Zwo 533

[Albir phil]

Hi just got a zwo533 ,never used a dedicated astro camera always DSLR modified.Hopeing for some advice on imaging with this camera, gain settings etc .thank to all .

[adyj1]

Well I'll start the ball rolling with what seems to work for me on the 533MC PRO (although I'm no expert, so I'll be keeping an eye out if there are better suggestions) ;

Gain 100

Bias 40

Temp -5   (the idea being this is almost as good as -10, but easier to achieve in the summer months)

exposure length 180s to 300s depending on target (although I've read arguments you don't need to go that long)

I take flats and dark flats, but don't take bias (because there's no amp glow to calibrate you).

I build a dark library that I don't refresh unless I make major changes to my imaging chain.

 

Remember there is also the 533MM PRO now, so if you have the mono version it may be different.

HTH

 

Ady

[OK Apricot]

This is the camera I bought to first get into astrophotography, and for a beginner it's definitely a good investment! It's a bit more forgiving when it comes to calibration frames - no amp glow and no strange behaviour with flats as with the 294 (from what I've read).

I use gain 101, offset 70 which is set by the ASIAIR, cooling at -10°C, and anywhere from 30s exposures for bright broadband targets, to 300s exposures for Ha/OIII targets depending on conditions, altitude, LP etc. Never had any issues with sensor dew/frost, vibrations, it's been an absolute pleasure to use so far. 

[Albir phil]

Thanks for the reply I will give it a go . It took me a while to decide on this camera, but i think it's a good choice from what I have read 

[bottletopburly]

Zwo 533mc Gain 100 (unity) offset 20 , -10 ,Darks and flat darks library, usually 180 sec exposures sometimes shorter depending on target .

Edited May 22, 2023 by bottletopburly

[CCD-Freak]

Use a UV-IR filter since the ASI533MC window is only AR coated.

Without the filter the red star on the left edge of the image is pink with micro lens artifacts.  IR leakage also messes with the color.

 

 

Edited May 24, 2023 by CCD-Freak

[CCD-Freak]

Here is the Iris with the same equipment and a Baader UV-IR filter....what a difference. (^8

 

 

[Ratlet]

5 hours ago, CCD-Freak said:

Here is the Iris with the same equipment and a Baader UV-IR filter....what a difference. (^8

 

 

You can see halos around some of the other stars as well, typically the redder ones, i wonder if they are related?  Had an interesting discussion with someone on here about what looked like a spherical nebula round a star but turned out that it was an IR pass in the their OIII filter.  It just happened that that particular star was pretty much one of the brightest stars in the IR spectrum in the entire sky.

[CCD-Freak]

Yes....there are several yellow stars that must have some IR in their spectrum which caused the pinkish halos and the overall color balance was off too.  The brighter blue stars also had blue halos around them as well.   The UV-IR filter cleaned up both problems so now I use it all the time when shooting with an ASI533MC camera so that I don't inadvertently discover shells of ejected mater around red stars.  

[900SL]

Seconded, I use a 1.25" Astronomik L2 UV IR filter screwed into the 533 or a 2" L3 farther out. Otherwise star bloat etc