15 replies to this topic

[CTerry]

Which one and why? budget is max $600. and id rather not go used unless someone has a wicked good offer.

 

Im looking to upgrade from my asi290mc and turn it into a guide camera and would like to venture into minor DSO stuff as well as still be able to record planetary bodies and lunar.  Ive been looking into these cameras mainly because they are familiar to use and they offer a larger FOV.  specs wise i think the 585 is the most versatile, but i really like the large fov on the 183 just not the small well and read noise.  and the 14bit and large full well of the 533 are nice also.  so im torn... love to hear from people that have experience with the cameras and see what they think or if they have regrets, etc.

 

thanks

 

gear im using is pretty standard stuff.

 

8" meade sct @ f/10 for now. will be getting .63x eventually.

piggybacked orion st80x400 f/5 (nothing special but works nice)

and 50x240 svbony guide scope will hold the 290 for guiding

sitting on top orion sirius eq mount and tracking nicely 

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[alphatripleplus]

Do you intend to do EAA with the camera, or are you looking to do AP? You'll get suggestions here for EAA usage not AP.

[SchoolMaster]

You live in a coolish climate, so I'd recommend the uncooled IMX533 color camera, for EAA.  You'll need a decent sized sensor before you get your reducer.  It's within your budget.

 

The 533 is similar in technology to the 585, but about twice the area at less than twice the price.  The cleanness and convenience is worth it to me over the 183, which also has smaller pixels than I would prefer for a color camera on an 8" SCT.

 

The uncooled 294MC is what I use, but I'd still recommend the 533.  Using Region Of Interest (ROI) the 533 can be used as a planetary camera too.

 

The 585 is an excellent 'starter' camera, but I think that you are past that point.

 

Unless you have a substantial and accurate EQ mount, anything but dabbling in AP is out of the question.

Edited by SchoolMaster, 26 January 2023 - 07:28 AM.

[CTerry]

Mainly EAA. Ive been recording planets and the moon for a long while now and just wanted to get into something bigger and more colorful. just expand the hobby a bit. i like the 290mc i have but its fov is just really small.

[SchoolMaster]

Mainly EAA. Ive been recording planets and the moon for a long while now and just wanted to get into something bigger and more colorful. just expand the hobby a bit. i like the 290mc i have but its fov is just really small.

I love my mono 290, which is great for galaxies, once you can get the camera on target, which is problematic at f/6.3.  The 585 would be meaningfully bigger.

 

This is $600 https://player-one-a...-camera-imx533/

 

This is $400 https://player-one-a...-camera-imx585/

 

The two sensors are the same width, but the smaller is about 56% smaller in area and has smaller, 290 sized, pixels.

 

My 290 mono is a PlayerOne and I would buy another of their cameras.  My other cameras are ZWO and just fine too.

Edited by SchoolMaster, 25 January 2023 - 07:47 PM.

[YoYoYoMikey]

I'm a fan of the Player One 533 I have used it on all 3 of my scopes and made some nice EAA pics.

[cnbilbo]

If you've not done so already, Try the 290mc on your 80mm first. It's not going to give the greatest images in the world, but it will give much faster, more detailed, wider views. and make things much more enjoyable (unless you've got a really bad one). Then try to go back to the SCT. You'll soon realise that f10 is really tough even for EAA. After you've absorbed everything, sit back and think the next step through.

I have both the 183 & 585, both excellent cams, but small pixels better suited to a small faster frac and I hope my new(used) Hyperstar.

 

Steve

[oneuke]

I have the c6 hyperstar and 585.  Worked very well for my first light without any filters, flats or darks. Hoping the weather clears for me to do things properly.

[steveincolo]

If you've not done so already, Try the 290mc on your 80mm first. It's not going to give the greatest images in the world, but it will give much faster, more detailed, wider views. and make things much more enjoyable (unless you've got a really bad one). Then try to go back to the SCT. You'll soon realise that f10 is really tough even for EAA. After you've absorbed everything, sit back and think the next step through.

I have both the 183 & 585, both excellent cams, but small pixels better suited to a small faster frac and I hope my new(used) Hyperstar.

 

Steve

And the next step I'd recommend would be adding a reducer to the SCT and trying the 290MC again.  Used reducers are commonly available for about $100 in the classifieds here.  

[SchoolMaster]

$90 new from our sponsor Astronomics.

 

https://www.astronom...-flattener.html

[steveincolo]

$90 new from our sponsor Astronomics.

 

https://www.astronom...-flattener.html

I wonder how that one compares optically with the Celestron.  Probably very similar.

[SchoolMaster]

I wonder how that one compares optically with the Celestron.  Probably very similar.

One of my two is that, the other is a Celestron.

[wargrafix]

I am a user of the 533MC-Pro for livestacking/EAA. Its really really really good! Wonderful color reproduction and the sensor is really clean.

[CTerry]

Thanks a lot for the info everyone. always glad to hear about experiences. 

 

think im leaning towards a 533mc. seems like all the right features and i knows its been proven to be a great camera. Just need to convince the wife to let me spend $600 on a silly camera. lol  

[nicknacknock]

Easy. Spend $1,200. $600 for you and $600 for her.

[CTerry]

im lucky... i spend $600 on telescope stuff and she spends money on fixing up the house cause she likes it. so win win? lol