ASI 2600MM duo

[Geochron (Jon)]

looks like ZWO have produced a mono version of the ASI 2600 duo. Nice review here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOvRumYgFco

[Nikolas (Nik)]

Unfortunately if you have a refractor at f5 or above and use the better 3nm narrowband filters the performance is flaky or may not guide at all.

[Geochron (Jon)]

definitely a niche product...but great for those who can use it.

[Dave882 (David)]

Originally Posted by Nikolas

Unfortunately if you have a refractor at f5 or above and use the better 3nm narrowband filters the performance is flaky or may not guide at all.

This would certainly be my concern as well. Although I see some reviews/reports on CN online saying the osc version it still seems to work ok with dual-narrowband filters…

[Nikolas (Nik)]

Hi Dave
I'm specifically mentioning 3nm filters such as the optolong L-Ultimate as they are the most problematic with slowish scopes even with the colour version.

[Leo.G (Leo)]

Pardon the ignorance (I haven't watched the video) but what does a dual camera do?
I needn't ask, it's out of my price range but I saw mention of the dual units and I'm a little confused.
I guess the video would probably explain it to an idiot like myself?

looks like ZWO have produced a mono version of the ASI 2600 duo

And talk about confusion, a mono of a duo?
I know, while claiming to be an idiot I'm not that big of an idiot, Mono as in not colour as implied by the ZWO MM designation.


It did hit me at first as confusing.

[floyd_2 (Dean)]

Hi Leo,
this is a version of the camera with both a main chip, and also an offset smaller chip for guiding. It's sort of an all-in-one camera that also does the work of an off axis guider, but without a separate OAG unit and camera.

I'm pretty sure that the current version is only an MC (colour) version. The introduction of an MM version (mono) might be interesting for some. The problem as I see it is that if you use filters, you only receive the filtered light to the main imaging chip AND the guiding chip. This may not be enough light for guiding. However, with a normal OAG setup, you can pick the light for the guide camera before the filter (if you use a filter) giving you an unmodified clean light source for guiding. You can also rotate the position of the guide camera separately to the main imaging camera when using a normal (not duo) setup to find more guide stars if the field is a little on the sparse side. This helps with framing whilst finding the best guide stars.

This is where the comments of the DUO being a little limiting come from. Of course, you also can't later upgrade your guide camera in the DUO without needing to either sell, then buy a new camera - or waste the onboard guide camera and use a separate OAG setup / camera.

Dean

[Leo.G (Leo)]

Thank you Dean!
I was wondering if it may have been a guide camera.