What camera to the sun

[Renims]

Hi there. Welcome. What is best to use matrices camera to photograph the sun?

[Floater]

No doubt showing my ignorance, but I can hardly believe YOU are asking a question about how to photograph the sun after seeing the images you have already posted!

I wait with bated breath ...

[Renims]

I just want to buy the best camera for the sun H-alpha

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I use a DMK21AU618 which works fine, but has a very small chip (hence my need for mega-mosaics). The DMK41 is an old stalwart, but loses out on quantum efficiency, by now. A lot of people on Solarchat use Point Grey cameras, and some Bassler cameras are also great. By all accounts the Skyris cameras are good too, and I have seen some very good results with the ASI120MM, though some people need a tilting device between camera and scope to get rid of Newton rings. My ASI130MM is less good. The sensor shows pattern noise, and I need to take bias and flats to get anywhere with it. It is also temperamental when it comes to Newton rings. I much prefer using the little DMK and take many more panes for a mosaic than fight the idiosyncrasies of the ASI130MM.

[Pete Presland]

+1 for the DMK21AU618

[riklaunim]

+1 for the DMK21AU618

Well, he has two big and efficient cameras (where one is 1" CMV 4000 that does 90 FPS at 2048x2048). He doesn't need 1/4" planetary camera as an alternative for H-alpha imaging ASI120 and other cameras with Micron sensor are pretty much out of the scope as they often give un-removable by tilting Newton rings. Flat frames can do that, but still that's more processing, and only 1/3".

There are no perfect cameras. Each has some limitations or tradeoffs. CMV 4000 is big, very fast, but if it shows some fixed pattern noise then just stack the AVIs with a flat frame. Some cooling may help to lower dark current that can be responsible for bringing FPN out. My ASI120MM was around 30C when doing white light imaging (air was around 15-20C I would say). Sensor at 30C will be more noisy than at 10C.

Alternative to CMV4000 is IMX174 or big and new Sony CCDs used by increasing amount of H-alpha photographers. Old sensors, like those in DMK41 and DMK52 do work, but are slow and much less sensitive (people seems to want to pay for the newer, better sensors). Check what people use on the solar forum on cloudynights - a lot of the new stuff. IMX174 will be fast, but bit smaller (and low on noise), Sony CCD can be as big as CMV4000 but they will be noticeably slower than CMV (90 FPS for a 2048x2048 frame is something big). CCD won't have FPN, but if they got very hot they may show some hot/warm pixels and optionally a dark frame may be needed.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Interesting info there (wasn't aware of the full extent of the OP's kit). The Point Grey Grasshopper 3 cameras equipped with the IMX174 sensor seems awesome in the USB3 version (162 fps @ 1920x1200 1/1.2" sensor; drool-worthy).