Leica Geosystems announces the world’s first multispectral 60MP airborne camera

Leica Geosystems, a leader in airborne sensor manufacturing, announces the Leica RCD30, the world’s first 60MP medium-format airborne camera to acquire co-registered multispectral RGBN imagery. The new Leica RCD30 Series offers exciting new features, including Forward Motion Compensation, to ensure highest accuracy with “best-in-class” image quality.

Leica Geosystems has been a leader in airborne imaging for almost a century and its products have continuously set industry standards for analog and digital airborne imaging. With its newly announced Leica RCD30, Leica is once again making imaging history.

The new Leica RCD30 Series is the world’s first 60MP medium-format airborne camera that acquires co-registered, radiometrically-calibrated, multispectral imagery in RGBN (Red, Green, Blue and Near-Infrared). The Leica RCD30 Camera Head further provides Forward Motion Compensation along two axes. This feature, together with a lens system specifically designed for airborne applications and the industry’s most innovative and stable lens mount, make the Leica RCD30 the most accurate and the most stable medium format camera available today.

The new Leica RCD30 Series of medium format cameras can be fully integrated with the well-known Leica ALS family of LiDAR systems. Since one control unit can control up to five camera heads, it can also be flown in a standalone single, dual, quadruple or quintuple configuration to increase area performance or to acquire oblique imagery. In this standalone operational mode, the Camera Controller CC32 includes GNSS/IMU processing for direct georeferencing. Further, the Leica RCD30 Series can be integrated with any other third-party system or, due to its light weight, with a pilotless platform or a UAV.

“For quite some time we have observed what the airborne market expects from medium-format imaging”, says Ruedi Wagner, responsible for airborne imaging. “We have listened very carefully to our customers and have now met these market requirements by combining available leading-edge technologies with Leica-innovation and user-friendly designs. This form of applications–oriented development has driven this product design. I am therefore very confident that, with the new Leica RCD30, Leica Geosystems is launching a product that represents true technical innovation and fulfills the stated needs of our customers. Simply put, the Leica RCD30 sets new standards for medium-format imaging.”