Looking at ATIK CCDs max budget £2000 - advice please

[Fordos Moon]

Morning All,

I am looking in to the possibility of getting an ATIK camera as above. I would be using my ED80 scope and imaging deep sky objects. Would welcome any advice really on any dos or donts.

I have looked at the cameras and tech specs but anything they dont mention I should be aware of? I will probably look at mono and filter wheel combination.

Many thanks

Bob

[swag72]

If you are looking at mono, does the £2k budget have to include filters and the wheel or is that just for the camera?

[Fordos Moon]

If you are looking at mono, does the £2k budget have to include filters and the wheel or is that just for the camera?

Was hopefully going to cover both but now thinking about 460EX and filters so = more! Argh lol.

[carastro]

Yup, not cheap.

When I first got a mono camera I got an Atik314L and used this with an ED8O.  It's a great little camera but after having had a DSLR I found it very difficult to come to terms with the smaller FOV, so I sold it and bought the larger chip Atik383L.  I have been pretty pleased with it, but along with that comes the pricier 2" filters.  

However I have now bought myself another Atik314L as I wanted to get in "closer" to some of the targets with my ED120, but incidentally find that also works pretty well with the wider FOV WOZS71 & reducer (which i didn't have when I bought the first Atik314), so I guess what I am saying is, think about what targets you might want to image, and whether you want a large FOV but more expensive filters, or a smaller FOV and cheaper filters, but that you just might need a smaller scope to fit some of those larger DSOs in.

Might be worth looking on the FOV calculator. 

Carole 

[Grimmec]

Never used an atik, but I use a starlight Xpress h694 mono and that is a superb camera, but I think is right on your budget.

Keep in mind when looking at cameras the pixel/arc second (resolution) as with some like a 343 and a ed80 the resolution may be a little low, which is a mistake I made. The sky at night field of view calculator is quite good and gives you the arc sec/pixel specs for your particular scope.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[johnrt]

Well, personally I would go with the 460ex mono, you can always pick up filters you need later. We're right in the summer milky way season and a decent Ha filter will keep you occupied for months making some mono Ha shots. When the finances recover a little and you are up to speed with the camera add some LRGB and other narrowband filters.

Although the 314l+ is a brilliant camera, you'll only regret not going for the 460ex in the long run.

[Fordos Moon]

Thanks both, I do have the 0.85x focal reducer, - now to work out what is a good or bad pixel/arc second number! Always lots to learn! Looking at the S@N calculator now - thanks for mentioning it!

[Fordos Moon]

Well, personally I would go with the 460ex mono, you can always pick up filters you need later. We're right in the summer milky way season and a decent Ha filter will keep you occupied for months making some mono Ha shots. When the finances recover a little and you are up to speed with the camera add some LRGB and other narrowband filters.

Although the 314l+ is a brilliant camera, you'll only regret not going for the 460ex in the long run.

Thanks John, everything does seem to be pointing to the 460EX. Presume I still need a filter wheel to use just the one Ha filter as opposed to fixing it on to the camera direct? I have a filter wheel for my ASI120MM but presuming (again) this wont fir with the Atik?!

[johnrt]

Yes a filter wheel would be best, then you can get your spacing correct for the reducer, you'll need some T spacer rings too, and not need to worry about changing it the future when you want to add more filters. Again you don't need anything fancy, I use a manual one from Bern at Modern Astronomy £99. http://www.modernastronomy.com/filtersWheels.htm

[sloz1664]

Well, personally I would go with the 460ex mono, you can always pick up filters you need later. We're right in the summer milky way season and a decent Ha filter will keep you occupied for months making some mono Ha shots. When the finances recover a little and you are up to speed with the camera add some LRGB and other narrowband filters.

Although the 314l+ is a brilliant camera, you'll only regret not going for the 460ex in the long run.

+1

Steve

[swag72]

The 460 has got a great sensor and it will serve you well. It is very good in the Ha wave length as well. When I recently changed my camera I really did have a dilemma about sticking with a Sony chip or going for a Kodak one (383L) where you'll get a much larger chip. The 460 will still involve mosaics for some of the larger DSO's that will fit on the larger chip.

[ollypenrice]

Be aware that you don't get in closer by having a smaller chip. You get in closer by having smaller pixels, provided you can focus and guide well enough, and have good enough seeing, to exploit them.

Your real dilemma is 383 real estate versus 460 sensitivity and low noise. (You don't need 2 inch filters with the 383 at moderate F ratios. Besides Baader do an intermediate size just for this chip. At slower F ratios you can just get away with 1.25 but flats are essential.)

It's a tough call. I don't see low noise as much of a bonus since we calibrate our images anyway. My big full frame Kodak chip darks look like snowstorms and I now have a bright column as well. However, once calibrated my result images are as clean as whistles with no hots or deads to clean up at the end. But the Sony sensitivity is another matter. This spring a visiting 460 caught the Leo tidal tail in an outrageously short time, leaving me feeling a bit miffed!!

I like both the 383 and the 460. I own neither but have used both. If you're feeling lazy on the calibration front go for the 460. If you're a widefield junkie go for the 383.

Olly

[Uranium235]

383.... mmmmmm.. pixels! But in all honesty, it prefers a fast-ish telescope (about f5). But with the 80ED at f6.38, you would/should get better signal from the 460.

[Fordos Moon]

Be aware that you don't get in closer by having a smaller chip. You get in closer by having smaller pixels, provided you can focus and guide well enough, and have good enough seeing, to exploit them.

Your real dilemma is 383 real estate versus 460 sensitivity and low noise. (You don't need 2 inch filters with the 383 at moderate F ratios. Besides Baader do an intermediate size just for this chip. At slower F ratios you can just get away with 1.25 but flats are essential.)

It's a tough call. I don't see low noise as much of a bonus since we calibrate our images anyway. My big full frame Kodak chip darks look like snowstorms and I now have a bright column as well. However, once calibrated my result images are as clean as whistles with no hots or deads to clean up at the end. But the Sony sensitivity is another matter. This spring a visiting 460 caught the Leo tidal tail in an outrageously short time, leaving me feeling a bit miffed!!

I like both the 383 and the 460. I own neither but have used both. If you're feeling lazy on the calibration front go for the 460. If you're a widefield junkie go for the 383.

Olly

Thanks for the advice Olly, your opinion counts a lot having seen your work! Very much looking forward to the day I come your way for tuition!

[Fordos Moon]

At the mo the 460 is winning - finances are not but that gives me plenty of time to make sure!

[NickK]

ATIK One 9.0? 

Horizontal Resolution: 3380 pixels
Vertical Resolution: 2704 pixels
Pixel Size: 3.69 µM x 3.69 µM

Just got a notification on Facebook.. gits.. like a 383L with smaller pixels, quieter sensor, no shutter but .. the sensor size is smaller.. I assume that's the equivalent version of the 490EX.

[PaulB]

The 428ex is a very good camera. It uses the new Sony ICX 674 sensor. I bought my camera in May, and so far. I have been really impressed at the lack of noise from the chip. And the  quality of my guided images. I am using my camera with a Megrez ED II 80mm Triplet.

[Fordos Moon]

ATIK One 9.0? 

Horizontal Resolution: 3380 pixels

Vertical Resolution: 2704 pixels

Pixel Size: 3.69 µM x 3.69 µM

Just got a notification on Facebook.. gits.. like a 383L with smaller pixels, quieter sensor, no shutter but .. the sensor size is smaller.. I assume that's the equivalent version of the 490EX.

I have been looking at the Atik One also Nick, only i read it only includes a 5 filter wheel which has annoyed several people in the middle of the night, if you catch my drift! I need to future proof my investment as I know one day i will want to use the the other narrowband filters as well as Ha.