CCD for DSO around 500 pounds

[jmdana]

I'm considering buying a "cheap" CCD camera, something around 500 pounds. I did some reading on the Atik Titan Colour (including some reviews in this forum) and it seems to me like a good option but, before going ahead, I'd like to know your opinion about it. Any other suggestions around 500 pounds?

[red dwalf]

You would better saving a little more for a 314L+ in my opinion, I had a Titan which worked well and I had nice images, but now I've upgraded to a 314 the difference in quality and cooling capabilities its much better.

[blinky]

For that sort of money I would go for a 2nd hand QHY8 (Seem to go for around £500 nowadays) or a DSLR, not sure what the current model is but something like a 1000d should come in at under £500

[jmdana]

For that sort of money I would go for a 2nd hand QHY8 (Seem to go for around £500 nowadays) or a DSLR, not sure what the current model is but something like a 1000d should come in at under £500

Do you think than a DSLR will make better pictures than the Atik Titan?

[Sp@ce_d]

A DSLR will give you a much lager chip & therefore cover more FOV. Disadvantage is sensitivity, lack of cooling (more noise), OSC (bayer matrix) therefore NB is difficult.

OSC CCD will have cooling (quieter) but smaller FOV for outlay & as above for NB

Mono CCD is most flexible but requires filters & FW in addition .

I happily used my 1000D for a couple of years before moving onto Mono CCD. However, having used CCD there's no turning.back for me.

I'd say the Sony 285 chip is the minimum (314l+ etc.) to consider. They do come up S/H around £600

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ronin]

There isn't really anything at the £500 mark, the next one is Atik 420 but they are £480 area, 2MP.

The ones that are below £500 are somewhat smaller the Titan being 0.32MP so quite a bit less.

I made up a spreadsheet of the common ones and noticed this.

The one that is less then £500 and sort of "fits" is the ZWO but they are CMOS and uncooled.

Sure that it is possible to add a file as an attachment but canno see how otherwise I would attache dht spreadsheet - it makes reading the information easy and short.

Having said there isn't one I read what I had recorded: :BangHead:

There seem to be 2 Imaging Source ones - colour and mono - which are <£500, both 1.2MP, DFK 41AU02 AS Colour and Mono, 1/2" sensor, 1280x960 pixels.

Appears to be no cooling, well I didn't see any mentioned, but this is often left off.

I assume they are still available

[Uranium235]

You may be better off saving an extra 200 so you can get your hands on a 2nd hand 314L+. Anything below that doesnt really cut the mustard (in CCD terms).

[lensman57]

I'm considering buying a "cheap" CCD camera, something around 500 pounds. I did some reading on the Atik Titan Colour (including some reviews in this forum) and it seems to me like a good option but, before going ahead, I'd like to know your opinion about it. Any other suggestions around 500 pounds?

Titan is fine in Mono so long as you can find targets to fit on to the small sensor. I would avoid the colour one as you loose a lot of sensitivity. You may want to go for an astro modded DSLR of some sort for colour and they should be fine for the colder winter nights, if the temp is as high as what we have been having a DSLR is next to useless unless you keep the subs very short. For a cooled CCD you may want to go for a QHY8 ( the original ) and these go for about £500.00+. I have one and it works  well with something like a SW 80 ED for widefield imaging, the sensor is a Sony  crop size sensor, same as a dslr. Anything else from Atik and you need to budget for £700.00+ for a used 314L+ with a 2/3" format sensor. The new generation Sony Sensor Atiks and other cameras are quite expensive and well outside of your budget even in the used market, if anything ever comes up. A mono camera is more sensitive but you do have to consider the expense of a decent set of LRGB filters and atleast a manual filter wheel which would cost you another £250.00~£300.00. For this to give good results you need a dark and decent sky. LRGB imaging and LP don't go together.

A.G

[ollypenrice]

I'd expect you to be able to find a second hand Atik 16HR or even 314L for that price. There is no difference in the performance of the later model but it has a faster and more convenient download time. Set point cooling is best in principle but with the Sony chip it really won't make a ha'porth of difference.

I'd go for mono. 1.25 filters and manual wheels are readily available second hand and not expensive. (People often upgrade to larger filters for bigger chips and to electric wheels.)

Olly

[jmdana]

Thanks a lot for all your replies. I got a better idea on what to expect.