ASI1600mm cool

[Helen]

For travel with a small mount like a star adventurer this is looking like a great option!  If it could double as a solar cam then it would make my packing for the eclipse trip next year much easier!

Helen

[Zakalwe]

12 minutes ago, Helen said:

For travel with a small mount like a star adventurer this is looking like a great option!  If it could double as a solar cam then it would make my packing for the eclipse trip next year much easier!

Helen

There's a chap on FB (Matthew Jenkins) getting great results with one mounted on a Star Adventurer. The scope is a Teleskop Express 60ED with a 0.79 focal reducer.

This is 180 x 30 seconds RGB.

This is 220 x 30 secs L, 90 x 10 sec RGB

 

Solar you say? I took this using a Lunt L60 pressure tuned with a 50MM double-stack. More here

 

ASI1600 Lunt DS 60 Inverted Pseudo Colour

[Helen]

Thanks, impressive!

I think the atik383 may be about to go on the transfer list....

Helen

[Allinthehead]

Triangulum is 90 minutes at gain 300, offset 50, 30 second subs . Sky was poor, sort of hazy.

Andromeda is 7 minutes at unity, 30 second subs.

 

[SkyBound]

3 hours ago, Helen said:

Thanks, impressive!

I think the atik383 may be about to go on the transfer list....

Helen

Yes I had the same thought, and asked the question earlier whether or not it would be a good or bad decision...

[Gina]

Yes, I think my 460EXs may go the same way

[MattJenko]

I sold my SX694 for mine. Don't regret it although I would like to have kept both

[MattJenko]

13 hours ago, Zakalwe said:

Solar you say? I took this using a Lunt L60 pressure tuned with a 50MM double-stack. More here

 

ASI1600 Lunt DS 60 Inverted Pseudo Colour

That Solar image is something else, simply breathtaking. Just a quick bit of pedantantry though, in the image descriptions of M31 + M45, the  M31 has the L subs, M45 is RGB only

[Notty]

I've nothing much of value to add to this, except to say, what luck it was I'd decided to upgrade from DSLR to CCD at this time, and just about to pull the trigger on a 460EX/383L!  Having studied the evidence from all you public spirited people here and Cloudy Nights etc I've just ordered one with the matching ZWO 5x1.25" wheel and filters, at a price considerably below what I'd have paid for an ATIK with all the bits.  Anyone in a similar position might be interested that ZWO are also bringing out an 8x1.25" wheel and set of NB filters soon too... but I just couldn't wait.  The final straw was the beautiful images on this page combined with wondering how quickly prices of these things are going to go up once UK stocks are depleted, given the 20% drop in sterling over the last few days.

I think this technology is going to be a true force multiplier for this hobby!

[Zakalwe]

11 hours ago, MattJenko said:

That Solar image is something else, simply breathtaking. Just a quick bit of pedantantry though, in the image descriptions of M31 + M45, the  M31 has the L subs, M45 is RGB only

Thanks for the compliment :-)

I hope you didn't mind me posting your images? And apologies for not twigging the username!?

[SkyBound]

As I have said earlier, I am considering selling my Atik 383 mono and buying one of these ASI1600 mono cameras, but I am also now thinking of selling my SX USB filter wheel along with a full set of 36mm unmounted Baader filters, LRGB and NB, and also buying the colour version ASI too, and using the colour for, well obviously the RGB, and the mono with a Ha filter for the L, I think that will save me loads of time, make my imaging rig lighter, (and my wallet) and probable also simplifying the whole process, what do you guys think about that idea, good or not so good ?

[MattJenko]

Unless you are planning on using 2 scopes at the same time, having 1 camera doing nothing is not more efficient I would say. I still think just one camera for your L/Ha and then when you do RGB, simply bin the data and suck in them photons. Save you even more money. Also, you won't have to keep swapping cameras. I am pretty sure two will not actually save you lots of time but make your life harder. The theory behind it is the imbalance in the RGGB colour matrix used in the colour version.

It also means any narrowband imaging is a manual filter swap affair as well.

[Zakalwe]

16 hours ago, SkyBound said:

As I have said earlier, I am considering selling my Atik 383 mono and buying one of these ASI1600 mono cameras, but I am also now thinking of selling my SX USB filter wheel along with a full set of 36mm unmounted Baader filters, LRGB and NB, and also buying the colour version ASI too, and using the colour for, well obviously the RGB, and the mono with a Ha filter for the L, I think that will save me loads of time, make my imaging rig lighter, (and my wallet) and probable also simplifying the whole process, what do you guys think about that idea, good or not so good ?

Why sell the filterwheel and filters? You can use 1.25" filters on the ASI but you need to have the filters as close to the camera as possible. Even then there will be a bit of vignetting.

Keep the filterwheel and filters, flog the 383 and get the ASI. Getting two is a waste of money unless you are going to dual mount scopes (one for RGB, one for narrowband). Doing that will need a very good mount and a very rigid scope system.

[SkyBound]

3 minutes ago, Zakalwe said:

Why sell the filterwheel and filters? You can use 1.25" filters on the ASI but you need to have the filters as close to the camera as possible. Even then there will be a bit of vignetting.

Keep the filterwheel and filters, flog the 383 and get the ASI. Getting two is a waste of money unless you are going to dual mount scopes (one for RGB, one for narrowband). Doing that will need a very good mount and a very rigid scope system.

Yes I think I was getting a bit ahead of myself there

with the superb results that folks are getting with these CMOS cameras, I wonder how the big CCD sellers such as Atik and SX here in the U.K. Are going to compete, as surely this is really going to affect there trade.... maybe lower there prices to compete, or move into the CMOS age too....!

will be very interesting in the coming years.

[Zakalwe]

CMOS will be the way forward and there are some really interesting cameras being launched, such as the back-illuminated QHY183. People used to (deservedly) laugh at QHY cameras for their poor QC....just look at the stuff that they are bringing to the market now. Similarly with ZWO- they started with a clone of the original QHY5. They transformed planetary imaging with their high-speed CMOS cameras and now the same is happening with DSO imaging.

Sony are ceasing CCD production in the next few years, so the market will move to CCD. I can't see it being too long before Atik move to CMOS. I hope that they also improve the cooling solutions on their kit....my Atik 428 sounded like a jet engine and had marginal cooling. The ASI cameras, on the other hand, is whisper quiet (they mag-lev fans) and has a much more powerful cooler.

[SkyBound]

34 minutes ago, Zakalwe said:

CMOS will be the way forward and there are some really interesting cameras being launched, such as the back-illuminated QHY183. People used to (deservedly) laugh at QHY cameras for their poor QC....just look at the stuff that they are bringing to the market now. Similarly with ZWO- they started with a clone of the original QHY5. They transformed planetary imaging with their high-speed CMOS cameras and now the same is happening with DSO imaging.

Sony are ceasing CCD production in the next few years, so the market will move to CCD. I can't see it being too long before Atik move to CMOS. I hope that they also improve the cooling solutions on their kit....my Atik 428 sounded like a jet engine and had marginal cooling. The ASI cameras, on the other hand, is whisper quiet (they mag-lev fans) and has a much more powerful cooler.

So in your unbiased opinion, money aside and you had the choice between the Atik 383 and the ASI1600 you would choose the later...? I ask because I have not really used the 383 much and certainly not used the ASI1600...

In your opinion for a newbie to deep sky imaging perspective which would be the better camera, again price aside..?

[Demonperformer]

I have no personal experience of the Atik 383, but generically, +1 for the ASI1600 over a ccd.

[Zakalwe]

5 minutes ago, SkyBound said:

So in your unbiased opinion, money aside and you had the choice between the Atik 383 and the ASI1600 you would choose the later...? I ask because I have not really used the 383 much and certainly not used the ASI1600...

In your opinion for a newbie to deep sky imaging perspective which would be the better camera, again price aside..?

Its only my opinion and I am, for sure, a long way from being an expert.

The 383 is capable of producing stunning images (see Sara Wager for example). If you have ample access to lots of dark skies then you won't go wrong. On the flipside, it's old technology. The KAF8300 sensor was old tech 3 years ago. That doesn't make it bad.

The ASI can be quirky. ZWO's software and drives seem to have quirks, with some people reporting unique problems.

You might get better results honing your processing skills. After all, the camera is a tiny part of the solution. The best camera in the world won't make good images without a good mount and skills in the post-processing. The flipside of that is that it is easier to process less-noisy data.

If someone offered me a 383 or an ASI1600 tomorrow I would select the ASI, no questions. But that is because I live on the Lancashire coast and I have very little time to image.

[Gina]

Well I'm certainly hooked on the ASI1600MM-Cool   But I think everyone knows that by now

[piprees]

Just read through ALL of this thread as I got the camera, electronic filter wheel and filters yesterday.

Camera is sorted through SharpCap but the filter wheel, hmm, I've no idea where or how to control it. Please help!!!

Many thanks to all who have put what settings they're using, they'll be a great help.

Kind regards,

Pip

[Gina]

In SharpCap > File menu > SharpCap Settings > Hardware tab > Filter Wheel > Properties.

HTH

[piprees]

Gina, you're an absolute gem!!

My biggest problem is finding where thing are and I certainly wouldn't have found where that was through trial and error.

A couple of good nights coming up hopefully.

Thanks again,

Pip

[Gina]

You're very welcome

[SkyBound]

Yes the file menus in sharpcap, are not its best feature, they could be better and easier to navigate....

[SkyBound]

Is there any known issues with Amo glow with this camera, if so at what exposure length does it occur, I am so close to selling my Atik 383 mono, and buying one of these but can't seem to make the leap, I can't afford to keep both so that option is out, ?

It was mentioned that these cameras can be a bit "quirky" and some people get small issues with them, what are those issues...

Sorry for all the questions, I need to make my mind up one way or tother...