First Imager: All Out or Hold Your Horses?

[cshahar]

Hi Everyone:

I have a daystar quantum filter (0.4å) and I have been getting used to the mount and the views, and now want to jump into imaging. I can either start very basic or get a Grasshopper 3 off the bat. Which option do you recommend? If starting basic, I was thinking of the DMK21 or DMK31. Please let me know your thoughts.

Thanks,

-Charles

[Steve Ward]

Would recommend looking at this before jumping in with the Grasshopper 3 ... 

http://www.zwoptical.com/eng/Cameras/ASI174/features.asp

[ramdom]

They (ZWO) also have the 224 version out (replacing the 174). I think there is no one size fits all camera (so far) and I think you end up getting at least two anyway, one to guide and one to image. The 120/174/224 from ASI can be both good guiding and planetary imaging cameras, with the larger sensors better for solar and lunar imaging also. For DSOs, from my limited experience, you really need to push some of the characteristics mentioned in the zwooptical URL posted above to the limit (need extremely low read noise, extremely high sensitivity, large pixels, etc.). For mid-range cameras, I've decided the Mallincam Skyraider-DS is very good and for the high end, the Sony A7s. This is mostly based on my research with limited trials (I do own a  ZWO ASI120MC-S and found it be versatile, so I think the newer ASIs will be better for planetary imaging, guiding, and solar and lunar imaging). 

I also want to do everything on a Unix system (which includes Mac OS X and Linux), so that's important to me. The Skyraider-DS uses the Sony ICX829 sensor which is also used by the Lodestar X2 but I think the former has a few additional features and as far as I know the Lodestar Live software doesn't run on a Mac. 

[ramdom]

It looks like I spoke in error - the Lodestar Live (LL) does seem to be used on Mac and so I apologise for that error (wish there was a way to edit posts---I hope I've not missed that ). Anyways, I think the lodestar x2 is therefore an appealing choice also for a mid-range camera since it uses the same ICX829 sensor so it together the LL software should be compared to what the Skyraider-DS package from Mallincam can do. 

It all depends on what you want to image and what you're using to image.  Though you are posting in the solar imaging section and if solar imaging is what you want, what poster #2 pointed you to is a good answer, keeping in mind that ZWO has an even more updated camera, the ASI224. 

[JamesF]

I don't think the 224 will completely replace the 174 because there's no mono version of the 224 (and a mono camera would probably be better in this instance).

I think I'd probably start by trying to find out what sort of image size you'd expect at the focal length you plan to use and then think about cameras.  If the image is relatively large then buying a camera with a small sensor could leave you having to make mosaics from large numbers of panels, whereas having a camera sensor much larger than the image probably involves spending far more than you need to.

Without that information however, my first thoughts would be to look at the ASI120MM/ASI120MM-S or ASI174MM.  Having the USB3 interface may be worthwhile assuming the Daystar produces a bright enough image.  The Celestron Skyris USB3 models might also be worth a look, but they are more expensive and I don't know if the camera body design is actually particularly beneficial at shedding heat in daytime imaging.

James

[cshahar]

Thank you so much for the excellent advice. Yes, sorry, I should have mentioned it is for solar and lunar imaging. I will check out the ASI174 for sure. I don't know much about it but I think it is actually available at one of the local outlets here (Montreal).

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I would really consider the ASI174MM. It is a superb piece of kit. It might be more expensive that an ASI120MM-S, but the bigger chip and bigger pixels match the output from a Daystar Quark better than the ASI120.