Choose a webcam for planetary images

[solarboy]

Choose a webcam  for planetary images 

What do you guys out there use any recommendations info or tips. 

Regards Solarboy 

 

 

[vlaiv]

Do you mean web cam or dedicated planetary camera?

Things to look for are different between the two.

With regular web camera there are couple of things that you want:

1. Easy to modify so it can be used in prime focus - easy to remove front lens while making sure camera still works and making some sort of 1.25" nose piece or other kind of attachment to telescope

2. What sort of video modes camera supports - here I'm not talking about resolution (like 640x480 or 1920x1080) - I'm talking about video formats and bit rates. You want your video output to be in RAW format, but most regular web cameras don't offer this. They offer only compressed video formats - like mjpeg or mpeg4 or similar.

That is a problem because these video formats compress data by altering it slightly which is bad for lucky planetary imaging type and stacking.

3. You want camera that is capable of higher frame rates.

I used modded Logitech C270 camera

 

With dedicated planetary camera things are different because most dedicated planetary cameras offer all of the above - out of the box. That sort of makes them in a special "league" with respect to everything else - a top tier.

Here you need to take different things into account (some are the same):

1. Frame rate - same as above, but here you need to factor in USB2/3 - go for USB3 and make sure you have computer to support it - also USB 3.0 connection and SSD type drive.

2. Decide if you want to go for mono + filters or color type camera

3. Quantum efficiency of sensor - you want this to be as high as possible

4. Read noise of sensor - you want this to be as low as possible.

Used QHY5LII-c. Now have ASI185 and ASI178 - both color. I have ASI1600 as well that can be used in planetary role (although not the best stats listed above - it is mono and that has its advantages in certain applications).

If you want the best - go for ASI224. If that is small enough - go with ASI385.