diff --git a/docs/api/pylabrobot.plate_reading.rst b/docs/api/pylabrobot.plate_reading.rst
index 67b6fc34a18..bc2eb829f1f 100644
--- a/docs/api/pylabrobot.plate_reading.rst
+++ b/docs/api/pylabrobot.plate_reading.rst
@@ -10,7 +10,9 @@ This package contains APIs for working with plate readers.
   :nosignatures:
   :recursive:
 
-    plate_reader.PlateReader
+   plate_reader.PlateReader
+   imager.Imager
+   standard.ImagingResult
 
 
 Backends
diff --git a/docs/user_guide/02_analytical/plate-reading/cytation5.ipynb b/docs/user_guide/02_analytical/plate-reading/cytation5.ipynb
index d3cd3b3fb2d..6511debecc8 100644
--- a/docs/user_guide/02_analytical/plate-reading/cytation5.ipynb
+++ b/docs/user_guide/02_analytical/plate-reading/cytation5.ipynb
@@ -317,7 +317,7 @@
   },
   {
    "cell_type": "code",
-   "execution_count": 10,
+   "execution_count": null,
    "metadata": {},
    "outputs": [
     {
@@ -342,7 +342,7 @@
     }
    ],
    "source": [
-    "ims = await pr.capture(\n",
+    "res = await pr.capture(\n",
     "  well=(1, 2),\n",
     "  mode=ImagingMode.BRIGHTFIELD,\n",
     "  objective=Objective.O_4x_PL_FL_PHASE,\n",
@@ -351,7 +351,7 @@
     "  gain=16,\n",
     "  led_intensity=10,\n",
     ")\n",
-    "plt.imshow(ims[0], cmap=\"gray\", vmin=0, vmax=255)"
+    "plt.imshow(res.images[0], cmap=\"gray\", vmin=0, vmax=255)"
    ]
   },
   {
@@ -374,7 +374,7 @@
   },
   {
    "cell_type": "code",
-   "execution_count": 41,
+   "execution_count": null,
    "metadata": {},
    "outputs": [
     {
@@ -399,7 +399,7 @@
     }
    ],
    "source": [
-    "ims = await pr.capture(\n",
+    "res = await pr.capture(\n",
     "  well=(1, 2),\n",
     "  mode=ImagingMode.BRIGHTFIELD,\n",
     "  objective=Objective.O_4x_PL_FL_PHASE,\n",
@@ -408,7 +408,7 @@
     "  gain=16,\n",
     "  led_intensity=10\n",
     ")\n",
-    "plt.imshow(ims[0], cmap=\"gray\", vmin=0, vmax=255)"
+    "plt.imshow(res.images[0], cmap=\"gray\", vmin=0, vmax=255)"
    ]
   },
   {
@@ -440,7 +440,7 @@
     "from pylabrobot.plate_reading.imager import Imager, max_pixel_at_fraction, fraction_overexposed\n",
     "from pylabrobot.plate_reading.standard import AutoExposure\n",
     "\n",
-    "ims = await pr.capture(\n",
+    "res = await pr.capture(\n",
     "  exposure_time=AutoExposure(\n",
     "    # evaluate_exposure=fraction_overexposed(fraction=0.005, margin=0.005/10),\n",
     "    evaluate_exposure=max_pixel_at_fraction(fraction=0.90, margin=0.05),\n",
@@ -467,14 +467,14 @@
   },
   {
    "cell_type": "code",
-   "execution_count": 13,
+   "execution_count": null,
    "metadata": {},
    "outputs": [],
    "source": [
     "from PIL import Image\n",
     "import numpy as np\n",
     "\n",
-    "array = np.array(ims[0], dtype=np.float32)\n",
+    "array = np.array(res.images[0], dtype=np.float32)\n",
     "array_uint16 = (array * (65535 / 255)).astype(np.uint16)\n",
     "Image.fromarray(array_uint16).save(\"test.tiff\")"
    ]
@@ -492,7 +492,7 @@
   },
   {
    "cell_type": "code",
-   "execution_count": 31,
+   "execution_count": null,
    "metadata": {},
    "outputs": [
     {
@@ -510,7 +510,7 @@
     "num_rows = 4\n",
     "num_cols = 4\n",
     "\n",
-    "ims = await pr.capture(\n",
+    "res = await pr.capture(\n",
     "  well=(1, 2),\n",
     "  mode=ImagingMode.BRIGHTFIELD,\n",
     "  objective=Objective.O_4x_PL_FL_PHASE,\n",
@@ -520,12 +520,12 @@
     "  coverage=(num_rows, num_cols),\n",
     "  center_position=(-6, 0),\n",
     ")\n",
-    "len(ims)"
+    "len(res.images)"
    ]
   },
   {
    "cell_type": "code",
-   "execution_count": 30,
+   "execution_count": null,
    "metadata": {},
    "outputs": [
     {
@@ -544,7 +544,7 @@
     "for row in range(num_rows):\n",
     "  for col in range(num_cols):\n",
     "    plt.subplot(num_rows, num_cols, row * num_cols + col + 1)\n",
-    "    plt.imshow(ims[row * num_cols + col], cmap=\"gray\", vmin=0, vmax=255)\n",
+    "    plt.imshow(res.images[row * num_cols + col], cmap=\"gray\", vmin=0, vmax=255)\n",
     "    plt.axis(\"off\")"
    ]
   },
diff --git a/pylabrobot/plate_reading/__init__.py b/pylabrobot/plate_reading/__init__.py
index 966430ea098..a80f03d029f 100644
--- a/pylabrobot/plate_reading/__init__.py
+++ b/pylabrobot/plate_reading/__init__.py
@@ -3,4 +3,11 @@
 from .image_reader import ImageReader
 from .imager import Imager
 from .plate_reader import PlateReader
-from .standard import Exposure, FocalPosition, Gain, ImagingMode, Objective
+from .standard import (
+  Exposure,
+  FocalPosition,
+  Gain,
+  ImagingMode,
+  ImagingResult,
+  Objective,
+)
diff --git a/pylabrobot/plate_reading/backend.py b/pylabrobot/plate_reading/backend.py
index bc6bd8e1a85..5de74dfc464 100644
--- a/pylabrobot/plate_reading/backend.py
+++ b/pylabrobot/plate_reading/backend.py
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@
   Exposure,
   FocalPosition,
   Gain,
-  Image,
   ImagingMode,
+  ImagingResult,
   Objective,
 )
 from pylabrobot.resources.plate import Plate
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ async def capture(
     focal_height: FocalPosition,
     gain: Gain,
     plate: Plate,
-  ) -> List[Image]:
+  ) -> ImagingResult:
     """Capture an image of the plate in the specified mode."""
 
 
diff --git a/pylabrobot/plate_reading/biotek_backend.py b/pylabrobot/plate_reading/biotek_backend.py
index a576a826a47..9abd3ae9a39 100644
--- a/pylabrobot/plate_reading/biotek_backend.py
+++ b/pylabrobot/plate_reading/biotek_backend.py
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
   Gain,
   Image,
   ImagingMode,
+  ImagingResult,
   Objective,
 )
 
@@ -882,7 +883,7 @@ async def auto_focus(self, timeout: float = 30):
 
     # objective function: variance of laplacian
     async def evaluate_focus(focus_value):
-      images = await self.capture(  # TODO: _acquire_image
+      result = await self.capture(  # TODO: _acquire_image
         plate=plate,
         row=row,
         column=column,
@@ -892,7 +893,7 @@ async def evaluate_focus(focus_value):
         exposure_time=exposure,
         gain=gain,
       )
-      image = images[0]  # self.capture returns List now
+      image = result.images[0]
 
       if not CV2_AVAILABLE:
         raise RuntimeError(
@@ -1158,7 +1159,7 @@ async def capture(
     overlap: Optional[float] = None,
     color_processing_algorithm: int = SPINNAKER_COLOR_PROCESSING_ALGORITHM_HQ_LINEAR,
     pixel_format: int = PixelFormat_Mono8,
-  ) -> List[Image]:
+  ) -> ImagingResult:
     """Capture image using the microscope
 
     speed: 211 ms ± 331 μs per loop (mean ± std. dev. of 7 runs, 10 loops each)
@@ -1234,4 +1235,8 @@ def image_size(magnification: float) -> Tuple[float, float]:
         )
       )
 
-    return images
+    exposure_ms = float(self.cam.ExposureTime.GetValue()) / 1000
+    assert self._focal_height is not None, "Focal height not set. Run set_focus() first."
+    focal_height_val = float(self._focal_height)
+
+    return ImagingResult(images=images, exposure_time=exposure_ms, focal_height=focal_height_val)
diff --git a/pylabrobot/plate_reading/imager.py b/pylabrobot/plate_reading/imager.py
index 8d4dfb2a959..9928fd0f12b 100644
--- a/pylabrobot/plate_reading/imager.py
+++ b/pylabrobot/plate_reading/imager.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import math
-from typing import Awaitable, Callable, List, Literal, Optional, Tuple, Union, cast
+from typing import Awaitable, Callable, Literal, Optional, Tuple, Union, cast
 
 from pylabrobot.machines import Machine
 from pylabrobot.plate_reading.backend import ImagerBackend
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
   Gain,
   Image,
   ImagingMode,
+  ImagingResult,
   NoPlateError,
   Objective,
 )
@@ -68,7 +69,7 @@ async def _capture_auto_exposure(
     focal_height: float,
     gain: float,
     **backend_kwargs,
-  ) -> List[Image]:
+  ) -> ImagingResult:
     """
     Capture an image with auto exposure.
 
@@ -99,7 +100,7 @@ def _rms_split(low: float, high: float) -> float:
       rounds += 1
 
       p = _rms_split(low, high)
-      ims = await self.capture(
+      res = await self.capture(
         well=well,
         mode=mode,
         objective=objective,
@@ -108,18 +109,18 @@ def _rms_split(low: float, high: float) -> float:
         gain=gain,
         **backend_kwargs,
       )
-      assert len(ims) == 1, "Expected exactly one image to be returned"
-      im = ims[0]
-      result = await auto_exposure.evaluate_exposure(im)
+      assert len(res.images) == 1, "Expected exactly one image to be returned"
+      im = res.images[0]
+      evaluation = await auto_exposure.evaluate_exposure(im)
 
-      if result == "good":
-        return ims
-      if result == "lower":
+      if evaluation == "good":
+        return res
+      if evaluation == "lower":
         high = p
-      elif result == "higher":
+      elif evaluation == "higher":
         low = p
       else:
-        raise ValueError(f"Unexpected evaluation result: {result}")
+        raise ValueError(f"Unexpected evaluation result: {evaluation}")
 
     raise RuntimeError("Failed to find a good exposure time.")
 
@@ -132,7 +133,7 @@ async def capture(
     focal_height: FocalPosition = "machine-auto",
     gain: Gain = "machine-auto",
     **backend_kwargs,
-  ) -> List[Image]:
+  ) -> ImagingResult:
     if isinstance(well, tuple):
       row, column = well
     else:
diff --git a/pylabrobot/plate_reading/standard.py b/pylabrobot/plate_reading/standard.py
index 579ff158e1b..1129bca443b 100644
--- a/pylabrobot/plate_reading/standard.py
+++ b/pylabrobot/plate_reading/standard.py
@@ -101,3 +101,10 @@ class AutoExposure:
 Exposure = Union[float, Literal["machine-auto"]]
 FocalPosition = Union[float, Literal["machine-auto"]]
 Gain = Union[float, Literal["machine-auto"]]
+
+
+@dataclass
+class ImagingResult:
+  images: List[Image]
+  exposure_time: float
+  focal_height: float