Looking for a good CS lens for an all sky camera?

[kbrown]

I'm in a process of making an all sky camera using a RPi 3B and an IMX219 based arducam camera module with motorised IR/UV cut filter and CS mount. A long time ago I bought this Fujinon zoom lens cheap off fleabay. By specs it should be okay but I feel it draws a bit soft especially at full aperture. It's a bit better if I close the iris a bit but I'm not sure I want to do that... That said, can anyone recommend a good quality CS mount prime lens for all sky purposes?

[tomato]

There is this one at ENS optical, it is where I purchased my ASC lens from.

https://ensoptical.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&path=3_5&product_id=12149

[kbrown]

Hmm... having second thoughts about my camera module now as well. The IMX219 is a rather small sensor (1/4") with small pixels (1.12 um).  The Raspberry Pi HQ Camera Module (IMX477) would have larger sensor with 1.55um pixels. With a 1.55mm lens it would capture the whole sky. Has anyone tried the HQ cam module as an all sky camera?

[Tomatobro]

Yes with the lens Tomato has and using meteotux software. Works ok.

Edited April 17, 2023 by Tomatobro
picture added (2 off)

[kbrown]

11 hours ago, Tomatobro said:

Yes with the lens Tomato has and using meteotux software. Works ok.

Looking good. What bortle skies are you under? Do you feel a mono camera with or without IR/UV block filter would be better?

[Tomatobro]

After building the camera (as above) I discovered an organisation called UKMON. I purchased one of their camera kits and now have a permanent meteor setup. If you are interested in meteors then this is the way to go. Yes it needs careful setting up but I had lots of help from the folks at UKMON. Every day I get an email of the UK's data capture (there are about 250 cameras UK wide) with lots of statistics and recordings of each event.

The data we capture is used by NASA and commercial satellite organisations and has discovered previously unknown meteor showers.

Currently the kits and raspberry pi's are in short supply but you can start by registering an interest if you want.

Edited April 18, 2023 by Tomatobro
picture added

[Graeme]

On 18/04/2023 at 09:00, Tomatobro said:

After building the camera (as above) I discovered an organisation called UKMON.

 

I've just subscribed!

Hope your sky is clear for the Lyrids.

Graeme

 

[Tomatobro]

 

59 minutes ago, Graeme said:

I've just subscribed!

If you get a camera every day you will find in your email inbox details of last nights captures with still and movie pictures from all the cameras that caught the meteor event. You also get a detail analysis of the meteor entry and loads of other statistics. My favourite is the jpg stack of all your captures for the night. Once set up it's a case of sit back and enjoy. One thing though is that is vital that the camera is not moved (even by a fraction) once calibrated. My window cleaner offered to point the camera down thinking that it was a security camera but luckily he checked with me first beforehand.

 

[Graeme]

On 16/04/2023 at 00:36, kbrown said:

I'm in a process of making an all sky camera using a RPi 3B and an IMX219 based arducam camera module with motorised IR/UV cut filter and CS mount. A long time ago I bought this Fujinon zoom lens cheap off fleabay. By specs it should be okay but I feel it draws a bit soft especially at full aperture. It's a bit better if I close the iris a bit but I'm not sure I want to do that... That said, can anyone recommend a good quality CS mount prime lens for all sky purposes?

 

The Pi Hut do Raspberry Pi is compatible CS-mount lenses. Don't know if one of those would be compatible with your arducam camera module.

I've got a ZWO ASI 224MC camera that came with a 150° wide angle lens, I'm hoping to use with my Raspberry Pi.

 

[kbrown]

1 hour ago, Graeme said:

The Pi Hut do Raspberry Pi is compatible CS-mount lenses. Don't know if one of those would be compatible with your arducam camera module.

I've got a ZWO ASI 224MC camera that came with a 150° wide angle lens, I'm hoping to use with my Raspberry Pi.

 

After thinking about it a bit more I actually decided to get the RPi HQ camera from the Hut and a 1.55mm CS fisheye lens from Ali. Module is already here. Be a couple of weeks until I get the lens. In theory it should be a good match. I'll let you know how it goes.

[kbrown]

The 1.55mm lens arrived today. Only took 9 days from china including a weekend.

 

Seems to be just as good match for the RPi HQ camera module as I was anticipating. The full circle just about fits in the frame vertically so in indi-allsky I just have to crop out equal amount from left and right of the frame. So far I've been just testing inside the house but I am very happy with what I'm seeing. Just need to get my 3D printer back in action so I can make an enclosure for this. Photos to follow when I get them.