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Since 1941, Photo Research has made significant contributions to the field of photometry
and spectroradiometry, the science of measuring the characteristics of light. The
company was founded as Photo Research Corporation by Karl Freund, a well-known cinematographer,
who, earlier in his career, began developing products to improve the quality of
photography in the motion picture industry. His products, the Spectra®
Color Temperature Meter and a direct reading brightness meter, received two Academy
Awards for technical achievement from the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Photo Research's market grew as other industries learned of the usefulness of accurate
light measurement. When aircraft manufacturers required a special luminance meter
with close-up optics that could precisely measure the brightness and color of aircraft
panel displays, Photo Research developed the first Spectra SpotMeter®.
This instrument, still an industry standard, helps engineers design and develop
light-emitting products such as aircraft instruments and panels, automotive instrument
panels, tail lights and headlights, motion picture screens, flat panel displays
and cathode ray tubes (CRTs).
In 1960, Photo Research developed the Spectra Pritchard® Photometer with
the help of Dr. Ben Pritchard, a well-known authority in the field of light measurement.
Also an industry standard, the Spectra Pritchard Photometer is protected by three
U.S. patents. The product's sophistication lent itself to many new applications,
including astronomical and star-simulation measurements and human factors testing.
During the 1970's, Photo Research received four additional Academy Awards from the
MPAAS for products as diverse as the film-lens balanced Three Color Meter and the
Spectra Film Gate Photometer for motion picture printers.
The last decade has seen Photo Research's famous optical designs miniaturized to
affordable products which offer the precision of laboratory table-top instruments,
together with the convenience of light-weight, micro- processor controlled portability.
Since 1990, the product line has expanded to include systems to measure the flying
height of disc-drive heads, analysis equipment to determine the performance of CRT
monitors at the sub-pixel level, video photometers to analyze luminance and color
uniformity of instrument panels, and on-line equipment to perform digital adjustment
and performance testing of CRTs.
Today, there are more Photo Research precision photometers in use than those made
by any other company.
Photo Research, Inc. is one of nine subsidiaries of Excel Technology, Inc.; all of which are involved in electro-optics
related markets.
Excel Technology is a
public company traded on the NASDAQ
Stock Exchange under the symbol XLTC
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