Upwelling radiance distribution camera system, NURADS

We have built a new fisheye camera radiometer to measure the in-water spectral upwelling radiance distribution. This instrument measures the radiance distribution at six wavelengths and obtains a complete suite of measurements ( 6 spectral data images with associated dark images) in approximately 2 minutes ( in clear water). This instrument is much smaller than previous instruments (0.3 m in diameter and 0.3 m long), decreasing the instrument self-shading. It also has improved performance resulting from enhanced sensor sensitivity and a more subtle lens rolloff effect. We describe the instrument, its characterization, and show data examples from both clear and turbid water. (C) 2005 Optical Society of America.