Considering a Camera Upgrade.

[CKemu]

Hi!

So currently running an ATIK 414ex with my Esprit 100ED and Meade LX90 8", and mostly keeping my deep sky work to the Esprit. The ATIK 414ex has a resolution of 1392x1040 with 6.45um pixels, and it's a great camera, but I've had interest in making DSO images that are of a more printable resolution, and 1.44mp isn't really going to cut it.

Now my budget won't stretch far, but I am looking at the ATIK 490ex, 3380x2704 resolution with 3.69um pixels (9.1mp, which is closer to something printable).

I am curious as to how the small pixel size will effect overall resolution, I get the overall gist that shorter FL's do better with smaller pixels..but looking for the hive mind to help me out here.

How will image quality be affected with the Esprit, would it be worth holding on to the 414ex for the Meade 8" setup?

Any help and thoughts will be greatly appreciated.
 

[almcl]

You can use the FOV calculator (http://astronomy.tools/calculators/field_of_view/) to see what the image will look like, but another thing to consider is your mount's guiding performance. 

At 1.38 " per pixel imaging (490 on the Espirit 100) the recommendation is to be guiding at half that so .69 " RMS error in PHD2 (if you use that).  My AltAz EQ6 sometimes achieves that level of accuracy but there are also nights when it doesn't.  What mount are you using currently and what sort of guiding performace does it achieve?

 

[CKemu]

14 minutes ago, almcl said:

You can use the FOV calculator (http://astronomy.tools/calculators/field_of_view/) to see what the image will look like, but another thing to consider is your mount's guiding performance. 

At 1.38 " per pixel imaging (490 on the Espirit 100) the recommendation is to be guiding at half that so .69 " RMS error in PHD2 (if you use that).  My AltAz EQ6 sometimes achieves that level of accuracy but there are also nights when it doesn't.  What mount are you using currently and what sort of guiding performace does it achieve?

 

Thanks for that. I use the NEQ6 with PHD2 and the ASI120mm as a OAG gives me a range of 0.58" on good nights and with stronger wind conditions, I get up to 1.2", I average around 0.7", so that's within threshold.

I just ran it through https://astronomy.tools/calculators/ccd_suitability to, and that gives me a Green in "OK" and "poor" seeing, and reasonable in "Good".

[almcl]

Sounds like you are good to go. 

Be interested to hear how you get on if you do decide to upgrade?

[newbie alert]

I've now got a esprit 80 and the 490 is a camera that I've got my eye on..

One thing to have in mind is that sensor (IX814)is in a few other camera's too.. some have better cooling such as the Atik 0ne 9, qhy23.. the QSI814  and I think a starlight xpress version..

Edited August 4, 2019 by newbie alert
Added info