diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index d9c07b0..5f291be 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -393,6 +393,7 @@ set(PUBLICHEADERS
     include/aare/Models.hpp
     include/aare/FileInterface.hpp
     include/aare/FilePtr.hpp
+    include/aare/FastPedestal.hpp
     include/aare/Frame.hpp
     include/aare/hist/PixelHistogram.hpp
     include/aare/hist/PixelHistogramImpl.hpp
diff --git a/benchmarks/CMakeLists.txt b/benchmarks/CMakeLists.txt
index ef378e4..7803127 100644
--- a/benchmarks/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/benchmarks/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -18,8 +18,8 @@ FetchContent_MakeAvailable(benchmark)
 add_executable(benchmarks)
 
 target_sources(
-  benchmarks PRIVATE ndarray_benchmark.cpp calculateeta_benchmark.cpp
-                     reduce_benchmark.cpp)
+  benchmarks PRIVATE ndarray_benchmark.cpp ndview_benchmark.cpp
+                     calculateeta_benchmark.cpp reduce_benchmark.cpp)
 
 # Link Google Benchmark and other necessary libraries
 target_link_libraries(benchmarks PRIVATE benchmark::benchmark aare_core
diff --git a/benchmarks/ndview_benchmark.cpp b/benchmarks/ndview_benchmark.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b065319
--- /dev/null
+++ b/benchmarks/ndview_benchmark.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: MPL-2.0
+#include "aare/NDArray.hpp"
+#include "aare/NDView.hpp"
+#include <benchmark/benchmark.h>
+
+using aare::NDArray;
+using aare::NDView;
+
+static void BM_CreateNDView(benchmark::State &st) {
+    NDArray<int, 2> arr{{1024, 1024}, 0};
+    for (auto _ : st) {
+        // This code gets timed
+        auto res = arr.view();
+        benchmark::DoNotOptimize(res);
+    }
+}
+BENCHMARK(BM_CreateNDView);
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/include/aare/FastPedestal.hpp b/include/aare/FastPedestal.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ab3aa96
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/aare/FastPedestal.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,182 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: MPL-2.0
+#pragma once
+#include "aare/Frame.hpp"
+#include "aare/NDArray.hpp"
+#include "aare/NDView.hpp"
+#include <cstddef>
+
+namespace aare {
+
+/**
+ * @brief Calculate the pedestal of a series of frames. Can be used as
+ * standalone but mostly used in the ClusterFinder.
+ *
+ * @tparam SUM_TYPE type of the sum
+ */
+template <typename SUM_TYPE = double> class FastPedestal {
+    // TODO! Force floating point sum type?
+    // how does the internal calculation work with integers?
+
+    uint32_t m_rows;
+    uint32_t m_cols;
+
+    uint32_t m_samples;
+    SUM_TYPE m_inv_samples;     // precompute 1/m_samples for faster division
+    uint32_t m_cur_samples = 0; // TODO! do we need this when we have m_samples?
+
+    // for cache we want to keep sum and sum2 close
+    struct Entry {
+        SUM_TYPE sum;
+        SUM_TYPE sum2;
+    };
+    // TODO! in case of int needs to be changed to uint64_t
+    NDArray<Entry, 2> m_sum;
+
+    // Cache mean since it is used over and over in the ClusterFinder
+    // This optimization is related to the access pattern of the ClusterFinder
+    // Relies on having more reads than pushes to the pedestal
+    NDArray<SUM_TYPE, 2> m_mean;
+
+  public:
+    FastPedestal(uint32_t rows, uint32_t cols, uint32_t n_samples = 1000)
+        : m_rows(rows), m_cols(cols), m_samples(n_samples),
+          m_inv_samples(1.0 / n_samples),
+          m_sum(NDArray<Entry, 2>({rows, cols})),
+          m_mean(NDArray<SUM_TYPE, 2>({rows, cols})) {
+        assert(rows > 0 && cols > 0 && n_samples > 0);
+        m_sum = Entry{SUM_TYPE(0), SUM_TYPE(0)};
+        m_mean = SUM_TYPE(0);
+    }
+    ~FastPedestal() = default;
+
+    NDArray<SUM_TYPE, 2> mean() { return m_mean; }
+
+    const NDView<SUM_TYPE, 2> view() const { return m_mean.view(); }
+
+    SUM_TYPE mean(const uint32_t row, const uint32_t col) const {
+        return m_mean(row, col);
+    }
+
+    SUM_TYPE variance(const uint32_t row, const uint32_t col) const {
+        auto &entry = m_sum(row, col);
+        auto m2 = (entry.sum * m_inv_samples) * ((entry.sum * m_inv_samples));
+        return entry.sum2 * m_inv_samples - m2;
+    }
+
+    NDArray<SUM_TYPE, 2> variance() {
+        NDArray<SUM_TYPE, 2> res({m_rows, m_cols});
+        for (ssize_t row = 0; row < m_rows; ++row) {
+            for (ssize_t col = 0; col < m_cols; ++col) {
+                res(row, col) = variance(row, col);
+            }
+        }
+        return res;
+    }
+
+    SUM_TYPE std(const uint32_t row, const uint32_t col) const {
+        return std::sqrt(variance(row, col));
+    }
+
+    NDArray<SUM_TYPE, 2> std() {
+        NDArray<SUM_TYPE, 2> res({m_rows, m_cols});
+        for (ssize_t row = 0; row < m_rows; ++row) {
+            for (ssize_t col = 0; col < m_cols; ++col) {
+                res(row, col) = std(row, col);
+            }
+        }
+        return res;
+    }
+
+    bool ready() { return m_cur_samples == m_samples; }
+
+    uint32_t cur_samples() { return m_cur_samples; }
+
+    void clear() {
+        m_sum = Entry{SUM_TYPE(0), SUM_TYPE(0)};
+        m_mean = SUM_TYPE(0);
+    }
+
+    void clear(const uint32_t row, const uint32_t col) {
+        m_sum(row, col) = Entry{SUM_TYPE(0), SUM_TYPE(0)};
+        m_mean(row, col) = 0;
+    }
+
+    template <typename T> void push(NDView<T, 2> frame) {
+        assert(frame.size() == m_rows * m_cols);
+
+        // TODO! move away from m_rows, m_cols
+        if (frame.shape() != std::array<ssize_t, 2>{m_rows, m_cols}) {
+            throw std::runtime_error(
+                "Frame shape does not match pedestal shape");
+        }
+
+        for (size_t row = 0; row < m_rows; row++) {
+            for (size_t col = 0; col < m_cols; col++) {
+                push<T>(row, col, frame(row, col));
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    template <typename T> void push_init(NDView<T, 2> frame) {
+        assert(frame.size() == m_rows * m_cols);
+
+        // TODO! move away from m_rows, m_cols
+        if (frame.shape() != std::array<ssize_t, 2>{m_rows, m_cols}) {
+            throw std::runtime_error(
+                "Frame shape does not match pedestal shape");
+        }
+
+        for (size_t row = 0; row < m_rows; row++) {
+            for (size_t col = 0; col < m_cols; col++) {
+                const auto val = static_cast<SUM_TYPE>(frame(row, col));
+                auto &entry = m_sum(row, col);
+                entry.sum += val;
+                entry.sum2 += val * val;
+            }
+        }
+        m_cur_samples += 1;
+    }
+
+    template <typename T> void push(Frame &frame) {
+        assert(frame.rows() == static_cast<size_t>(m_rows) &&
+               frame.cols() == static_cast<size_t>(m_cols));
+        push<T>(frame.view<T>());
+    }
+
+    // getter functions
+    uint32_t rows() const { return m_rows; }
+    uint32_t cols() const { return m_cols; }
+    uint32_t n_samples() const { return m_samples; }
+
+    // pixel level operations (should be refactored to allow users to implement
+    // their own pixel level operations)
+    template <typename T>
+    void push(const uint32_t row, const uint32_t col, const T val_) {
+        SUM_TYPE val = static_cast<SUM_TYPE>(val_);
+        auto &entry = m_sum(row, col);
+        entry.sum += val - entry.sum * m_inv_samples;
+        entry.sum2 += val * val - entry.sum2 * m_inv_samples;
+        m_mean(row, col) = entry.sum * m_inv_samples;
+    }
+
+    template <typename T>
+    void push_no_update(const uint32_t row, const uint32_t col, const T val_) {
+        SUM_TYPE val = static_cast<SUM_TYPE>(val_);
+        auto &entry = m_sum(row, col);
+        entry.sum += val - entry.sum * m_inv_samples;
+        entry.sum2 += val * val - entry.sum2 * m_inv_samples;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @brief Update the mean of the pedestal. This is used after having done
+     * push_no_update. It is not necessary to call this function after push.
+     */
+    void update_mean() {
+        for (size_t row = 0; row < m_rows; row++) {
+            for (size_t col = 0; col < m_cols; col++) {
+                const auto &entry = m_sum(row, col);
+                m_mean(row, col) = entry.sum * m_inv_samples;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+};
+} // namespace aare
diff --git a/include/aare/hist/PedestalTrackingPixelHistogram.hpp b/include/aare/hist/PedestalTrackingPixelHistogram.hpp
index 263ea45..9cea031 100644
--- a/include/aare/hist/PedestalTrackingPixelHistogram.hpp
+++ b/include/aare/hist/PedestalTrackingPixelHistogram.hpp
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #pragma once
+#include "aare/FastPedestal.hpp"
 #include "aare/NDArray.hpp"
 #include "aare/NDView.hpp"
 #include "aare/Pedestal.hpp"
@@ -44,7 +45,7 @@ class PedestalTrackingPixelHistogram {
     // worker using the LOCAL row index (i.e. 0..row_count(t)-1), NOT the
     // global row index. Owned exclusively by worker `t` during a
     // dispatched fan-out.
-    std::vector<Pedestal<AxisType>> partial_pedestals_;
+    std::vector<FastPedestal<AxisType>> partial_pedestals_;
     std::vector<NDArray<AxisType, 2>> partial_std_; // cached for pedestal
                                                     // tracking
 
diff --git a/python/aare/__init__.py b/python/aare/__init__.py
index 10872f8..36e1220 100644
--- a/python/aare/__init__.py
+++ b/python/aare/__init__.py
@@ -5,7 +5,14 @@ from . import _aare
 from . import transform
 
 from ._aare import File, RawMasterFile, RawSubFile, JungfrauDataFile
-from ._aare import Pedestal_d, Pedestal_f, ClusterFinder_Cluster3x3i, VarClusterFinder
+from ._aare import (
+    FastPedestal_d,
+    FastPedestal_f,
+    Pedestal_d,
+    Pedestal_f,
+    ClusterFinder_Cluster3x3i,
+    VarClusterFinder,
+)
 from ._aare import DetectorType, ReadoutMode 
 from ._aare import hitmap
 from ._aare import ROI
diff --git a/python/src/fast_pedestal.hpp b/python/src/fast_pedestal.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b8815bf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/src/fast_pedestal.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: MPL-2.0
+
+#include "aare/FastPedestal.hpp"
+#include "np_helper.hpp"
+
+#include <cstdint>
+#include <pybind11/numpy.h>
+#include <pybind11/pybind11.h>
+#include <pybind11/stl.h>
+
+namespace py = pybind11;
+
+template <typename SUM_TYPE>
+void define_fast_pedestal_bindings(py::module &m, const std::string &name) {
+
+    py::class_<FastPedestal<SUM_TYPE>>(m, name.c_str(), py::buffer_protocol())
+        .def(py::init<int, int, int>())
+        .def(py::init<int, int>())
+        .def("mean",
+             [](FastPedestal<SUM_TYPE> &self) {
+                 auto mean = new NDArray<SUM_TYPE, 2>{};
+                 *mean = self.mean();
+                 return return_image_data(mean);
+             })
+        .def("view",
+             [](py::object self_py) {
+                 auto &self = self_py.cast<FastPedestal<SUM_TYPE> &>();
+                 auto view = self.view();
+                 std::array<py::ssize_t, 2> shape{
+                     static_cast<py::ssize_t>(view.shape(0)),
+                     static_cast<py::ssize_t>(view.shape(1))};
+                 std::array<py::ssize_t, 2> byte_strides{
+                     static_cast<py::ssize_t>(view.strides()[0]) *
+                         static_cast<py::ssize_t>(sizeof(SUM_TYPE)),
+                     static_cast<py::ssize_t>(view.strides()[1]) *
+                         static_cast<py::ssize_t>(sizeof(SUM_TYPE))};
+                 auto array = py::array_t<SUM_TYPE>(shape, byte_strides,
+                                                    view.data(), self_py);
+                 array.attr("setflags")(py::arg("write") = false);
+                 return array;
+             })
+        .def("variance",
+             [](FastPedestal<SUM_TYPE> &self) {
+                 auto variance = new NDArray<SUM_TYPE, 2>{};
+                 *variance = self.variance();
+                 return return_image_data(variance);
+             })
+        .def("std",
+             [](FastPedestal<SUM_TYPE> &self) {
+                 auto standard_deviation = new NDArray<SUM_TYPE, 2>{};
+                 *standard_deviation = self.std();
+                 return return_image_data(standard_deviation);
+             })
+        .def(
+            "__array_ufunc__",
+            [](py::object self, py::object ufunc, const std::string &method,
+               py::args inputs, py::kwargs kwargs) -> py::object {
+                if (method != "__call__" || inputs.size() != 2 ||
+                    inputs[1].ptr() != self.ptr() ||
+                    py::cast<std::string>(ufunc.attr("__name__")) !=
+                        "subtract") {
+                    return py::reinterpret_borrow<py::object>(
+                        Py_NotImplemented);
+                }
+
+                auto mean =
+                    py::module_::import("builtins").attr("memoryview")(self);
+                return ufunc(inputs[0], mean, **kwargs);
+            },
+            "Support subtracting a FastPedestal from a NumPy array.")
+        .def("clear", py::overload_cast<>(&FastPedestal<SUM_TYPE>::clear))
+        .def_property_readonly("rows", &FastPedestal<SUM_TYPE>::rows)
+        .def_property_readonly("cols", &FastPedestal<SUM_TYPE>::cols)
+        .def_property_readonly("cur_samples",
+                               &FastPedestal<SUM_TYPE>::cur_samples)
+        .def_property_readonly("ready", &FastPedestal<SUM_TYPE>::ready)
+        .def_property_readonly("n_samples", &FastPedestal<SUM_TYPE>::n_samples)
+        // .def_property_readonly("sum", &FastPedestal<SUM_TYPE>::get_sum)
+        .def("clone",
+             [](FastPedestal<SUM_TYPE> &pedestal) {
+                 return FastPedestal<SUM_TYPE>(pedestal);
+             })
+        .def(
+            "push",
+            [](FastPedestal<SUM_TYPE> &pedestal,
+               py::array_t<uint16_t, py::array::c_style> &frame) {
+                pedestal.push(make_view_2d(frame));
+            },
+            py::arg("frame").noconvert())
+        .def(
+            "push_init",
+            [](FastPedestal<SUM_TYPE> &pedestal,
+               py::array_t<uint16_t, py::array::c_style> &frame) {
+                pedestal.push_init(make_view_2d(frame));
+            },
+            py::arg("frame").noconvert())
+        // .def(
+        //     "push_no_update",
+        //     [](FastPedestal<SUM_TYPE> &pedestal,
+        //        py::array_t<uint16_t, py::array::c_style> &frame) {
+        //         pedestal.push_no_update(make_view_2d(frame));
+        //     },
+        //     py::arg("frame").noconvert())
+        .def("update_mean", &FastPedestal<SUM_TYPE>::update_mean)
+        .def_buffer([](FastPedestal<SUM_TYPE> &self) {
+            auto mean = self.view();
+            return py::buffer_info(
+                const_cast<SUM_TYPE *>(mean.data()), sizeof(SUM_TYPE),
+                py::format_descriptor<SUM_TYPE>::format(), 2,
+                {static_cast<py::ssize_t>(mean.shape(0)),
+                 static_cast<py::ssize_t>(mean.shape(1))},
+                {static_cast<py::ssize_t>(mean.strides()[0] * sizeof(SUM_TYPE)),
+                 static_cast<py::ssize_t>(mean.strides()[1] *
+                                          sizeof(SUM_TYPE))},
+                true);
+        });
+}
diff --git a/python/src/module.cpp b/python/src/module.cpp
index 023a19e..8d9e1a9 100644
--- a/python/src/module.cpp
+++ b/python/src/module.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 
 // TODO! migrate the other names
 #include "ctb_raw_file.hpp"
+#include "fast_pedestal.hpp"
 #include "file.hpp"
 #include "fit.hpp"
 #include "jungfrau_data_file.hpp"
@@ -70,6 +71,8 @@ PYBIND11_MODULE(_aare, m) {
     define_pedestal_tracking_pixel_histogram_bindings(m);
     define_pedestal_bindings<double>(m, "Pedestal_d");
     define_pedestal_bindings<float>(m, "Pedestal_f");
+    define_fast_pedestal_bindings<double>(m, "FastPedestal_d");
+    define_fast_pedestal_bindings<float>(m, "FastPedestal_f");
     define_fit_bindings(m);
     define_interpolation_bindings(m);
     define_jungfrau_data_file_io_bindings(m);
diff --git a/python/tests/test_FastPedestal.py b/python/tests/test_FastPedestal.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..377e54b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/tests/test_FastPedestal.py
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+import numpy as np
+import pytest
+
+from aare import FastPedestal_d, FastPedestal_f
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    ("pedestal_type", "expected_dtype"),
+    [(FastPedestal_d, np.float64), (FastPedestal_f, np.float32)],
+)
+def test_fast_pedestal_initialization(pedestal_type, expected_dtype):
+    pedestal = pedestal_type(2, 3, 2)
+    first = np.array([[2, 4, 6], [8, 10, 12]], dtype=np.uint16)
+    second = np.array([[4, 6, 8], [10, 12, 14]], dtype=np.uint16)
+
+    pedestal.push_init(first)
+    pedestal.push_init(second)
+    pedestal.update_mean()
+
+    expected_mean = np.array(
+        [[3, 5, 7], [9, 11, 13]], dtype=expected_dtype
+    )
+    np.testing.assert_array_equal(pedestal.mean(), expected_mean)
+    np.testing.assert_array_equal(pedestal.std(), np.ones((2, 3)))
+
+
+def test_fast_pedestal_steady_state_push():
+    pedestal = FastPedestal_d(1, 2, 2)
+    pedestal.push_init(np.array([[2, 4]], dtype=np.uint16))
+    pedestal.push_init(np.array([[4, 6]], dtype=np.uint16))
+    pedestal.update_mean()
+
+    pedestal.push(np.array([[6, 8]], dtype=np.uint16))
+
+    np.testing.assert_array_equal(pedestal.mean(), [[4.5, 6.5]])
+
+
+def test_fast_pedestal_exposes_read_only_buffer_and_subtraction():
+    pedestal = FastPedestal_d(1, 2, 1)
+    pedestal.push_init(np.array([[2, 4]], dtype=np.uint16))
+    pedestal.update_mean()
+
+    view = np.asarray(pedestal)
+    result = np.array([[12, 14]], dtype=np.uint16) - pedestal
+
+    np.testing.assert_array_equal(view, [[2, 4]])
+    np.testing.assert_array_equal(result, [[10, 10]])
+    assert np.shares_memory(view, pedestal.view())
+    assert not view.flags.writeable
+
+
+def test_fast_pedestal_rejects_wrong_shape():
+    pedestal = FastPedestal_d(2, 3)
+
+    with pytest.raises(RuntimeError, match="shape"):
+        pedestal.push_init(np.zeros((2, 2), dtype=np.uint16))
diff --git a/src/hist/PedestalTrackingPixelHistogram.cpp b/src/hist/PedestalTrackingPixelHistogram.cpp
index b444cef..9f4093c 100644
--- a/src/hist/PedestalTrackingPixelHistogram.cpp
+++ b/src/hist/PedestalTrackingPixelHistogram.cpp
@@ -202,17 +202,8 @@ void PedestalTrackingPixelHistogram::worker_loop(int thread_id) {
 
         switch (kind) {
         case WorkKind::PushPedestal: {
-            // Accumulate raw frame values into this thread's pedestal
-            // shard. Uses the pixel-level push_no_update which only
-            // touches m_sum/m_sum2/m_cur_samples (no m_mean writes).
-            for (int local_row = 0; local_row < local_rows; ++local_row) {
-                const auto row = static_cast<ssize_t>(first_row + local_row);
-                for (ssize_t col = 0; col < image->shape(1); ++col) {
-                    my_pedestal.template push_no_update<FrameType>(
-                        static_cast<uint32_t>(local_row),
-                        static_cast<uint32_t>(col), (*image)(row, col));
-                }
-            }
+            auto frame = image->sub_view(first_row, first_row + local_rows);
+            my_pedestal.push_init(frame);
             break;
         }
         case WorkKind::UpdateMean: {
@@ -266,30 +257,31 @@ void PedestalTrackingPixelHistogram::worker_loop(int thread_id) {
 
                 auto &my_std = partial_std_[thread_id];
                 for (const auto &frame : *images) {
-                    const auto cols = frame.shape(1);
-                    for (int local_row = 0; local_row < local_rows;
-                         ++local_row) {
-                        const auto row =
-                            static_cast<ssize_t>(first_row + local_row);
+                    const auto view =
+                        frame.sub_view(first_row, first_row + local_rows);
+                    const auto cols = view.shape(1);
+                    const auto rows = view.shape(0);
+
+                    // in this function I need raw, mean and std
+                    for (int row = 0; row < rows; ++row) {
                         for (ssize_t col = 0; col < cols; ++col) {
-                            const FrameType raw = frame(row, col);
+                            const FrameType raw = view(row, col);
                             const AxisType val =
                                 static_cast<AxisType>(raw) -
-                                static_cast<AxisType>(my_pedestal.mean(
-                                    static_cast<uint32_t>(local_row),
-                                    static_cast<uint32_t>(col)));
-                            my_hist.fill_unchecked(local_row,
-                                                   static_cast<int>(col), val);
-                            const AxisType sigma = my_std(local_row, col);
+                                my_pedestal.mean(static_cast<uint32_t>(row),
+                                                 static_cast<uint32_t>(col));
+                            my_hist.fill_unchecked(row, static_cast<int>(col),
+                                                   val);
+                            const AxisType sigma = my_std(row, col);
                             if (sigma > AxisType{0.0} &&
-                                std::abs(static_cast<AxisType>(val)) <
-                                    n_sigma * sigma) {
-                                my_pedestal.template push<FrameType>(
-                                    static_cast<uint32_t>(local_row),
+                                std::abs(val) < n_sigma * sigma) {
+                                my_pedestal.push_no_update<FrameType>(
+                                    static_cast<uint32_t>(row),
                                     static_cast<uint32_t>(col), raw);
                             }
                         }
                     }
+                    my_pedestal.update_mean();
                 }
                 break;
             }