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I think the QSI would also be a great choice but with the Aussie dollar being weak it becomes expensive. Although not too much considering the cost of a filter wheel, an OAG and all the adapters to attach them all. And then the possibiiity of tilt and flex.
But if you already have the filter wheel that is a saving.
QSI and FLI are 2 of the best out there. Starlight Express are also very good. I like the all in one design that really started with the SBIG STL series.
Several are now doing it and anyone with experience will know the advantages of a system that gets rid of potential flexure and misalignments. They really cost you sharpness in your images, probably more so than poor seeing.
As far as new Sony sensors I think the low noise Sony Exmor R CMOS sensors are already arriving. I notice there is a planetary cam with something like 1 electron read noise.
CMOS no doubt will be the longer term future but not for a while yet. My Sony A7rii sensor has less than 1 electron read noise at some ISOs. Too bad about the chromatic noise from long exposures!
QHY has a few Sony Exmor CMOS cameras listed on their site. No doubt some future release. Also what appears to be a high end Chinese back illuminated CCD that potentially could be interesting (it would have to prove itself).
As far as scaling pixel size to work out comparable read noise - where did that datum come from?
Sony ICX sensors are way cleaner and more sensitive than the Kodak KAF 8300. Look at the many KAF8300 images around. They are very good but tend to take lots of extra exposure time to arrive at a deeply saturated and clean image. The Sony would take considerable time off needed to achieve that result.
I think your ICX814 would be hard to beat unless you wanted to use it at long focal length but even there you could bin 2x2 and really slam it home.
Small pixels would still have plenty of resolving power at 2x2 with such low read noise.
Greg.
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