Abstract: An X-ray inspection apparatus and method allow inspection of the contents of containers moving rapidly past an inspection station. The system includes an X-ray source pulsed by power line voltage, an image amplifier for converting an X-ray image of the container contents to a visible image and a solid state camera for converting the visible image into video signals which are processed by a computer controlled image processor. Clear images are produced of the contents of rapidly moving containers by simultaneously pulsing the X-ray source, the image amplifier and the camera. Image quality is enhanced by synchronizing the exposure of the camera with a portion of the interval in which a visible X-ray image is produced. Control logic and a reject mechanism eject containers having foreign contaminants.