SBig ST8300

telecasterguru (Frank) · #1 03-11-2009, 02:07 PM

I have just been reading about the new SBig ST8300 CCD camera. It looks very interesting.

They pushed it to -40C which is not too shabby.

It requires a special filter wheel to take 36mm filters as they claim ordinary filters do not cover the chip and will lead to vignetting. Why can't it just use 50mm filters?

As for price, well it is advertised at just under $2K US.

Should be worth a look.

Frank

AlexN · #2 03-11-2009, 02:16 PM

A certain supplier who is a member of this forum is accepting pre-orders now... I've just put my name down.. $2850 AUD... Cheapest KAF8300 based camera on the market.. I'll be using my FLI 2-5 filter wheel with the 2" filters I have.. I think the reasoning that SBIG are making the 36mm filters and filter wheel is because previously they have only made 1.25" CFW's, which will not cover the KAF8300 sensor, and their 36mm wheel and filters may well be cheaper than buying 2" filters and a wheel.. Apparently Baader, Astrodon and Custom Scientific will be making filters to suit the 36mm wheel... which means you should be able to get some very nice filters to suit the camera cheaper than normal. (all speculation with regards to it being cheaper..)

Santa's bringing me a COOOOOL present this christmas!

pvelez (Pete) · #3 03-11-2009, 03:12 PM

OK - name names

who and where?

Pete

AlexN · #4 03-11-2009, 03:28 PM

Contact ATS in Sydney!

Bassnut (Fred) · #5 03-11-2009, 04:51 PM

Well picked Alex, the price is exceptional given the features (I guess it has the new dual guiding features) and the opportunity to use the AO8, which is also cheaper than the other AO you mentioned in another post?.

Peter Ward · #6 03-11-2009, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bassnut

Well picked Alex, the price is exceptional given the features (I guess it has the new dual guiding features) and the opportunity to use the AO8, which is also cheaper than the other AO you mentioned in another post?.

The new ST8300 is not a dual chip camera, hence no self guide or AO.

It's 16 bit D/A, ultra low-noise, cooled, high res-sensor with 8.3 megapixels with excellent QE however make it rather attractive when compared to DSLR's

Octane (Humayun) · #7 03-11-2009, 05:06 PM

What's the pixel array count?

Regards,
Humayun

Bassnut (Fred) · #8 03-11-2009, 05:08 PM

Fair enough, given the price, NP.

AlexN · #9 03-11-2009, 05:09 PM

Fred, It doesn't have an internal guiding chip.. This one is in the same body as the old ST402ME... Its got the faster USB2.0 electronics, downloads the full 8.3mp frame in 7.7 seconds and cools to -40c.

The STX-8300 has a lot more features, but is listed at optcorp at a pre-order price of around $6000USD. With this camera I get the same imaging performance (perhaps slightly less cooling headroom, but I don't see myself trying to cool it past -15c anyway. I will continue to use my QHY5 for guiding the setup through an OAG infront of the filter wheel.. I have no need for Adaptive Optics at the 480mm focal length I image at..

This camera will do what I want it to though. Without a doubt, for narrowband, wide field imaging, this camera will put a smile on my face...

AlexN · #10 03-11-2009, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Octane

What's the pixel array count?

Regards,
Humayun

Total pixels: 3448 x 2574 (8.9mega pixel)
Active pixels: 3358 x 2536 (8.6mega pixel)
Pixel Size: 5.4um x 5.4um

Tandum (Robin) · #11 03-11-2009, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlexN

cools to -40c.

I read that as 40C below ambient, not -40C.

Bassnut (Fred) · #12 03-11-2009, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlexN

Fred, It doesn't have an internal guiding chip.. This one is in the same body as the old ST402ME... Its got the faster USB2.0 electronics, downloads the full 8.3mp frame in 7.7 seconds and cools to -40c.

The STX-8300 has a lot more features, but is listed at optcorp at a pre-order price of around $6000USD. With this camera I get the same imaging performance (perhaps slightly less cooling headroom, but I don't see myself trying to cool it past -15c anyway. I will continue to use my QHY5 for guiding the setup through an OAG infront of the filter wheel.. I have no need for Adaptive Optics at the 480mm focal length I image at..

This camera will do what I want it to though. Without a doubt, for narrowband, wide field imaging, this camera will put a smile on my face...

For 480mm, absolutely dont need pesky internal guide, sounds ideal

AlexN · #13 03-11-2009, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tandum

I read that as 40C below ambient, not -40C.

That is 40 below ambient. When you read about CCD's, their cooling is usually listed as the delta temperature change... not the temperature that it will get the sensor to.

The FLI ML8300 is nearly double the price of the ST8300, and cools a further 10c... We'll have to wait and see how long it takes the ST8300 to reach its temperature..

Fred - Yep, with the tiny little focal length I'm using, guiding via OAG should be easy as pie, and the 5.4um pixels should really make the difference over the 7.8um pixels in my current camera.

Octane (Humayun) · #14 03-11-2009, 06:15 PM

This is oh so very tempting.

One half of me says to invest, the other says to stick on mastering my DSLR first, as I know the images coming out of it are good.

Regards,
Humayun

telecasterguru (Frank) · #15 03-11-2009, 06:20 PM

Humayun,

My thoughts exactly. I get my 350D back from being modded this week so the decision is even harder.

Frank

AlexN · #16 03-11-2009, 06:20 PM

The decision to move from a tried and tested DSLR into the big scary world of monochrome CCD imaging can be a tough one there is no doubt about that... Its a big step too... from DSLR to Mono CCD with filters. That said, I dont think I've ever seen someone make the move to a CCD and turn back...

Looks like you've got a tough time ahead Humayun!

telecasterguru (Frank) · #17 03-11-2009, 06:25 PM

The cost of the filter wheel and filters will also have to be taken into account and this can be quite substantial. Can you image with no filters at all?

Frank

Tandum (Robin) · #18 03-11-2009, 06:28 PM

There is a colour version for the same price but you could image in mono only I guess ....

Does anyone know what thread is behind the 2" nosepiece?

The small light body accepts body accepts both c-mount and standard 35mm Nikon camera lenses ?

Bassnut (Fred) · #19 03-11-2009, 06:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Octane

This is oh so very tempting.

One half of me says to invest, the other says to stick on mastering my DSLR first, as I know the images coming out of it are good.

Regards,
Humayun

Ive seen you in action Humayan, a perfectionist, you would so benifit a cooled CCD, would take you instantly to another level

AlexN · #20 03-11-2009, 06:35 PM

Yep, filterwheel and filters costs some money... Yes you can image without filters... As robin said, there is a colour version of the camera available...

Robin, T thread mate.. T thread.