Altair Hypercam 269C PRO Color astro camera air-cooled Sony sensor D=21.8 mm

Altair Hypercam 269C PRO Color astro camera air-cooled Sony sensor D=21.8 mm


The Altair Hypercam 269C Pro is ideal for getting started with deep sky photography as an alternative to a DSLR or system camera.
♦ Sensor: SONY Exmor IMX269 Color CMOS sensor

♦ approx. 21 million pixels

♦ Sensor size: approx. 17.6x13.3 mm - diagonal approx. 21.8 mm

♦ Pixel size 3.3 µm - very high resolution - also ideal for moon and planetary photography

♦ No more annoying amplifier glow visible through effective suppression at normal gain levels

♦ Effective air cooling for rapid heat dissipation, no overheating of the camera with long exposure times

♦ 4 GB DDR3 RAM frame buffer for more stable data transmission

♦ Equipped with USB 3.0 interface

♦ Autoguider with ST4 interface

♦ With the purchase of this camera you will receive a one-year user license for the program SharpCap PRO

Altair Hypercam 269 PRO Fan-Cooled Color Astrocamera
This camera is an alternative to the DSLR SLR camera. The active air cooling dissipates the heat that is generated, and the noise behavior improves. However, icing problems or increased power consumption are not an issue. The power supply works simply via USB. This camera is a fine all-round solution for deep sky photography, but also for lunar and planetary photography. Due to the uncomplicated operation, it is also well suited for beginners.

Sony's modern IMX269 sensor offers high resolution and still very high sensitivity. Due to the very low amplifier glow, the camera is ideal for long exposures.

The main advantages of the PRO version:

♦ Temperature sensor with real-time data output
♦ ROI (Region of Interest) for cropping and thus faster photography when photographing the sun, moon and planets
♦ 4K mode (cropped!)
♦ Binning is supported
♦ Active fan cooling - higher efficiency than passive cooling such as DSLR or system cameras

One year license for SharpCap PRO for free!

Contains ultra-precise polar alignment help, optimization assistant for CMOS exposure times for deep sky objects, live stacking for EAA/video astronomy, live subtraction for dark frames and flats. Simply download the latest SharpCap, connect your camera, register it when the ad pops up and confirm your free license.

Easier than a DSLR, it doesn't need "astromodification" either.
The Hypercam is much easier to use and focus than a DSLR thanks to live preview using the standard AltairCapture and SharpCap software. You see a faint star clearly and in real-time because there is no video compression in between. You also don't need to modify the Hypercam to capture detail in red hydrogen light because there's no filter in the way that blocks that area. There are no heavy and unwieldy power connectors that can easily come loose and no mirror to cause vibration, but an output with true RAW mode. You get exactly what the Sony sensor "sees".

Low read noise.
Low read noise: The Sony IMX269 CMOS sensor has a very low read noise of approx. 2.6e and the usual properties such as high sensitivity, low dark current, no smear and excellent anti-blooming that you would expect from a CMOS sensor. Unity gain is 282 in high conversion gain mode and 565 in low conversion gain mode for SharpCap and most other image processing applications (2.82 / 5.65 in AltairCapture).

4 GB DDR3 buffer RAM - USB3.0 speed and USB2.0 reliability:
USB3.0 and on-board memory buffering results in much higher transfer speeds than USB2.0 cameras, but if, like many photographers, you prefer longer and more flexible USB2.0 cables because they connect to a USB2.0 Hub work more reliably, that's no problem either! The Hypercam is fully compatible with the USB2.0 protocol. Just install the software and get started!

Important: Windows PC hardware requirements for best performance

♦ Minimum CPU: Equal to i5 or higher
♦ Minimum memory: 8 GB or more
♦ USB port: USB2.0 high speed port or USB3.0 high speed port (best performance)
♦ Please note: some laptops and touchscreen notebooks may not have sufficient USB throughput.

Quality software and drivers included:
AltairCapture: Unlike the manufacturers of cheaper cameras, Altair Astro has spent a lot of time further improving the AltairCapture software with its many features and intuitive operation, it can be downloaded from Altair Astro Customer Support. AltairCapture is a stable 64-bit Windows application that allows full control of the camera in video or still mode.

It contains many automatic functions and supports all important file formats for astrophotography and professional scientific image acquisition in 16-bit, 12-bit or 8-bit modes. Furthermore, the popular programs PHD Guiding and SharpCap are also natively supported. ASCOM drivers can be downloaded from Altair Astro Customer Support. Driver updates are also available there as they become available. Installation is very easy and unlike cheaper cameras, you don't have to waste time tweaking .DLL files just to get the camera to work as expected.

SharpCap PRO:
Altair Astro has been working closely with SharpCap developer Robin Glover since 2015 to fully integrate the Altair cameras with SharpCap from the ground up. Now, Sharpcap PRO enables even more features with this camera, such as software-assisted polar alignment (more accurate than most other methods), live flat subtraction, and live dark frame subtraction. The fast, accurate polar alignment feature in SharpCap PRO is a lifesaver for photography, saving set-up time.

Cooling via fans:
The Hypercam is cooled with an internal, low-vibration fan. It can be switched on or off via AltairCapture and SharpCap, but you can also set the speed with these programs. Cool air is drawn in through vents on the side of the case, past a large internal heatsink. This is connected directly to the sensor, much like a computer CPU. The air flowing freely through the housing not only cools the sensor, but also all internal electronic components. Cooling is desirable, especially for long exposures, to reduce thermal noise. Some camera bodies get uncomfortably warm during a sun photography session and the sensor can reach 60 or even 70°C. This can lead to the electronics becoming fault-prone and unreliable. The Hypercam is designed for smooth, reliable solar photography using a solar filter or Altair sun wedge (Herschel wedge). When the fan is running, the Hypercam body will stay cool at all times.

auto guiding:
The camera has an ST4 autoguider connector and can be used for autoguiding with mounts from all major manufacturers that support the ST4 format, including iOptron, Celestron and Skywatcher. The IMX269 is more than sensitive enough for autoguiding.
Sensor: SONY Exmor IMX269 color CMOS sensor
Sensor size: 17.6mm x 13.3mm, diagonal 21.8mm
Vertical resolution: 3956px
Horizontal resolution: 5280px
Pixel count: 21 million
Pixel size: 3.3 x 3.3 µm
Bit rate: 8/12 bits
Data transfer: USB3.0 (USB.0 possible)
Cooling: fan
Power supply: USB
Autoguiding connection: ST4
Max. exposure time: 1000 sec
Case diameter: 65mm
Connection to the telescope: T2, 2", C-Mount
Distance T2 thread to sensor: 12.5 mm
Weight: 320g

♦ Camera with 4 GB DDR3 RAM and T2 connection
♦ 1.8m USB3.0 connection cable
♦ 1.5 m ST4 autoguider cable
♦ 2" plug-in connection with filter thread
♦ C mount connection
♦ UV-IR cut filter
♦ Cover caps
♦ Hex key
♦ Software available for download from the manufacturer (altaircameras.com)