly decides your optics budget.
5. Shutter type
Global shutter snapshots every row simultaneously; rolling shutter reads rows sequentially, which distorts fast-moving objects. Any part that moves during exposure - conveyors, vibrating fixtures, fast robotics - wants global shutter. Static inspection stations can happily use rolling shutter sensors and pocket the savings.
6. Frame rate
Read it together with resolution: fps alone means nothing. Ask "how many of my parts per minute, at how many pixels across each part?" And remember that on GigE cameras the interface ceiling (~120 MB/s) often sets the limit - a camera cannot exceed what the wire carries.
7. Data interface
GigE, USB3, 10GigE, Camera Link, CoaXPress. Bandwidth, cable length and multi-camera topology all follow from this row. For most factory floor deployments, GigE wins on infrastructure; check our article on the GigE versus USB3 decision for the full comparison.
8. Exposure range
The minimum and maximum exposure time. Short minimum exposure (tens of microseconds) matters for freezing motion without strobes; long maximum matters for low-light static scenes. If your line runs 2 m/s, a 100 us minimum exposure still smears 0.2 mm - you need strobes or a faster shutter.
9. Gain and dynamic range
Look for the dB range of gain and the sensor's stated dynamic range. High gain amplifies noise; the question is how much usable contrast survives. For defect detection against subtle background variation, dynamic range is a better predictor than sensitivity.
10. Mount and dimensions
C-mount versus S-mount, body dimensions, weight, mounting holes, operating temperature. Boring until the day a 29 mm-tall body does not fit between your light and your part. Check the lens mount matches your optics and the thermal range matches your environment.
Putting it together
A camera like the MV-CS050-10GM reads out as: proven global shutter sensor, 5 MP at 24 fps on GigE, 3.45 um pixels on a 2/3" format. That single sentence already tells a systems engineer it fits conveyor inspection at moderate speeds with mainstream optics. The 20 MP MV-CS200-10GM tells a different story - rolling shutter, 1" format, 5.9 fps - suited to slower, static, detail-hungry scenes. Ten lines, two very different tools.
Every product page on our site carries the full specification table with these ten fields filled from manufacturer data, so you can shortlist by the numbers that matter to your line - not the number on the front of the box.