CMOS Camera ASI120MC - thoughts?

[Shooting_Star (Romina)]

Hi all,

Came across this CMOS camera when browsing an optics online store. I read the blurb and saw some images and it seems to good/easy to be true! I'm wondering if anyone has used one of these and whether it's usable with a Celestron Nexstar 5 SE?

There's a cheaper version too (ASI034MC), but I'm thinking it's not too big a price difference between it and the ASI120MC.

I'd love not to have to try planetary imaging with a DSLR as I think it's going to frustrate me (not that I've even tried it yet!) and I'd rather concentrate on trying to get some nice starscapes with my DSLR. I'm thinking if there's something specially designed for planetary imaging, I'd like to try it out. Any thoughts?

[billdan (Bill)]

Hi Romina,

The questions you have ask yourself is

1). How I am going to attach it to the telescope, can the camera's lens be removed and replaced with an adapter that fits into the telescope focuser. ( Probably unlikely)

2). What image format does the camera produce, i.e RAW or Jpeg. If it is only Jpeg which is 8 bit format then processing the image will be frustrating. If it does save in RAW format (12 bit) is this supported by any of the common astronomy stacking and processing software.

I see you have a Canon 1100D, you would be better off getting a T ring adapter for that. It has Live View which makes focusng a lot easier than looking through the viewfinder, and there are lots of astronomy software that supports Canon.

Regards

Bill

[Shiraz (Ray)]

the 120 is a better bet than the 034 (more pixels makes finding the target easier). It has a good reputation with the planetary imaging crowd. Maybe also consider the QHY5L2 which has the same chip.

It should fit straight in the scope via the 1.25 inch nosepiece (in place of an eyepiece). Use it at f10 for lunar imaging or with a standard 2x barlow for planetary imaging at f20. The mount should be able to track well enough to do the job for image sequences of at least a few minutes.

There is plenty of free software for it that is very comprehensive, but a bit complex to start with. Recommend Firecapture for getting the images and Autostakkert for stacking and processing them. Registax is also very good (especially for sharpening images) and something like GIMP or photoshop is useful for prettying up the final images.

I could be wrong, but I don't think that the 1100D supports raw video capture of a sub region on the chip, so it would not be very suitable for planetary imaging - where you will want to gather and stack hundreds (or even thousands) of frames at 30+ frames per second to reduce turbulence effects.

it will be frustrating getting it all to work and you will need to ask a few questions here, but it will be fun when you get that first sharp image of the moon.

[Shooting_Star (Romina)]

Thanks, gents, for the kind advice. It's sounding very interesting ... hmm

Thanks for the recommendations for software, as well, Ray. I've still got a lot to learn about processing the images!

With regards to using my DSLR, Bill, I am in the process of acquiring a telescope and the T-ring adapter so I can use the camera with the scope, too

I'm hoping all this setup will give me a variety of capabilities in terms of capturing different types of shots, and also help me learn to use different apparatuses.

[ZeroID (Brent)]

Got one, love it. Still learning the clever bits but already done some awesome moon pix. Done a wee bit of planetary but still getting to grips with that and it is DSO capable with the FireCapture sw it comes with. Also has an ST4 guide output and cable included.
Comes with nosepiece and a wide angle (skyview ) lens plus all the cables and a CDRom with software.
Buy direct from the supplier (ZWO) and it arrives in about 5 days.

[EricB (Eric)]

I have one for 2 years and I love it. It's great quality for a little price.

I have had no technical issue with it and would strongly recommend it.

Sam's service at ZWO is excellent.

Cheers,

Eric

PS For examples of what the camera can do in the hands of an inexperienced imager, visit the link in my signature. There are plenty of good pix on the web too.

[peter_4059 (Peter)]

Also have one - works fine. No issues.

[Shooting_Star (Romina)]

Thanks for the feedback, everyone, I think I'm leaning towards getting one in the near future

Great pics, Eric, thanks for sharing!