Exactly! I'd imagine that using a raw bitmap of the image (which doesn't have to be megapixel quality really) it captures the centre column of pixels and ignores all others, thus getting the data being handled down to quite a small amount. But before you get to that stage you have to line up the cam...

Should have perhaps mentioned.... this is for motorsport use and the passing at finish line would be in excess of 70mph so we need something as fast as possible. Even video at 60fps can sometimes be too slow. What the expensive systems do is have a time sync with a GPS clock and look for changes in ...

As the distance to the finish line from where the camera is sighted can be over a few metres, I'd need zoomable optics.
Unless there is an optical zoom add-on for the Pi camera.... that would be very nice

I am a complete newbie so please excuse my ignorance in advance! Looking for a bit of advice on a subject that from a lot of googling doesn't seem to have been done (in public, anyway). I want to create a photo finish camera, based on a Pi, as described here: http://inrng.com/2012/04/photo-finish-ca...