Interesting new camera

[Whippy]

New from Celestron: Celestron Nightscape Color CCD Camera - OPT Telescopes. At $1500, could be a bit of a bargain. Especially when you consider the comparable SBIG camera is $6k (SBIG STX Camera with Kodak KAI-10100 Color CCD - OPT Telescopes).

Tony..

[Helen]

Oooh - very fastar friendly!!

Helen

[riklaunim]

It has smaller than APS-C sensor (and you get APS-C in QHY8 cameras). In Europe it will cost not 1500 $ but 1500 EUR (or even more). QHY8 line probably will be cheaper than that Celestron camera In USA however QHY is rather less popular (I may be wrong).

Next: the QE max is only 45% (and that's in blue, not in green or H-a). The pixel well depth isn't also high (only 25k e-) so that Kodak has specs of similar low power Sony CCD with small pixels.

QHY8 various cameras are already on our market and have a strong position of DSLR upgrade to something cooled and big in color. And if you are second on the market - it's even harder to push with such product.

Small pixels preffer small focal lengths. Celestron doesn't offer small APOs (SW does; both belong to Synta), so I'm guessing that in Celestron world bin 1 is intended for Hyperstars (which are rare here).

That Celestron camera isn't very "wow" making. Maybe they took example from Lunt, which released "Atik 314L+ like" camera costing much more than Atik 314L+ in the USA... for H-a Solar imaging (where in USA Point Grey fast 12/14-bit cameras are dominating, alongside with DMK and similar older cameras)

[Whippy]

So I take it you're not keen then Rik?

Tony..

[riklaunim]

So I take it you're not keen then Rik?

Tony..

Something is missing in those latest new cameras. And it's good to always validate those marketing iCameras vs Cameras that are available.

[pete_l]

Oooh - very fastar friendly!!

Helen

it's got a 22.5mm diagonal. I thought Fastar only worked with small sensors? If not I might be interested ...

[riklaunim]

It can work up to 27 mm or sometimes more depending on scope used - HyperStar Imaging