Wed, 01/06/2021 - 19:35
Hello,
We are planning to upgrade our camera in our remote observatory in Spain. Currently, we use Moravian G2-8300 for both astrophoto and photometry using a V filter. The camera we have in mind is the ASI2600MM, which we are considering to pre-order. According to ZWO, this camera has the following features:
- Back-illuminated CMOS with 16bit ADC
- No amp glow
- Ultra-high dynamic range of 14 stops
- Ultra-low readout noise of 1.0e
- QE peak value: 91%
Any comments are highly appreciated.
Kind regards,
Pablo
Anyone have an opinion or comment on the above?
Maybe I should add that we believe that this camera should work for photometry. However, in this community it is always recommended to use 16 bits CCD camera. However, with the specs of the brand new ASI2600MM, I don't see any problems of using this camera for photometry using a V-filter.
Perhaps I am asking this question too early, however, if anyone have an opinion on this matter, please let us know. :-)
*ignore this, double post. Please delete if possible
Hello Pablo,
just today I have placed a pre-order for this IMX571 sensor (roughly the same sensor but in QHY268) to replace my larger IMX 455 which I'm not using enough to warrant keeping it at the high cost and file size of 120MB/image.
From what I have read, the IMX 455(-K) and IMX571(-K) have identical sensor properties and only vary in size. One is APS-C, the other full frame. Because of this you can benefit from the extensive testing which has been done on the IMX455 and apply it to the IMX571. A notable resource on for that this AAVSO forum here.
I have used the QHY600 (again roughly equivilant to the ASI6200mm) over the last 6 months and have done multiple sensor tests, and can confirm that it is an absolutely excellent sensor which will be more than enough for photometry. There is not a single CCD camera I have found or heard of which, in this price range, outperforms the brand new CMOS sensors these cameras use. There are however things to note when using CMOS - for example the digital binning and important difference of averaging vs. summing the full well, or where the sweet spot lies in reducing read noise vs. increasing the full well using gain for different targets. But when this is adjusted correctly after some tests, the sensors work beautifully.
One thing I might note is that there is in fact a difference between the IMX571 you have ordered, and the IMX571-K which costs slightly more. I have added information about that in a comment to the post linked above. As I have never used the ZWO version of this sensor I can not make definitive claims with numbers in a more objective comparison, but Sony themselves claim that the industrial versions have less defects and a longer lifespan. Though again I don't have numbers for this - I can make an educated guess and say that this isn't a large difference you will drastically notice in your images or which will reduce the quality of your photometry even noticeably. Perhaps after months or years there will be more defects, but don't hold me to this. Best to read the link above.
Summarized, you have made an excellent choice with this camera for photometry.
Leon
Hi Leon,
Thank you for your answer. We never ordered the ASI2600MM, instead, we pre-ordered the QHY268 a week ago or two. And after reading your reply I think we made the right choice. :-)