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I am using the Sbig ST-402XME for a guide camera as recommended by Eddie Trimarchi...very expensive but needed in my light poluted skies....guide software is CCDSOFT.
I too think its the best guide camera available with a much larger fov then the ST-4 with more sensativity.....all the better to find guide stars....it is not stand alone like the ST-4 so is perfect for me with a permanant set up...I also hate all the cables with the stand alone units....but saying this the ST-4 would probably be the most popular guide camera ever made for dedicated astronomers.....it is also getting a bit out dated now.
Good points on the 402XME...very sensative with the large chip.
Bad point......Very expensive for just a guide camera
I have tried the Sac-mintron, LPI, Toucam, Sac 4.2 and all are below par to guide with compared to the St402XME unless your at a dark site or have a bright star to guide on.
I dont want to push this camera as I feal it is way to much money to pay for just a guide camera but I will never bother with a cheap modded toy web cam again.
Guidemaster is a great free program for guiding..worth a try.
Here is a comparison shot I did of the same area with a toucam and the ST-402XME....the ST is 1sec exposure..the toucam is at it's longest exposure 1/25th second.
I also tried the LPI at 15 second exposures...could hardly see anything through all the noise...even at 15 second exposures it showed as much as the ST402XME could do in a 1/4 of a second exposure.
Ok I am finished bragging about the Sbig.....maybe the Meade DSI could be a good guide camera..????
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