Photo Research, from Glen Spectra

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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® Colour 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 colour 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 1970s, Photo Research received four additional Academy Awards from the MPAAS for products as diverse as the film-lens balanced Three Colour Meter and the Spectra Film Gate Photometer for motion picture printers.

The last decade has seen Photo Research's famous optical designs miniaturised 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 analyse 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