Reluctant Sale - Quantix 6303e research grade CCD camera
(Roper Scientific/Photometrics USA)
New condition – unused except for testing.
This is a professional grade scientific camera from circa 10 years ago,
and at that time was at the top end of the professional research market (much higher standard than the common amateur camera brands we all know). These were very expensive cameras in their day.
The camera here does not have a shutter but can be modded to take one. The 6303e chip is class 2 and has no column defects I can see. Deep chilling of the chip will make the class 2 sensor perform like a class 1 or better.
The Quantix camera outfit here will cool down to minus 40 celsius below ambient temperature and comes with a high quality regulated power supply, long cables, a detachable lens for scientific imaging and a dedicated PCI interface card. Maxim DL can be used to control the camera. See the Photometrics website for a copy of the user guide. This is a very well made camera.
Cloudy Nights has a thread on use and modification (shutter addtion) of these Quantix cameras. Users report a lot of success with these cameras for very low cost. http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthrea...l/fpart/1/vc/1
Current Kodak 6303e chipped CCD cameras usually retail for about 6-7K US minimum and generally cost around 10K US for high performance systems.
The Kodak 6303e sensor is still arguably the best large CCD chip out there for narrow band imaging, having excellent QE.
I did have plans to have the 6303 chip removed and put into an Apogee camera body but due to time and financial circumstances I am shelving these plans.
Apogee indicated it would cost between US2000-$3500 to ‘convert’ using the Quantix 6303 chip depending on cooling preference for the Apogee camera body – this will get you a modern 6303 based camera at a MUCH lower cost than usual.
These Quantix cameras are for sale on Ebay for about US$1000 plus shipping
I am selling mine for $850 plus postage.
PMs only please.
Thanks for looking
Guy
Last edited by Doomsayer; 04-06-2013 at 05:52 PM.
Reason: pending sale
I have one of these and they are incredible. You get a $7000 camera except that the Quantix actually has better cooling. It can also take water cooling. Any serious mono imager should jump at this.
hi,
any examples of images taken with this camera?
can the cooling temperature be controlled?
is PCI the only interface available? can it be used with a filter wheel?
Hello. This camera has mostly remained in the shipping box. I have a dark frame somewhere, but I have never bothered to use it for imaging as it requires a shutter housing to be made and an electronic shutter added - which was my initial intention to do, but that project has now been shelved. The CN thread will show some images taken by other users of this type of camera.
Adding a filter wheel depends on what type of connection you decide to integrate into the shutter housing. I have seen FLI filter wheels connected to these modded cameras via an SCT thread.
This is a bare camera which does not include a shutter. Still a very cheap deal for either an ATM project or a conversion. PCI is the only interface for the existing body... You have to get the chip put in a contemporary camera body to get USB or better.
Cooling does seem to be regulated and it goes 40 below ambient temperature I think - but perhaps I am wrong on that one.
Thanks , guy
Last edited by Doomsayer; 30-05-2013 at 04:49 PM.
Reason: Additon
Mmm, would a blank slot on a filter wheel do as a shutter?
Eg move from the blank to a colour, take a short exposure to empty wells (having possibly rotated over several other filters), take proper long exposure and then back to blank slot?
Hello. This camera has mostly remained in the shipping box. I have a dark frame somewhere, but I have never bothered to use it for imaging as it requires a shutter housing to be made and an electronic shutter added - which was my initial intention to do, but that project has now been shelved. The CN thread will show some images taken by other users of this type of camera.
Adding a filter wheel depends on what type of connection you decide to integrate into the shutter housing. I have seen FLI filter wheels connected to these modded cameras via an SCT thread.
This is a bare camera which does not include a shutter. Still a very cheap deal for either an ATM project or a conversion. PCI is the only interface for the existing body... You have to get the chip put in a contemporary camera body to get USB or better.
Cooling does seem to be regulated and it goes 40 below ambient temperature I think - but perhaps I am wrong on that one.
Thanks , guy
Just for the record: the cooling is much stronger than -40 delta, I have seen -50 delta on my old quantix.
Fred.... That might work well, as long as stray light etc is managed. Other cameras use a rotating disc to do a similar thing. Not an expert on that one.
Guy
The interface on the camera is actually SCSI, I have used it with other scsi cards successfully, and yes it maintains -50 delta without a hassle, it will go colder if you use water cooling (which the camera has built in, just add a pump and reservior.) The camera is temp controlled.
These cameras were over $20,000 new...
Which shutter did you add on.
I'm interested in this and have gone through the shutter mod which looks straight forward, but in terms of pixel scale, can someone tell me how this would work with an F4? the pixel size is 9um, is this good or bad for short focal length scopes? I have a 10inch F4 and a GSO 6" RC @F9
Also how heavy is this and is the weight of the scsi cable an issue?
is the sensor sealed, so no frosting or dew issues?
9 um seems to be the standard pixel for many people working with wider field scopes. Eg kodak11000 and 16803 chips also have 9 um. Plenty of good results out there with that pixel size.
Cables are heavy. Camera is heavy. This is a research grade camera so I guess reliability and performance of the connections and hardware is king here.
Again, if you want compact size and easy consumer grade connectivity transfer the 6303 chip to an alternative camera body. Still a cheap deal if you do that.
Guy
Fred.... That might work well, as long as stray light etc is managed. Other cameras use a rotating disc to do a similar thing. Not an expert on that one.
Guy
Just found maxim DL has "use filter wheel as shutter" function built in
Which shutter did you add on.
I'm interested in this and have gone through the shutter mod which looks straight forward, but in terms of pixel scale, can someone tell me how this would work with an F4? the pixel size is 9um, is this good or bad for short focal length scopes? I have a 10inch F4 and a GSO 6" RC @F9
Also how heavy is this and is the weight of the scsi cable an issue?
is the sensor sealed, so no frosting or dew issues?
