ZWO ASI1600MM-Cool USB 3.0 Mono Camera

[AlistairW]

Hello,

Simple question - is this https://www.firstlightoptics.com/zwo-cameras/zwo-asi1600mm-cool-usb-3-mono-camera.html any good for DSO imaging ? - (on a 80mm refractor)

Thanks

Alistair

[vlaiv]

I don't see why not.

I don't know about asi1600 itself as a sensor, but I suspect it will do good - has ok specs (I used asi185 for some DSO work and it works quite ok).

As for the rest of setup it is pretty good suited for DSO - you'll get good resolution - 1.64"/px (if you use GT81) - that should give you enough mag for smaller DSO targets, let you stay above seeing influence and also have no trouble with guiding on heq5.

Trick with these cameras is to find sweet spot - gain settings / exposure length. 12bit ADC means that you need something like 8-16 frames to achieve single 16bit frame precision. Camera has well deep enough to allow for longer exposure (and it is cooled as well, mine asi185 is not, so I have to tackle 4e-/s dark current at 25C ambient ), but has read noise low enough to let you take decent short exposures. You can use these cameras in quite heavy LP where one should aim for lots of shorter exposures and still get decent results.

[AlistairW]

vlaiv - thanks for the reply - interesting points you have made.

[riklaunim]

There is a lot of discussion about ASI1600 on Cloudynights - about performance, short exposures, and how it affects market for older cameras. There are some images already and they do look good.

[buikimaging]

These are some test pictures of the asi 1600 mm cooled.
I'm impressed so far.

Photos from beta testers.

https://astronomy-imaging-camera.com/gallery/

I'll wait until there are more test result images.

[trev27]

There's loads of data in the beta tester thread over on CN here:

http://www.cloudynights.com/topic/535506-asi1600mmc-beta-test/

I warn you though that it's a monster thread at this stage! Alot of it goes over my head but the main gist of it is that the very very low read noise, coupled with the decent QE (around the same as the KAF 8300) makes it possible to get excellent results with a load of short subs. And it does look like they are real short subs. Some great results with a 60 seconds and HA filters. Sounds like a great camera for the price for someone like me moving up from a modded DSLR and in quite a bit of light pollution. 

A side benefit, at least for me, is it's planetary capability. This should make it a fantastic large chip camera for lunar imaging or solar imaging with a wide enough blocking filter. ZWO have done great things in the planetary arena so this part should be good.

I have one on order with FLO. Not shipping yet as far as I know.

Trev

[Gina]

I have just bought an ASI185MC for planetary imaging (and maybe all sky camera) but reports of ZWO cameras for DSO imaging are very interesting and something I shall be thinking of trying.  Seeing has limited the resolution I have achieved with my MN190 scope and Atik 460EX mono camera so the use of shorter exposures would be a great help.

[Gina]

Been looking at the spec for the ASI1600MM-Cool and it looks like it would improve considerably on the Atik 460EX mono cameras I'm currently using for DSO imaging.  Or am I missing something?

[vlaiv]

I think it depends on application.

With ASI1600MM you need to go with shorter exposures (12bit), it has smaller pixels, and that means some sort of binning or change of telescope to match Atik 460ex resolution. This would have an impact on SNR depending on shooting conditions - light pollution being the most important aspect. Another thing that I think is important with CMOS cameras - I don't know how well suited they are for photometric applications. CMOS electronics can often have variable DC offset - at least my ASI185 does - this means taking darks without changing any recording parameter (no dark library to be used at later time). I don't know if this is feature of technology or is it "firmware" issue.

[Gina]

Yes, I've read that it wants shorter exposures but with lower read noise this should be possible.  Shorter exposures with more of them reduces the guiding requirements.  It also reduces the problem of seeing meaning that higher resolution imaging should be possible.  I have a range of telescopes and lenses and am interested in widefield as well as standard DSO imaging.  Light pollution here is very low and has never been a problem.