SBIG CCD cameras... Thoughts?

[perfrej]

Hi all!

Now that I cannot do any astronomy work at all (too light) my mind wanders to equipment wish-lists. I'm thinking along the following lines:

1. I have two good scopes (Expl 250 and FLT98). Getting another is not a priority, but if I would I would go for a longer focal length and am looking at the C 9.25.

2. I image with the EOS 1000D without IR filter. It is totally fantastic and a steal at the price it comes at. For composite color imaging, I'm totally satisfied.

3. Monochrome imaging... Interesting field! L R G B Ha O3... I will need a CCD eventually, and this is where my questions come in...

So, the thoughts on CCDs are:

Sensor size: Not too big, but I would like high resolution.

Pixel size: Am I right in assuming that around 5 um will give me the resolution I want in not too large a chip?

Noise etc: Naturally, it would have to have good figures on most parameters...

Cooling: Oh yes!

Filter wheel: Yep.

Internal shutter for darks: Wonderful!

I'm thinking SBIG ST8300M (ST-8300 New Product Announcement)

...and the filter wheel option.

So, what do you think? Am I on the right track? Is it a good camera? Anyone using it?

All comments welcome!

Ha a lovely Sunday!

/per

[roundycat]

For monochrome imaging you forgot S2 and Hb!

Go to CCD New Astro on a Yahoo forum and look up CCD Calc, that will do the sums for you for any combination of scope/camera.

A quick look shows you to be in the 1.5 to 2.5"/pixel range and there is very little point in going finer than that unless you have exceptional seeing.

Most, if not all SBIG's use double co-related sampling for the read out, reducing noise.

Cooling is not much good unless it is fixed point cooling otherwise the chip temperature could 'follow' ambient and your darks will never work.

Try to get some user feedback about filter size. Some makers insist the 8300 chiped camera will work with 1.25" and other say not. SBIG offer a bigger filter size for their camera.

The internal shutter is useful but beware effects on short exposures around 0.1s.

I have two SBIGS already!

Dennis