Should I buy a ZWO ASI 1600MM-pro or an Atik Horizon?

[pipnina]

Hi guys! I am hoping to move into proper astrocam imaging this winter and have been looking at the different options available. The Atik Horizon and ZWO ASI 1600MM-pro have caught my eye due to having fair sized sensors for the price, but which makes more sense to use?

They both seem to have the same size sensor with the same pixel size, though the ZWO is cheaper in mono form than the Atik. I have heard that ZWO equipment can also be operated wirelessly with another attachment, which could make adding a guiding cam even more convenient if I got a ZWO + ZWO?

My current camera is an old Nikon 3200, which has the same pixel scale as these cameras but a larger sensor. Would any reducing lens be useful to reduce the pixel scale some since I always binned my Nikon 2x2 anyway?

Thanks

[Allinthehead]

Another plus for the Zwo version is that you can use 1.25 filters. Afaik the Horizon needs larger ones.

[Adreneline]

I have a ZWI ASI1600MM-Pro, ZWO-EAF and ZWO-EFW and now control it with a ZWO-ASIair and I am loving the the ease of connectivity and control via wifi. With short focal length lens (200mm) and current mount (CEM25-EC) I am able to image without guiding, certainly for subs up to 180s; even at 300s I get no star trails.

[Whirlwind]

Are you intending to use the 250PX for imaging based on your profile or is there something else you intend to use?

 

 

[pipnina]

14 minutes ago, Whirlwind said:

Are you intending to use the 250PX for imaging based on your profile or is there something else you intend to use?

It seems I never updated my profile when I got the imaging setup earlier this year, I'll have to edit that!

I have a HEQ5-PRO and a 130-PDS with Baader Mk3 coma corrector that I currently use for photography. My 250PX sits on a dob and I use that for visual, though I've tried to get a few sneaky planet photos through it.

[Whirlwind]

OK so you probably wouldn't be able to get a focal length reduction without potentially running into focussing issues.  However, your pixel scale should be fine at 650mm focal length with that camera without the need to bin (but you can if you want).  One thing to note with the 1600 class cameras is that you get microlens artefacts because of how the CMOS is made (no AR coating apparently).  You might want to check some images of bright stars where this is obvious so you can determine whether you are happy with this effect.  An alternative would be the ASI183 which is a sony based camera and my understanding is that you don't get the same effect.  Disadvantage is that it is a smaller chip (although you can mitigate that somewhat by using a camera lens for very widefield views) and the smaller pixel scale which introduces greater challenges (though they are slightly cheaper).   Advantage of either of the CMOS is that they can have high frame rates so planetary imaging is possible with these too. 

It can also depend on what you want to image.  If you prefer large nebulae (e.g. M42) then the large chip would help.  If you prefer galaxies / planetary nebulae / planets then the larger chip isn't really necessary.