NexImage 5MP Solar System

[Ewan]

Hi all,

Does anyone here use this cam for imaging & if so would you recommend it, im looking for an 'all rounder' just to get going really.

It's the new updated Celestron Neximage, hope it's ok to post a link here http://www.365astronomy.com/celestron-neximage-5mp-solar-system-imager-p-2825.html

If anyone has any shots & time to Message me some i would be in your debt many thanks in advance.

Clear skies all

[Cornelius Varley]

Its probably too early to tell if the camera is any good. I'm not sure the camera is even in the country yet.

Peter

[Ewan]

Hi Peter I have seen a couple of places selling it now for £250, I'll have a google again for more reviews / images then post my findings I guess, specs are very good & a lot better than original Neximage

Beam me up Scotty

[Cornelius Varley]

365astronomy (your link) shows 0 in stock and is expected June 12. Harrison Telescopes also state that the camera is coming soon (it is not available for purchase yet). I personally don't think that a 5mp planetary imaging camera will produce the results you are expecting, the frame rate could be quite slow but the camera does do ROI and 2x2 and 4x4 binning which will be of more use.

Peter

[Ewan]

Peter could you recommend a reasonable imaging cam, I would like to be able to do deepsky as well as planets if possible, budget £300-£400 ?

Not liking this heat much phew

[Auntystatic]

I read that NASA are using this chip as its as sensitive as a ccd but costs much less, there was an omnivision and a sony chip in the running too. Of course this new celestron camera is going to be watched very carefully, but its way over your budget.

If you would prefer the rain and clouds back it could be arranged.

[icrusoe]

I'm in the market for an imaging camera. Any updates on this particular model?

[riklaunim]

It's tested by few people on Cloudynights. It's a camera with a color MICRON CMOS sensor that has quite small pixels (you would use f/8 and not f/20 used for popular 5.6 pixels). It seems to work better than old webcams and webcamish old NexImage but still it has some limitations (like rolling shutter of the CMOS sensor, high read noise).

In Europe Celestron (and others) equipement prices rise when compared to USA. At £249 I would say - pay bit more for a PGR Chameleon or IDS e2v based camera... or more expensive DMK21AU618. The price difference is just to small.

[icrusoe]

Ya, the DMK21AU618 does look like a very nice dedicated camera! I'm hoping it will fare fine with long exposures for DSO

[riklaunim]

It's not designed to handle long exposures efficiently. You may do some DS images on few second exposures (object of high surface brightness), but it's not a typical DS imaging camera.

[icrusoe]

Oh really? What exactly tells you that it's not designed to handle the long exposures? I need to keep whatever that is in mind when I make my purchases soon.

[riklaunim]

Oh really? What exactly tells you that it's not designed to handle the long exposures? I need to keep whatever that is in mind when I make my purchases soon.

It's not cooled and it's a 8-bit high gain camera - good for planetary but not for DS imaging.

[Stu_2011]

It's not designed to handle long exposures efficiently. You may do some DS images on few second exposures (object of high surface brightness), but it's not a typical DS imaging camera.

In fairness to Celestron they don't really claim its a DS imaging camera do they, it's a planetary / lunar camera as per the original Neximage.

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[Cornelius Varley]

Oh really? What exactly tells you that it's not designed to handle the long exposures? I need to keep whatever that is in mind when I make my purchases soon.

The clue is probably in the name of the camera. The camera has a maximum exposure length of 30s which means its use for DSO imaging is limited.

Peter

[icrusoe]

Ah yes, I just read the specs page and just now noticed the 30 second exposure limit. Thanks for the tips guys!

[Disco]

Hi Guys,

To summarise then, with my alt az 8se SCT which I understand is also limited to short exposure times, I could in therory not bother with a more high end camera, which my scope would not benefit from, and use this camera to do some DS imaging instead?

Ps If so, do you think I could capture some colour images of DSO's?

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[riklaunim]

Alt/Az mounts limit you to planetary/lunar imaging... and this camera is only for that type of imaging. No DS imaging for this camera.