Why are CCDs better for observing planets?

[Jim123]

I use a DSLR but people often say a CCD is better for imaging planets, why?

[ronin]

Guessing but most likely because they are designed specifically for the job.

A DSLR is after all designed for daylight use where low light and noise are minor factors. When you swap to long exposures then the criteria alters.

Even just on weight a ccd is a lot less then a DSLR so motors and mounts are not push as much. Big aspect is you can cool a ccd with a peltier so reduce noise.

I would say it really is just one is designed specifically for the astrophotography aspect the other can be adapted to it.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

The chips of webcams and planetary cameras are designed for high frame rates. In this case controlling read-out noise is more important than in cameras intended for stills. Besides, a small chip suffices for planets, because they are very small in the field of view, and the number of pixels does not matter much, as long as their number does not limit resolution. On Jupiter I generally find 640x480 plenty. 12Mpixel would be complete overkill.