Ask any geologist about core photography, and you'll get a version of the same story. The core comes up looking interesting. Someone photographs it under whatever lighting is available, logs it by hand, and ships it back to a shed that's either full, far away, or both. By the time the data is actually usable, the program has moved on.
It works. Sort of. But "works" and "good enough" have a way of quietly costing programs more than anyone realizes — in time, in data quality, and in the hours your best people spend managing logistics instead of doing geology.
The downstream effect of inconsistent imaging
Manual core photography has built-in problems that compound quickly at scale. Inconsistent lighting. Parallax distortion. Repetitive tray handling that fatigues crews over the length of a program. And because the data is only as good as the capture, anything feeding downstream — structural models, geotechnical analysis, machine learning workflows — inherits every one of those inconsistencies.
For exploration teams still relying on DSLR photography and manual logging, that gap between what the data promises and what it delivers is getting harder to close. Better capture technology exists, and it doesn't require a lab to run it.
Bringing the imaging to the core
CorePhoto, from Corescan Powered by Epiroc, was designed to flip that equation. Instead of moving core to a facility, the system comes to the drill pad.
It's a compact, field-deployable unit combining a 25-micron RGB line-scan camera with a 50-micron 3D laser profiler. Set it up on the pad, run your trays through the pass-through workflow, and you get consistent, artifact-free imagery captured at source. Unlike traditional frame or DSLR cameras, our line-scan architecture eliminates parallax errors, shadowing, and pixel distortion. This ensures consistent, artifact-free imagery and accurate data capture across both wet and dry cores. By capturing the core material section by section, instead of photographing the entire tray at once, CorePhoto enhances image resolution to a level where geologists can zoom in as if using a digital hand lens.
Built for wherever drilling happens
Portable is a word this industry uses loosely. CorePhoto earns it.
Designed specifically for your exploration needs, CorePhoto is built to endure harsh field conditions. Its titanium-reinforced housing, dust- and water-resistant construction, and temperature tolerance from -50°C to 55°C (-58°F to 122°F) guarantee reliable performance whether you are operating in arctic sites or desert exploration zones.
Despite this ruggedness, the unit remains incredibly portable. Weighing under 400 kg (900 lbs) with compact dimensions, it can be easily transported via small utility vehicles, tray-back 4WDs, or even helicopters. The system's scanning speed matches demanding drilling rates, capable of processing 1,000 to 1,800 meters of core per 24 hours. This throughput helps teams avoid costly delays and maximizes the return on their drilling investments.
What it means for your geologists
Because field independence is a priority, CorePhoto operates seamlessly both online and offline. Data is stored locally on an encrypted 4TB hard drive. When connectivity is available, datasets are instantly uploaded to CoreShed, Epiroc’s secure cloud-based platform. This empowers technical teams and geoscientists to view, analyze, and collaborate on data remotely from anywhere in the world.
CorePhoto handles the capture. Accurately, consistently, quickly. What that frees up is the part that requires a trained geologist: interpreting the data, identifying zones of interest, making the calls that move a program forward.
Early adopters have seen faster logging cycles, less manual handling, and more consistent datasets across projects. The forthcoming pXRF integration will add real-time elemental analysis at the pad — something customers have already flagged as a meaningful shift in how field teams work.
By combining a rugged design, high-throughput scanning, built-in pXRF analysis, and secure cloud collaboration, CorePhoto is redefining how we capture and interpret core data. It allows geologists to focus on what matters most: interpreting results, driving exploration success, and maximizing the value of every meter drilled.
CorePhoto is available to buy or lease, and is available in the US market now. One thing worth mentioning: there's a dedicated US team behind it. Not a support ticket queue — actual people who know the product, know the industry, and are reachable when you're running a live program and something needs sorting. That's rarer than it should be in this space.
Want to see if it fits your operation?
Talk to our exploration experts and come see CorePhoto running live at the Elko Mining Expo from June 4–5 at the Elko Convention & Conference Center!