[gregbradley]

Per your list of requirements there is only one camera that meets that and that is the QSI660 or 690WSG. I think that is around US$4,100 which would be outside your budget.

The SX Trius would come in under the budget with the USB filter wheel and OAG.

Sizewise the Sony is not that much smaller than the KAF8300. Well depth is similar with the Kodak a bit deeper. KAF8300 is about 15 x 12mm and Sony ICX694 is about 12 x 9mm.

I have had problems with star bloat but others have not so not sure what that is about. Shorter exposures do work as a strategy with this camera.

There are 2 areas where the Sony is considerably superior - much higher QE -77% and still 66% in Ha for the 694 and about 6 % less for the 814.

Low noise, the Sony is very clean indeed. I have a FLI Microline 8300 and it is also very noisefree at -15C on. I don't agree the KAF8300 is very noisy. You may be looking at poor quality electronics and confusing that with the chip. Older SBIG cameras were like that, the latest STXL are clean and the higher SBIG 8300 cameras have better electronics.
My Microline 8300 is pure clean at -20 and I run it at -35 to -40 where its super clean.

The Sony would be the one for narrowband. Its way more sensitive than the KAF8300 for narrowband. I am finding it is giving me superior results when using narrowband filters.

You'd have to work out the cost of the Trius 814, the USB filter wheel, the OAG and the larger filters (36mm) versus QSI all in one package with 31mm filters (the filters are closer to the sensor so they get away with smaller filters). Its probably much the same and if you add in the lower cost of 31mm narrowband filters, especially 3nm ones the QSI may be a tad cheaper. My choice would be the QSI as I find these all in one packages like the SBIG STL very appealling clean and simple solution. The 814 would be a good match for a shorter focal length refractor. Say US$4100 plus US$475 for some Astrodon I series LRGB, plus an SBIG STi or Lodestar X2 (Lodestar does not like CCDsoft and is oriented towards Maxim DL).

Greg.