15 replies to this topic

[Neinball]

Ran across this camera on eBay, seller says when hooked to ascom it identifies itself as ZWO ASI4300MM (you can see it labeled on the mainboard in the photos too) but can't find info on it. Anyone ever seen one of these or know anything about it? Maybe an old APS-H CCD?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/326233830374

[Tapio]

That is odd looking camera (for ZWO design).
And quite high price if there's no information and drivers.

[vidrazor]

I think the only thing ZWO about that camera is the body cap.

 

Also, $1300 for a non-functioning camera is an even more expensive deal than a bridge you can buy in New York City...

[matt_astro_tx]

Perhaps it's a prototype unit that never made it to production.

[maxsid]

Why are you even interested in this? It looks bad.

I would play with it if it was $20.

[TareqPhoto]

For that price i prefer to buy an APS-C or -H DSLR/Mirrorless and modify it for astro.

[Neinball]

Why are you even interested in this? It looks bad.
I would play with it if it was $20.

I'm interested because I've never seen or heard of it, and am curious what it is,

[Neinball]

I think the only thing ZWO about that camera is the body cap.

Also, $1300 for a non-functioning camera is an even more expensive deal than a bridge you can buy in New York City...

If you look at the sensor face image it's got ASI4300 stamped on the circuit board, plus seller claims they've powered it on and it shows up as a ZWO camera on their PC, so it appears to be a legit ZWO camera. My thinking is it's likely an early limited run or developmental unit thats been forgotten about.

[Neinball]

Perhaps it's a prototype unit that never made it to production.

That's what I'm thinking, if you look and the photo of its back end it's got USB 3.0 port but also an old school 6 pin power port like what the ancient Meade Pictors used. I also just found out that Kodak made a 43mp industrial grade CCD sensor called the KAI-43140 that was also used by FLI in at least one of their astrocamera models. If I'm right on that then this would be a prototype high end camera from early in ZWOs existence.

[Neinball]

I think I figured out what it is. If you look at the pics it uses a USB 3.0 port but it also has a very dated power port type that was common in the early 2000s. And if it follows ZWO naming conventions the 4300 stamped on it denotes the resolution, and there's only one sensor from that time period that has that amount of resolution which is the monochrome Kodak KAI-43140 CCD, which was used in an FLI camera and various industrial systems. So this may have been an early attempt by ZWO to produce a high end camera that a developer, would be interesting to know for sure though.

[PIEJr]

Condition:
For parts or not working For parts or not working

 

Well sure. Just drop that $1300 for a look-see.

Are you crazy?

 

Yeah, it's a ZWO. See the cap somebody stuck on it?

That makes it Gen-U-ine. I garruntee.

 

Here found it.

[Neinball]

Condition:
For parts or not working For parts or not working

Well sure. Just drop that $1300 for a look-see.
Are you crazy?

Yeah, it's a ZWO. See the cap somebody stuck on it?
That makes it Gen-U-ine. I garruntee.

Here found it.

It says ASI on the camera itself not just the cap, it clearly has "ASI 4300" printed on the main board near where the sensor is soldered on, so I'd say that's a good indication that it's legit. But again this isn't a camera I'm considering buying, just one I was curious about.

[tloebl]

Drop a note to ZWO...

[Neinball]

Drop a note to ZWO...

I did, haven't heard back

[bugbit]

Mu guess is that this camera was made as a security camera for ASI security and some poor soul bought it off e-bay thinking it was a asi/zwo camera and is now trying to dump it.

[barrychapman]

Ran across this camera on eBay, seller says when hooked to ascom it identifies itself as ZWO ASI4300MM (you can see it labeled on the mainboard in the photos too) but can't find info on it. Anyone ever seen one of these or know anything about it? Maybe an old APS-H CCD?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/326233830374

this smells like a knockoff

 

the only thing branded ZWO on that thing is the cap