Asi294mm or Asi2600mm

[MarkInSpace]

I’m trying to decide between getting an asi294mm or an asi2600mm to replace my asi294mc.
I’ve sold the MC, so now I need to make the decision.
I am on a limited budget, so the 294mm is pretty enticing.
I already have a 2” filter wheel and a 2” set of narrow band (HSO) filters.
Please let me know your thoughts.

[sunslayr]

How is this even a question? If you have the option of a 2600mm, go for it :rofl:

[gb44]

FWIW the 2600 is only a little bigger 4mm diagonally
Both are BSI and QE is 90%
The 2600 does have the heater so if you used a newtonian it would be less dew prone.
The 294 has the extra binning mode...
Id bet on the 294, and its available and costs less. :thumbsup:


GlennB

[sunslayr]

The 2600mm also has zero amp glow and greater dynamic range on top of the almost 50% greater area to frame your target. Worth the extra money if you ask me.

[AdamJL]

2600, agreed, not much of a contest.
Less calibration required (don't need to shoot darks) plus 16 bit.
You need more data from the 294 to match the 16 bit output on the 2600.

[Startrek]

Stretch your budget and get the 2600MM you will not regret it

[gregbradley]

I think that should Qhy294M versus ASI 2600 or WHY268.

Read some poor customer service and QC reports about ZWO.

I have the 294M and the QHY600M.

They are both very sensitive cameras. The 294 has 4.6 micron pixels (from memory) which are 2x2 binned out of smaller subpixels.
But it has some amp glow which does calibrate out but it means your calibration files need to be good and matching.

The 2600 is similar to the QHY600m just a smaller version of it. I find it handles much the same as CCD cameras and is not that fussy.

On some scopes you probably don't need darks nor flats. You will with the 294 mono.

I haven't used the 294 for a while but neither do I want to sell it. I'll put it to use at some point.

The usual reason someone would not get the larger sensor is to avoid having to buy larger filters which you already have.

Greg.

[The_bluester]

Personally, I have had a 294MC Pro, and a 2600MC Pro (Which I still have) and a 2600MM Pro.

If you can stretch to the full kit for the 2600MM I would (2" filter wheel which is designed for the job and the OAG likewise) you remove the tilt plate form the cam, direct fit the filter wheel, screw the OAG to the front of that and the tilt plate on the front of the OAG (Which is available in a number of thread sizes, M42 standard for on the 2600MM/MA plus M48, M54 and M68 versions available)

I would never buy another camera that I could not calibrate flats with a master bias, it makes the capture and processing workflow so much easier. Either of the 2600's I have are vastly easier in calibration than the 294 was. I do generally use a library of master darks but you can get away with a master bias instead, I use the master bias if I have shot an oddball exposure length that I did not create a master dark for. The 294MC (I presume the MM as well) do not produce meaningful bias frames which means for flats you need to use a fixed exposure length which means a flat panel and matching length darks to calibrate the flats. With the 2600 (Both of them) I have Voyager shoot dawn flats each imaging run (Which can vary from about 45 seconds down to 0.2 seconds as the sky brightens up and it cycles through the filters in the case of the MM) and calibrate them with a master bias, job done. Then I calibrate the lights with the master flat and the matching master dark.

I also specifically held off for the 2600 to go mono for the 16 bit conversion as to my line of thinking (As an ex tech) the 16 bit conversion expands the range of the camera significantly and I expected better star colours as at the closest gain to unity (All gain settings on the 2600 are above unity) the 2600 has 51Ke full well compared to the 294 with 16Ke. Subjectively it does and you can go much longer exposure before the brighter stars start to saturate. I just had a look back at some old data and I shot Centaurus A with the same scope with both the ASI294MC and the 2600MM. There are more saturated pixels in a 300 second exposure with the 294 through the bayer matrix than in a 600 second lum with the 2600MM.

[toc]

you might want to also checkout the RisingCam version of the 2600:

Colour:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4001359313736.html

Monochrome:https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002673884516.html?spm=a2g0o.sto re_pc_home.hotSpots_6001922564357.1

Much cheaper than the QHY or ZWO - apparently they work well in NINA.

[gregbradley]

The body looks exactly the same as a ZWO just a different colour.

Greg.

[Startrek]

Here’s a review on the Blue 2600

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sg-Bxc22e6Q

[MarkInSpace]

Looking at the Risingcam Monochrome 26mp SONY imx571... I am tempted.
I will mean I cannot use the ASIAir, which I have come to really like, but that may be the required trade off.
Any thoughts on getting this camera?

[sunslayr]

The downsides I can see would be the fixed 17.5mm backfocus from the t-thread on the front. The zwo model has a tilt adapter that can be removed for an extra 5mm. So check before buying that it will work in your set-up. Also warranty claims may be difficult so make sure you can afford to roll the dice on it.

[ChrisV]

Go the bigger camera!!

You won't need 2" filters. 36mm is enough for aps-c. Maybe could sell and downsize those of budget is an issue?