Hi all
I have always opted for Paramounts since 2004, but then I met 10Micron at CEDIC in March and was most intrigued by the capabilities this mount is advertised as having.
I also met RASA - and after in depth discussions about how they have fixed any mirror shift/flop in this optical design (moreso in the 36cm than the other models), I got rather excited about the imaging potential this scope has at f2.2.
As you may know, the 36cm was only available to government institutions and the military, but has very recently become available to the public, so I grabbed one.
As you also know, getting the right camera for this instrument is critical given it is front mounted.
Anyway, as for today, assembly is complete (pic attached) but I have a long way to go before first light. I can say quite categorically having done many installations with different scopes and mounts, this has been the most challenging.
Watch this space - I hope to post a first light in the next few days.
Right now its a QHY183C but this camera is unsuitable due to the shallow well depth etc. I am using it to dial in the system. I will then shift to a fully modded Canon 5D MKIII and use that while I await the QHY600M/C to come out in late Jul.
Right now its a QHY183C but this camera is unsuitable due to the shallow well depth etc. I am using it to dial in the system. I will then shift to a fully modded Canon 5D MKIII and use that while I await the QHY600M/C to come out in late Jul.
so is the new qhy full frame? It would be an awesome mix. I was happy with the 11inch RASA, yours would be awesome. I found temperature shift with focus an issue.
That 60mp Sony backside illuminated full frame sensor is brand new. It hasn't even arrived in a Sony mirrorless camera yet. That was quite a win for QHY to get ahold of that. I am surprised Sony sold it to them so early on.
Its totally cutting edge.
How much is the expected cost of one of these?
60mp will be large files though. Probably about 65mb per image.
The QHY600 may end up being cheaper than that, as ZWO during NEAF announced that their version, the ASI-6200 will be around $5 - 6K.
That sounds more realistic.
It could be a very interesting camera.
Sony CMOS sensors have a lot of tech in them as Sony is the world's largest sensor maker.
The circuitry is on the back as its backside illuminated. It has gapless microlenses like most CMOS sensors do. It has copper wiring instead of the usual aluminium which increases throughput and lowers noise.
Its capable of a lot of frames per second and can do 8K.
Depending on your local sky brightness if you turn this on the helix it'd be interesting to see how deep you go. I tried with 11" at f1.9 from home but sky glow and LP were the limiting factors unfortunately.
Don't want to rain on your parade but I have yet to see an impressive astroimage from one of those types of scopes. Bloated stars, not sharp, lacking detail, not good contrast. Am I being too harsh?
I don't see how you can get awesome images from a giant corrector lens mass produced that would be hard to make really perfectly and to the standard of an APO scope. Also what standard are the mirrors? I did not think Celestron made 1/10th wave type mirrors.
Are there good example images around?
That Sony 60mp full frame sensor if it were a mono version, potentially would be an amazing beast. Nice on an FSQ, the smaller pixels and high MP could make for some really fine detailed images if you had good seeing.
Although you could find out how good or not from using a Sony A7Rii or iii on an FSQ and get an idea. Its much the same sensor with more MP and probably faster throughput. BSI, copper wiring, dual gain amplifier.
It may have some advanced Bayer matrix but that may be on the new 32mp sensor (most likely will appear in the upcoming Sony A7Siii).
I'd want to see what the A7Siii is first as its been promised to be more than expected and a new type of sensor is rumoured (different type of Bayer matrix and clever binning ability like in some smart phone cameras). It potentially would be the better sensor for astro (if they further fix the star eater issue which can cause some green stars in 25% of faint stars confused as hot pixels by a poorly designed spatial filter - Nikon also uses one but its better but still causes issues on some cameras). Canon thankfully have not adopted this spatial filtering of RAWs to reduce hot pixel noise (its not even that effective anyway).