ZWO ASI2600MC Pro / cooled Color-Astro Camera - CMOS - Sensor D= 28,6 mm

Cooled USB 3.0 APS-C format color astro camera with powerful 23.5 x 15.7 mm back-illuminated CMOS sensor with 16 bit for astrophotography

♦ Powerful Peltier cooling

♦ Sony IMX571 APS-C format color sensor - back-illuminated

♦ High resolution due to 3.76 µm pixels

♦ 16 bit ADC - dynamic range like a CCD sensor

♦ Anti-dew heater already installed

♦ No amplifier glow

♦ Telescope side connection: M42x0.75 female thread

♦ Working distance only 17.5 mm from the internal thread


 

ZWO ASI2600MC Pro - powerful color astro camera of the latest generation

ZWO has taken another step forward with this new camera. The colour sensor in APS-C format convinces with its extremely high sensitivity and 16-bit data depth. Even with longer exposure times, the stars will not burn out. You get a much better dynamic.

One of the outstanding features of the ASI 2600MC Pro is its sensational light sensitivity. The QE of 80% by the BACK ILLUMINATION technology and the non-existent amplifier glow make the camera very suitable for all astronomical applications, but especially for deep sky astrophotography.

The "single shot" colour camera offers more comfort than monochrome cameras. Not everyone wants to go through the laborious L-RGB process for beautiful coloured nebula or planet images. The color cameras offer you the possibility to get beautiful pictures without changing filters. In direct comparison to the DSLR camera, the ASI camera convinces with a much higher light sensitivity, a smoother image and significantly more depth. Stars don´t burn out that easy.
 

Further advantages and product features of the ASI 2600MC Pro color camera:

♦ USB 3.0 for fast download - can also be used with USB 2.0
♦ DDR3 memory buffer for stable data transfer with USB2.0 - minimizes frame dropping
♦ No amplifier glow!
♦ Powerful Peltier cooling up to 35 °C under ambient conditions
♦ One of Sony´s most light-sensitive CMOS sensors
♦ High resolution by 3.76 µm pixels - ideal for fast and sharp telescopes like Apos, Hyperstar, Celestron Faststar, Newtonian telescopes etc.
♦ Supplied with IR cut filter - no problems with refractive optics
♦ Distance T2 connection thread (female thread) to camera sensor: 17.5 mm
♦ High sensitivity - QE over 80% - ideal astronomy camera for low-light objects
♦ 16-bit ADC: you can achieve a depth like CCD cameras, but with a much higher sensitivity.
 

Application areas of the camera:

♦ Deep-sky images (nebulae and galaxies): Due to the high sensitivity, nebulae and galaxies are imaged after only a few seconds. The camera can be cooled up to 35 °C below ambient temperature. This further reduces the already low noise. By raising the GAIN (comparable to the ISO setting for digital SLR cameras), you can reduce exposure times to less than 30 seconds. Effects caused by air turbulence or inaccuracies in the tracking are thus eliminated.

♦ Moon and planetary images: Extremely short exposure times due to high sensitivity freeze the air turbulence. Due to the high resolution of the sensor, many details can be imaged even with a shorter telescope focal length. Video astronomy is also possible.
 

Back illumination technology

Sony’s back-illuminated CMOS image sensor improves sensitivity and noise reduction – the key factors to enhancing image quality, while radically realigning their fundamental pixel structure from front-illumination to back-illumination. It has retained the advantages of CMOS image sensors such as low power consumption and high-speed operation.

The backside exposure improves the light absorption and increases the amount of light at the same time. This allows significantly shorter exposure times and leads to an improved quantum efficiency of 80%.

Sony has newly developed a unique photo-diode structure and on-chip lens optimized for back-illuminated structures, that achieves a higher sensitivity and a lower random noise without light by reducing noise, dark current and defect pixels compared to the conventional front-illuminated structure.
 

Zero amp glow

Traditional CMOS sensors produce a weak infrared light source during operation quite often seen in the corner of uncalibrated images as the tell tale signs of ‘amp glow’. As the ASI2600MC Pro uses zero amp glow circuitry, you won’t have to worry about amp glow even when using high gain, long exposure imaging.
 

Anti-dew heater integrated

The ASI2600MC Pro comes with the polyimide heater that can avoid any dew problems.
The anti-dew heater, which fits completely onto the protective window, heats it up slightly to prevent condensation problems.
The power of the anti-dew heater is approx. 5 W. It can be turned off in the software to save power.
 

Important: external power supply required!

This camera requires 1 amp even in uncooled operation, which is a problem for USB sockets on computers, because they are only rated for 900 mA (0.9 A).

Stable operation of the camera is therefore only possible with an external 12 V power supply.
 

Optimal support before and after the purchase through Teleskop-Service:

We work with the cameras ourselves and can offer you optimal advice. Which camera fits to your telescope, how do you achieve the optimal adaptation? Teleskop-Service is one of the largest ZWO dealers. Through our contacts we also offer the best possible service after the purchase.
 

Practical tip 1 from TS: Integration of 2" filters, 360° rotation and quick coupling

The camera is often used on correctors that do not have a filter thread. In addition, the filters should always be used as close as possible to the camera. Here we offer you a solution that can do much more.

♦ 2" filter holder directly in front of the camera
♦ 360° rotation for the right choice of the image section
♦ Quick release - you can remove the camera from the remote ear at any time, without screws and thus entangling the cables

The adaptation is very simple, the 21 mm T2 extension is replaced by:

♦ 1x TSROTT2-T2 and 2x T2AbstimmA1

One tuning ring comes to the camera side, one tuning ring comes to the telescope side of the rotator. Then screw on the M42-M48 adapter with 16.5 mm length and you are in the right distance with the camera.
 

Practical tip 2 from TS: Storage of cameras and accessories

Especially in our latitudes, the nights are often very humid. This humidity condenses on your camera, eyepiece or filter when they come into the warm interior of the apartment. Especially cooled cameras are affected by this. Quickly a photo session is over because the sensor ices up.

Good storage is an important prevention against dew and also extends the life span.

After use, put the camera immediately into the TS Protect Case and add some silica gel. During storage, the silica gel will suck the moisture out of the camera. At the same time, the penetration of humid room air is prevented. Dry storage even allows the small dry tablets in cooled cameras to partially regenerate. Your camera or accessories are always ready for you in optimal condition. You can find the silica gel and the case in our product recommendations.

 

Sensor:	Sony IMX571 (back-illuminated CMOS color sensor)
Sensor size:	23.5 mm x 15.7 mm, diagonal 28.3 mm
Pixel size:	3.76 µm
Resolution:	26 megapixels
Pixel array:	6248x4176 pixels
Exposure Range:	32 μs to 2000 s
Frame rate:	3.51 fps
ADC:	16 bit
Cooling:	Powerful Peltier cooling - 35 °C below ambient
Full well:	50 ke
Readout noise:	1.0 to 3.3 e-
Sensitivity:	Peak 80% QE
Zero amp glow design:	Yes
Window type:	IR cut
Anti-dew measures:	Anti-dew heater, 5 W, can be turned off
Data interface:	USB3.0 (USB2.0 compatible)
Power consumption:	12 V, 3 A (power supply not included)
Telescope connection:	M42x0.75 female thread
Working distance from female thread to sensor:	17.5 mm
Diameter:	90 mm
Length:	97 mm
Weight:	0.7 kg

In the box:
♦ Camera
♦ Case
♦ USB 3.0 cable (2 meters)
♦ 2x USB 2.0 cable (0.5 meter)
♦ M48 T2 adapter - length 16.5 mm
♦ T2 extension - length 21 mm
♦ Adapter from M48 to T2 without effective length
♦ ASI Quick Guide
♦ 2" dust cap
♦ Hexagon wrench