Atik horizon cmos camera

[paraman]

Does anyone have experience of the above?  I'm seriously considering another camera and truthfully I would prefer to stay with Atik but its not set in concrete.

I'm open to other suggestions  but it does cross my mind that the Megrez 90 might not be able to make full use of its imaging area.

Any input will be gratefully received.

[blinky]

Think it’s the same as the ZWO asi1600 sage a few quid and buy that?

[Marky1973]

I have one, but experience is limited so far - been setting it up with my ED72 and reducer and think I have the spacing right now, and am about to set up for a session tonight.

I had a quick go without the reducer a while back on the heart nebula and got some nice results

So am pretty sure it will work out to be a nice camera.

But, as BLINKY point out, it is a few hundred more than the ASI1600mm and I am not sure there is really much difference between the two - certainly reviews and reports I have read seem to suggest there is little difference. So why did I spend more on the HORIZON? (Other than being a fool who is easily parted?)

Well, I moved on from an ATIK CCD and just like ARTEMIS, the capture software is easy and it just works. I am also intrigued by the INFINITY software and will eventually get around to having a play with that - I am not sure about the software that people are using with the 1600mm but I was a little concerned about starting out with something new and just like the easy way ARTEMIS works. I am sure the 1600mm works just as well, but I wanted to start from a comfortable place.

Other people have also talked about the fact ATIK is based in this country and, when I had to get a repair just recently, it was easy and quick service. To be honest though, I have also heard good things about ZWO service.

Ultimately it comes down to whether you need or want to spend the extra money to get the ATIK - if not, or you are not bothered about the software that comes with it, then perhaps just go with the 1600mm, I doubt you will regret it - but make sure you get the latest version as I believe there were some issues with earlier models. If money is the least of your worries and you are really happy with ATIK/ARTEMIS etc, then you just have to decide if that is worth the extra money. Yes, it is expensive, but I do not regret the purchase, I am very happy with the camera so far - although in about an hour I will probably be cursing this hobby again! 

 

[Rob63]

The one difference between the ATIK and ZWO which made me buy the ZWO is the fact that you can use 1.25" filters with minimal vignetting.

[Marky1973]

I still have some adjustments to do (and more focus practice) but this is a quick and dirty image from last night which is uncropped. There is a hint of distortion in the  corners (worst top left) but I think this can be adjusted out and may be more to do with the fact the camera/reducer etc all pretty heavy and there may be some flex in the draw tube. The ED72 is a great little scope, but I think it is struggling with the weight of everything - had to strip the focuser down to get it nice and tight. Anyway, it isn't a perfect image, but I don't think the spacing is too far off - well it may be for the more professional among us...but it'll do for me while I tweak it. ?

This is with the skywatcher reducer/flattener in place - there was definitely more distortion when the flattener wasn't there! And with Baader 1.25" filters (this was Ha only and no darks/flats/bias)

 

 

 

[susan-parker]

On 29/09/2018 at 08:45, Rob63 said:

The one difference between the ATIK and ZWO which made me buy the ZWO is the fact that you can use 1.25" filters with minimal vignetting.

I assume that the 36mm filter wheel option with the AFW2 I would be okay (currently using camera lenses including some at f/2.0)?

[blinky]

Pretty sure it would be fine, I use the 31mm ones @F4 with no probems

[susan-parker]

I have now had a chance to use my Atik Horizon a few times, here is one of my latest pics. Note that I am in a Bortal 8+ zone, and by eye only stars down to magnitude 3 are visible (on a good night).

From Monday and Thursday night, the left leg of the left twin in Gemini, centred on Lambda Geminorum - SAO96746.

Stars are down to magnitude c.15.5 in the original image (according to Stellarium).

Pics are a 33% scaled image, a one-2-one 1200x1200 crop from the centre, another smaller 1-2-1 of the open-cluster NGC2355 / Cr133 / Mel63 (towards the bottom on the left hand side), and the UniMap ID.

Atik Horizon at medium gain with sensor at -15C, Nikkor 105mm f/2.5 lens at f/2.8, IDAS D1 filter; Infinity aquisition software.

Tracking shots of 15 seconds each, DSS stack of 220 images (plus 62 darks but no lights), 55m00s minutes total. Second set started at 20:13 GMT [28 March, 2019].

Location: Bortal 8+ zone in West London, UK.

======

The left leg of the left twin in Gemini, centred on Lambda Geminorum - SAO96746

 

UniMap ID

 

A one-2-one 1200x1200 crop from the centre. N.B. Halos are from sperical abberation at the red end.

 

1-2-1 of the open-cluster NGC2355 / Cr133 / Mel63

 

[susan-parker]

... and here is the DSS stacked output TIF file, before any further processing. Note: image needs rotating counter clockwise by 90 degrees for correct north at top.

After the stack I used Photoshop with ProDigital AstroFlat Pro and varous other filters and level adjustments.

190325-gemini-left-twin-left-leg-stack220frames-Autosave001.tif

[susan-parker]

For completness, attached is the full size final verson TIF image.

My interest is in maximising detail, rather than making things look "nice".

190325-gemini-left-twin-left-leg-stack220frames-1b.tif