Support me on Patreon!: www.patreon.com/cuivlazygeek QHY's $200 Planetary QHY5III715C camera: bit.ly/43glY6i David Huff's Astrobin: www.astrobin.com/users/Deep_Space_Dave/ Dylan's review of the camera: ruclips.net/video/WYb5d5-5aWw/видео.html
I have been in contact with QHL and they tell me this is only a colour camera when binned at 1x1 if you use 2x2 or 4x4 it fails and produces a strange blue colour. This should have been made clear. I shall be returning mine.
@@KenHonour thanks for letting us know! I didn't test binning, since it's CMOS binning, which I would advise never to do in a CMOS camera anyway (better to resample in the processing software). From what you're saying, it's doing super pixel binning effectively (which should NOT be Debayered, but treated as a monochrome image). I personally prefer this approach to color binning (which reaches further away for the nearest pixel of the same color, sacrificing more resolution - I don't think it would be a good fit for this camera). But either way, I don't think the in-camera binning functionality should be used unless you have a specific reason for doing so. The exact same (and better) can be achieved in post, off camera. Good luck!
Hey Cuiv! Thanks for letting people know about my AstroBin account so they can see for themselves what can be achieved when you pair tiny pixels with fast glass! I am very pleased you were able to achieve similar results with the QHY5III715C camera and I too wish QHY and other vendors would create a cooled version of some sensor that is under 2 microns so we can get more details with our shorter focal length scopes. As always awesome video and review! Clear Skies!
This is one of your best videos: I'm not a billionaire, so your analysis of this $200 camera - is extremely helpful. Thank you, Sir - if you have the time and resources, I really appreciate your reviews of items that are a little less costly than the best of the best, top-of-the-line equipment. I just can't afford the best of the best, (I must look to the less costly alternatives) but I still want to have a little fun, with reasonable results. Thank you. For me, to me - this video is extremely relevant.
Thanks for your feedback, this is really good to hear and helpful for me! There are many planetary cameras that can be used for deep sky, and this is one of them - its tiny pixels mean it's probably best for large aperture telescopes like that 6 inch Newt!
Great experiment Cuiv! I couldn't do the same with my larger FL as it didn't make sense, but it's definitely an ideal camera even then for small targets. And thanks for the shout out too :)
Im shocked when you put the two photos up side by side the planetry camera looked surprisingly good. Especially on my big screen tv if I was sitting further away. Close up you can really see the noise but still its surprising how extra detail jumps out on the qhy.
I use a small sensor Mallincam planetary/guide camera for my Astro camera (Sony IMX 224 colour sensor). It is good for EAA and for planetary, planetary nebula, and galaxies that are not too big. I actually use it on a Nexstar 8SE on an Alt/Az mount with 10 second subs and digitally align the image. What I like is that with this image scale, the pixel size more closely matches the resolution of my telescope. This really helps to get closer to the theoretical resolution of my telescope and punch through atmospheric distortion with lucky imaging and time domain transformations (what you call convolutions). Modern software is great for eliminating noise now too. The main disadvantage is that my telescope has a long focal length and I get a very small field of view. The ring nebula is a very nice deep space object with my camera and looks as good as I have seen in any other photo. It was the first time I produced an image that looked like on the boxes of the old Celestron telescope use to show in the 70s. I am an old guy and have been amazed how modern cameras and software are revolutionizing our hobby. Unfortunately I am also saddened how light pollution and my aging eyes are seeing the glory of the night sky disappear before my eyes. I use to go to my grandmother’s house and the Milky Way was so bright it cast a shadow.
Love this sort of content! Much more interesting than a camera review! Out of the box experimentation. Great job! You should team up with astrobiscuit?
@@CuivTheLazyGeek Yeah, but this is of the same ilk an super interesting. Especially that you're doing it with a big newt and a combination of modern tools and software. Would love to see more of this idea refined!
You should try the ASI585MC planetary camera. The IMX585 is one of Sony's newer chips designed for better night security camera. I have used it for a year2 now and have had great results with deep sky. Also no amp glow.
I've been using a ZWO ASI 120 MC-S planetary camera for two years and doing Deep Sky imaging! It works great for taking photos of star clusters. Not so much for doing galaxies.
Very interesting experiment and useful insights relative to pixel size, focal length, under/over sampling... So much to learn! Really enjoy your content!
Merci Yannick! C'est chouette de voir que tu as retrouvé la banane, et que tu nous produis à nouveau plein de vidéos intéressantes... Vivement la prochaine, déjà! Stéphane.
Hi Cuiz, I've been using the ZWO ASI678MC planetary camera for DSOs, primarily galaxies. I've been having good results with it. The challenges I've been having are with SNR. I'm trying to make a peltier cooler for it to decrease the noise. I have been taking 1 to 2 minute subs, but you've given me a great idea with trying even shorter subs. I would love to see a cooled planetary camera myself. Thanks for the video and the great ideas!
Thanks Cuiv, this is really interesting and thankfully agreed with what I've been working towards for some time. Using my low read noise asi178mm with my equatorial mounted 16" f4.5 with goto and tracking better than 1arcsec. I'm just doing a number on it to improve the optics including work on cooling, mirror cell, flocking, baffles, shroud, shield, blackening paint and spider so your video on the little Quattro has also helped a lot thanks. Gradually getting towards where this video is in terms of overcoming seeing, fantastic keep them coming, all your vids are great. Thanks Nick
That's been my intent but similar to you Quattro getting it optically performing with all the mods is so important. I moved to nina to get access to the online plate solving so everything you do is perfect for me. Great and really really useful fantastic vids - definitely not lazy, cheers Nick
Great video Cuiv! There's a saying: "You can't teach an old dog new tricks ...." Perhaps you can. This is a great camera for the money. I'm glad you reviewed it. Thanks.
This is an excellent example of how DSO imaging doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. I started out kind of similarly, with an ASI120MC. It of course has 3.8 micron size pixels, so much larger than the new QHY but still a tiny FOV. Especially since I was using it at 1200mm focal length. I was sampling around .63 arc seconds per pixel! Even at that ridiculous scale, I managed to get some halfway decent results. However, imaging in the summer in Tucson where it's not uncommon to be in the high 90's or even 100 degrees F at 10:00 P.M. was a huge no go. Great review Cuiv 😀
HI First of all I apologize for the terrible way of expressing myself due to the google translator. I followed your video with great interest: I am a young, old amateur astronomer... that is, I am 67 years old, but only 2/3 years ago I was able to approach observational astronomy. This service of yours is appropriate because I decided, after some fairly successful attempts with the reflex, and not being exactly very rich, to get a sensor that is not exactly small and with a good resolution. Even though I had never tried it, I imagined that the use of a high detail sensor could have some advantages, and in fact for me the detail, the resolution, is one of the fundamental characteristics of a good photo, even at the cost of a little more noise. Can I ask you if in your opinion it would be applicable to a Celestron c8 with gearbox or to an apo 115/800 triplet? what do you think? Thanks and good light to you. P.S.: I write from Italy
amazing, I agree, many debates about whether smaller pixels are useful with our optics, "wont see the benefit" its great that you did this test to see what difference there may be. Maybe short exposures with tiny pixels might be the way to go. And I d welcome a smaller pixel APS-C size sensor thats cooled!
I just watched this video and was happy to get confirmation on a concept I "discovered" a couple of years. Working with a W.O. Z61, my first scope after using a T3i, I was frustrated at how small many DSOs were with the 360mm FL and APS-C format. My thought was, what if I went with a smaller sensor to get me more "reach" vs. cropping the larger sensor. But that only made sense to me if if the pixels were smaller as well. The 462mc fit that bill. I then bought a 678mc because it has even smaller pixels. Haven't used that much, maybe it's time to revisit that camera with shorter exposures and no dithering.
Howdee, Cuiv! I've been using a planetary camera for deep space with my 10" Newtonian for quite some time now (ASI178MC). I have always thought that, though I am certainly "overly thrifty," my results were much better than they had a right to be. Thank you for the vindication. I also use a QHY183MC with my reflector. There is an old saying, "Even a blind pig occasionally finds an acorn."
This is timed perfectly. I'm currently working on the supernova with an ASI678MC planetary camera on my 10" newt. Trying to work out the best exposures in my brief moments of sky clarity. I'm trying to use FireCapture and a 2.5x Barlow on the nova itself.
@@CuivTheLazyGeek FireCapture couldn't see anything at all. I guess the exposure times aren't in range. So I gave up on that and took about 12 five minute exposures then the clouds hosed me. I must be a masochist. Wouldn't whips and chains be cheaper?
Love your enthusiasm to go beyond the status quo and your critical thinking! It’s that process that makes us all think a little more and who knows what will come out of that effort!!!
Fantastic results and very worth the effort. Do you really think that a five second exposure as possible? How about subsecond? I think trying subsecond X exposures with the current device would be very interesting.
Can you do another DIY smart telescope video? I challenge you to design one on a budget of under $700! (Your videos are honestly incredible btw, I have a few telescopes and a smart one, but I like the DIY essence to it as well.)
Honestly these days with the Seestar and the Dwarf 2, I don't think such a tutorial is needed. But it could be interesting to assemble the cheapest yet still viable fully goto astro system!
Cuiv, I really like doing unorthodox things myself; stuff that goes against the "astrophotography dogma". I am always experimenting, especially with the partly cloudy weather that seem to dominate this summer for me, I can't seriously just go after a target in these conditions, so I just end up fiddling around with my gear too! I acquired a IMX178 MM for guiding not long ago, but sometimes I end up staring at my guider's picture on PHD2 instead of the main camera subs, because it's giving such a nice and sharp stars and I can even make out the DSO's in 3 second exposures, which is amazing! I've been thinking of sticking that guide camera in as my main and see what I can come up with! It has 2.4microns, so somewhat smaller than the 533mm pro, so I'm sooooo curious to figure out what I could get. I have to figure out whether if I could attach it to my filter wheel, now that's gonna look funny if I can pull it off! I also owned the QHY183C for a short while and yes, it was absolutely sharper and more refined images at lower focal lengths than the 533 sensor - I was using it with a 350mm doublet. The problem was the huge amp glow and noise and small welldepth, it was easy to over expose the images, but absolutely loved the sharpness of the images it made.
That's amazing, Cuiv. If QHY came out with a color version of this, I could see using it to help with detail while also including my ASI2600MM PRO, or as a stand-alone for the fun of it. Hey QHY, listen to Cuiv on this one!!
Hey Cuiv, if you ever find the time, I'd really love to see how this camera performs with hyperstar. Since setting my c8 up with hyperstar, I'd really like to just leave it in that configuration and do a simple camera swap for the smaller targets. I'd love to see actual results from the traditional celestron reducer with maybe an asi 533 (which I own) compared against this camera on the hyperstar assembly. P.s. I love these thinking outside the box videos.
Great video Cuiv, I have to agree with you as I have done this myself using a un-cooled ZWO ASI290MC camera with 2.9um pixels on DSOs. It works well enough but processing is complicated due to noise removal. I used longer exposures (3-4min) so my noise levels may have been higher yet this is definitely possible to do using a budget planetary camera. I will revisit this with short exposures at some point as I never tried that but by all means using a planetary camera on DSOs does work if you spend a bit more time in processing...
Great Video Cuiv! I Use a Planetary camera for deep sky imaging here! The ZWO ASI 224mc. That Qhy cam has Fantastic performance indeed, for a 200 dollar planetary cam! Some nice details on the galaxy there!
Nice video, i just bought this camera! But in my opinion you missed something: the RGB matrix opens up at about 700-800nm so you get a mono nir camera with the right filter.
Great video. Just think what the next 10 years will bring! Tiny pixels in good sized chips with high sensitivity and the storage capacity and processing power to deal with 5000 200 MB images with 2 and 3X drizzling.
I can totally sympathise with the flexy wooden deck boards (I also shoot from my rooftop). With a standalone autoguider, I have to take one step at a time, slowly, and watch my Vixen AP's hand controller to know when the guiding corrections have stabilised, and make sure that the guide star hasn't been lost.
I know the feeling! Fortunately as long as I'm not standing on the balcony, everything is fine! So I always start and manage the imaging session remotely!
Thank you for that really good video! I personally have the ASI183MM paired with my 640mm focal length refractor and I'll never part with it! The resolution is really nice and the amp glow can be controlled with good darks :-)
player one and touptek are releasing a cooled 585, that sensor is already incredible at lucky imaging uncooled, I can't imagine how well it will do with a tec cooler
As cameras get more sensitive, the SNR advantages of large pixels will get traded away for the resolution advantages of smaller pixels. I've often thought that the calculators for optimal pixel size gets things wrong, especially for color cameras where the color noise is larger than the pixel size. Sampling beyond the optical limits of the telescope can still be advantageous. Smaller pixels = finer grained noise... there might be more of it because of the SNR trade off, but I find it easier to look at than the large blotchy noise from larger pixels.
I would like it if camera manuf put out a tiny pixeled cooled camera as well! Im a qhy183 user and currently paired my askar 180 mini refractor to my qhy294m in 47mpixel mode (2.3micron pixels). The good is we could use small scopes to capture better detail, so I'll keep an eye out for new developments in this area. Thanks for this review, Cuiv
@@CuivTheLazyGeek Thanks! I think a 1.5micron pixels camera with such a small refractor (or a red cat, or an evoguide which is also great astrograph) would still be in the good sampling area.
Well done and very interesting results Cuiv. I love when simple experiments like this. You mentioned drizziling the IMX data, is that done when you are initially stacking it WBPP or after that? Cheers Kurt
Great video. It kinda touched on the stage of astrophotography I'm currently stuck in. When I first got a telescope, I didn't have a real mount so I got stuck trying to do EAA with a planetary camera. Now i have an Heq5 pro but I don't have the cash to properly equip it. So now I'm currently just playing around trying to do like you're doing. Just trying all the things that the experts say won't work just to see what I can see until I get better equipment. You should do some livestacking
Cuiv. This is amazing. I have the Celestron Neximage 5 and have tried a couple of years ago (and not too extensively!) a couple of times to get deep sky images with it. Everyone kept saying it is a waste of time to use it anyway. It seems like the problem I had was the camera kept losing focus, and would shut down. I don't know if it has the tiny pixels either. Maybe I will try again and spend a little more time on it this time.
Hey Cuiv, there's cooled alternative. ASI 294MM which is binned as default, however native pixel size is only 2.3um and runs at a resolution of 47mp! ZWO has released an update 2 years ago or so that alows to run the camera at its native spec on bin1 12 bit ADC.
Amazing. I still think the cooled camera will yield better results overall, but there is not doubt that in terms of cost-effectiveness, bang-for-the-buck, the planetary camera is clearly ahead. It's certainly a viable contender for deep space images.
So glad I came across this video. I was about to buy a Touptek G3M715c which is actually the same thing as this QHY camera with sony imx 715 sensor. Do you think I would get good results shooting with tis camera and a Tecnosky 70/420 ED ?
I bought the 183c Pro for just those reasons, even knowing it was last gen tech. Having seen how well that little QHY did., I think I possibly overspent in a purely value calculation.
Cuiv, I just purchased the QHY 5III715C because of this video and I have a question. It looks like you left the IR/cut filter in place for this test, can you tell me why you would not remove it? Love your channel great work! Domo arigato. 🙏
Salut Cuiv' Thanks for the video. One thing to mention though, I think we have to be cautious comparing these two pictures. Looking at it, it looks like you have quite substential tracking issues, and the issues are minimized by the only 10" exposure. What was your RMS error during the two nights? It would be a bit more reliable to compare with subs of 10" also for the imx 571. Individual frames will be way more defined in 10"exposures if you have tracking issues. And as always, BlurX, like many softwares work better with quality data. (garbage in, garbage out) Garde ton enthousiasme, il est précieux !
These small planetary cameras that are really affordable with affordable small refactor and lightweight mount can make a great EAA rig. I myself use ASI225MC and Meade Lpi-G Advanced Mono (IMX178) with 60/400mm refactor on AZ GTi and it makes super lightweight and portable rig and this very affordable. No external power only 8xAA and Android tablet connected to camera for stacking - just grab and go rig. I captured this supernova with such a rig to realise how bright it was in comparison to the galaxy.
Some great tips and ideas. I've got to give this a try with my ASI678 and my Rokinon 135mm f2 lens. I've been trying to find a combo for international travel that takes up as little space as possible. Just no room to add even a small scope. I already take that lens (and two smaller ones) with me, but using the planetary camera might allow me to image DSOs with just a little more reach with the small FoV (as opposed to simply cropping a big pixel camera like the ASI294mc pro).
Very cool experiment Cuiv, due to a low budget I'm using my asi462mc planet camera with the SV50370ed at 336mm on objects like the Pac-Man nebula. Results are very promising.👍
Very interesting. I bought an ASI178 based on one of your EAA videos. I think it produces better results than my cooled ASI183MC Pro on my 150P F4 Quattro.
Until I can afford to upgrade I’ve been rocking the Meade LPI-G 6 megapixel color camera, I got it off Orion’s website for $150. Plus I got it’s mono brother for $150 for my guide scope. Other than having to make sure to do good calibration, fight off pesky amp glow. I’ve been getting great results. I’m slightly under sample, but I’m amazed this 2.4 µm cam works in my evostar 72ed. it was a nice affordable way to learn how all the stuff works! lol!
Hi Cuiv, Another really interesting topic.I tried a similar experiment with my GPCAM224 C planetary camera last year but the results were terrible. The mistake I made I think was attempting imaging a large emission nebular (I did improve the final image considerably by combining with Ha data taken with my cooled 183 mono camera) I think that the pixel size of the 224 maybe a bit high as well. PI totally agree with your comments on the 183 sensor, I really like using mine, but the amp glow can occasionally be a pain ( using dark frames does not always totally eradicate it)
@@CuivTheLazyGeek it is usual to see such temperatures during the monsoon months (June - august). Very very humid with very very high temperatures especially in July. 48-49 is peak though
Yeah, Arizona is the same minus the humidity. I run my camera 10° warmer because the cooling gets completely stressed out when it’s over 100 Fahrenheit at one in the morning.
So the planet camera is better with it's high resolution. But it depends on a great deal of factors. I do mostly do planetary astronomy and it is good to know that I will be able to use a planetary camera for deep space objects if I feel like it.
I would love a cooled planetary camera. I tried some DSO imaging with the Player-one Uranus C with a fan cooler and was rather amazed at the results. I think I would be more amazed if I could cool it to -10C and not worry about making dark calibration frames each night.
have a look at the 585mc, it was 2.9 sized pixels and no amp glow at all. double the price of this camera but still waaaay cheaper than a cooled camera. Meant to be surprisingly good on DSOs.
Its a method made possible by new cmos sensors on fast optics: oversampled with short exposure times for 'lucky' imaging. The 585 sensor has good QE, low noise, and 2.7um pixels, which is great between 750- 1000mm. What percentage of the subs did you throw away?
I have used my ZWO ASI 224MC with M42 and M101 on my 12mm f6 Newtonian with Similar results. Orion looked amazing - quite noisy and a bit fuzzy but huge detail of a small area. I haven't done as long integrations as you but really see the possibilities - and so much easier to deal with than my full frame DSLR
Great video. Player One has just introduced the Uranus C Pro. Cooled IMX 585. I thought I had talked myself out of purchasing it, I have a small budget and can't afford the higher cost of most cooled camera's, but at $550, and your video showing that small pixels work well , it might be in my future. It'd be great if you could review it
Thanks for this informative video. I'm having issues having this camera being detected by my windows 10 dell laptop, I tried following the tutorial from their webpage to install all the drivers but still see the camera just as "WestBridge" while making the noise of connecting and disconnecting new device... If you had any similar issues could you tell me how you achieved the computer to detect the camera? Anyway, I also wanted to confirm that you are using that awesome mini computer MeLE Fanless Mini PC from your links, since maybe it's just that my 2016 computer cannot really detect the camera, and buying a computer that is proven to detect it (and grant me the full wireless experience and automation) could be a really good workaround. Thanks for your help!
I think what this shows is that you really don't have to spend a fortune to look close enough at DSOs to be left stunned by what you see. I mean 200 bucks and you have the tinest pixels as your base. Now what could you do, what could you tweak to collect the data🤔 I bet you thought of a dozen tweaks when you first saw the picture. Like say, even shorter frames. Or maybe a special sequence that takes a seconds worth of subsecond exposures, and then pauses for a second before repeating. If you time it right, you might come close to freezing the atmosphere in place while keeping your noncooled camera as cool as possible. This experiment of yours has been very inspiring. It shows that a budget friendly camera can do legit astrophotography. I mean just imagine what little camera could have produced if it were your only one. If you were forced to use all your know how to pull a rabbit out of a hat. As it is, the biggest problem with a planetary camera can now be canceled by a mosaic. I mean, if you really want the target bad enough, you'll click on your computer screen a few more times.
Cuiv....Great video Thanks!!! I am into EAA viewing, What do you think the results would be pairing this camera with my Redcat51? And viewing M 101 for instance?
The aperture of the Redcat would mean you are far above the resolution limit of the scope with this sensor - the 585 sensor or 183 would likely be a better match!
No, I don't have that scope :-) I think it would also pair well with the Askar V, but let's remember that on those refractors it would be way, way beyond Dawe's limit, although this could be partially rescued by Debayering requiring data from multiple pixels to interpolate a single one
Interesting video Cuiv, Your right both my cameras the ZWO533 and Altair 26C have 3.76 micron pixels, there isn't a cooled non amp glow alternative with small pixels. I have my ZWO178 mono that I guide with but Im gonna try some deep sky with it as its 2.4 micron pixels are the smallest I have.
Salut Cuiv Une vidéo d’enfer comme toujours, absolument indispensable pour tous les astrams qui ont un jour pensé arrêter ou être lassés ( tous ? ) . En effet , une telle joie,enthousiasme et simplicité ne peut que nous remettre sur la voie . Un grand merci et plein de bises du sud de la France ( on est très bises ici ! ) Nb : le lucky imaging n’est pas loin , tu compte t’y mettre ? À Tokyo c’est sûrement un immense challenge ou impossible……
Take a hint from Raiders of the Lost Ark and place sand bags totalling your body weight where you were standing when you set polar alignment. Should keep that pesky balcony in control.
Goes to show there is a problem with the common pixel scale mathematics, many people are choosing the wrong cameras simply because they incorrectly calculated their pixel scale thinking they were going to get better results… It’s not the case, and with AI decon tools like BXT it’s definitely not the case… I’m not surprised how well the planetary camera did.
Mr. Cuiv, I am ONLY interested in photographing/videoing the solar system - if you feel that there would be sufficient interest, would you please consider a video on the various cameras that YOU would suggest are best for planets. (And the sun) Thank you Sir.
Thanks, I like uncooled cameras. They are lighter, smaller and use less power. I have been seen good DSO results with imx585 sensor cameras. Pixels are moderately small. Player One just announced the Uranus-C PRO a imx585 sensor with cooling. I would be interested in a cooled vs uncooled test with a 585.
You need a sand bag the same weight as Cuiv so when you are done polar aligning you can quickly move and replace yourself with the sand bag like Indiana Jones stealing a relic. Or just make a concrete pier on the roof and don’t tell the landlord
Support me on Patreon!: www.patreon.com/cuivlazygeek
QHY's $200 Planetary QHY5III715C camera: bit.ly/43glY6i
David Huff's Astrobin: www.astrobin.com/users/Deep_Space_Dave/
Dylan's review of the camera: ruclips.net/video/WYb5d5-5aWw/видео.html
I have been in contact with QHL and they tell me this is only a colour camera when binned at 1x1 if you use 2x2 or 4x4 it fails and produces a strange blue colour.
This should have been made clear. I shall be returning mine.
@@KenHonour thanks for letting us know! I didn't test binning, since it's CMOS binning, which I would advise never to do in a CMOS camera anyway (better to resample in the processing software).
From what you're saying, it's doing super pixel binning effectively (which should NOT be Debayered, but treated as a monochrome image). I personally prefer this approach to color binning (which reaches further away for the nearest pixel of the same color, sacrificing more resolution - I don't think it would be a good fit for this camera).
But either way, I don't think the in-camera binning functionality should be used unless you have a specific reason for doing so. The exact same (and better) can be achieved in post, off camera.
Good luck!
Hey Cuiv! Thanks for letting people know about my AstroBin account so they can see for themselves what can be achieved when you pair tiny pixels with fast glass! I am very pleased you were able to achieve similar results with the QHY5III715C camera and I too wish QHY and other vendors would create a cooled version of some sensor that is under 2 microns so we can get more details with our shorter focal length scopes. As always awesome video and review! Clear Skies!
Thanks for opening the way Dave ;)
@deeep_space_dave Your images are truly Amazing Dave!!
@@HideOut55007 Thanks!
This is one of your best videos: I'm not a billionaire, so your analysis of this $200 camera - is extremely helpful. Thank you, Sir - if you have the time and resources, I really appreciate your reviews of items that are a little less costly than the best of the best, top-of-the-line equipment. I just can't afford the best of the best, (I must look to the less costly alternatives) but I still want to have a little fun, with reasonable results. Thank you. For me, to me - this video is extremely relevant.
Thanks for your feedback, this is really good to hear and helpful for me! There are many planetary cameras that can be used for deep sky, and this is one of them - its tiny pixels mean it's probably best for large aperture telescopes like that 6 inch Newt!
Dslr imaging is for you! Can be a lot less expensive if you buy used modded camera. And there are plenty of folks getting great results.
Great experiment Cuiv! I couldn't do the same with my larger FL as it didn't make sense, but it's definitely an ideal camera even then for small targets. And thanks for the shout out too :)
Woohoo, cheers Dylan! So many possibilities with those cameras these days :-)
Great review Cuiv, like lots of us who are working with limited budgets it great to see what can be achieved with less expensive equipment
Always a pleasure to try out various stuff! :-)
Im shocked when you put the two photos up side by side the planetry camera looked surprisingly good. Especially on my big screen tv if I was sitting further away. Close up you can really see the noise but still its surprising how extra detail jumps out on the qhy.
Right?! I was surprised as well!
I use a small sensor Mallincam planetary/guide camera for my Astro camera (Sony IMX 224 colour sensor). It is good for EAA and for planetary, planetary nebula, and galaxies that are not too big. I actually use it on a Nexstar 8SE on an Alt/Az mount with 10 second subs and digitally align the image. What I like is that with this image scale, the pixel size more closely matches the resolution of my telescope. This really helps to get closer to the theoretical resolution of my telescope and punch through atmospheric distortion with lucky imaging and time domain transformations (what you call convolutions). Modern software is great for eliminating noise now too. The main disadvantage is that my telescope has a long focal length and I get a very small field of view. The ring nebula is a very nice deep space object with my camera and looks as good as I have seen in any other photo. It was the first time I produced an image that looked like on the boxes of the old Celestron telescope use to show in the 70s. I am an old guy and have been amazed how modern cameras and software are revolutionizing our hobby. Unfortunately I am also saddened how light pollution and my aging eyes are seeing the glory of the night sky disappear before my eyes. I use to go to my grandmother’s house and the Milky Way was so bright it cast a shadow.
Love this sort of content! Much more interesting than a camera review! Out of the box experimentation. Great job! You should team up with astrobiscuit?
Hahaha Rory has already had awesome success with the BAT! I hope he ends up making it to Tenerife with his new scope :-)
@@CuivTheLazyGeek Yeah, but this is of the same ilk an super interesting. Especially that you're doing it with a big newt and a combination of modern tools and software. Would love to see more of this idea refined!
You and Dylan are going to totally revolutionise imaging! Thanks heaps!
You should try the ASI585MC planetary camera. The IMX585 is one of Sony's newer chips designed for better night security camera. I have used it for a year2 now and have had great results with deep sky. Also no amp glow.
Thanks, your enthusiasm is contagious!
Thank you for your support!!
I've been using a ZWO ASI 120 MC-S planetary camera for two years and doing Deep Sky imaging! It works great for taking photos of star clusters. Not so much for doing galaxies.
A wonderful result with tonnes of detail! Makes a difference!❤
Thank you! Cheers!
Very interesting experiment and useful insights relative to pixel size, focal length, under/over sampling... So much to learn! Really enjoy your content!
It's a fun hobby - in this case many factors changed between the tests but it's still fun to see!
Merci Yannick! C'est chouette de voir que tu as retrouvé la banane, et que tu nous produis à nouveau plein de vidéos intéressantes... Vivement la prochaine, déjà! Stéphane.
Merci Stéphane ! Je t'avoue qu'avec la saison des pluies c'est plus difficile de produire des vidéos haha
Hi Cuiz,
I've been using the ZWO ASI678MC planetary camera for DSOs, primarily galaxies. I've been having good results with it. The challenges I've been having are with SNR. I'm trying to make a peltier cooler for it to decrease the noise. I have been taking 1 to 2 minute subs, but you've given me a great idea with trying even shorter subs. I would love to see a cooled planetary camera myself. Thanks for the video and the great ideas!
Ohoho, it's going to be a lot of fun trying for really short exposures, enjoy!
Thanks Cuiv, this is really interesting and thankfully agreed with what I've been working towards for some time. Using my low read noise asi178mm with my equatorial mounted 16" f4.5 with goto and tracking better than 1arcsec. I'm just doing a number on it to improve the optics including work on cooling, mirror cell, flocking, baffles, shroud, shield, blackening paint and spider so your video on the little Quattro has also helped a lot thanks. Gradually getting towards where this video is in terms of overcoming seeing, fantastic keep them coming, all your vids are great. Thanks Nick
Although I appreciate it's far more over sampled...
Oh wow that's a massive, massive scope, well done!! It will be fun to see how short exposures could work for you for lucky imaging!
That's been my intent but similar to you Quattro getting it optically performing with all the mods is so important. I moved to nina to get access to the online plate solving so everything you do is perfect for me. Great and really really useful fantastic vids - definitely not lazy, cheers Nick
Very interesting! I like it that you are always pushing the technology envelope and I especially love your enthusiasm.
Wow! Utterly fascinating thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Fun video! Very interesting experiment. Thank you very much!
Thank you! Cheers!
Glad you covered this topic! Thanks for your video!
Thanks Bill, glad you liked it! I know I need to get back to you on the emails, I'll get to it!
Sweet little $200 camera for the hobby people. Learning to use budget tools to get great results is rewarding. 🥳 Thanks.
Exactly! And if it doesn't work out it should still be a great planetary and/or guide cam!
Interesting ideas with the small pixels. Thanks Cuiv!
My pleasure!
Great video Cuiv! There's a saying: "You can't teach an old dog new tricks ...." Perhaps you can. This is a great camera for the money. I'm glad you reviewed it. Thanks.
Fascinating. Excellent explanation. Thanks🙂.
This is an excellent example of how DSO imaging doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. I started out kind of similarly, with an ASI120MC. It of course has 3.8 micron size pixels, so much larger than the new QHY but still a tiny FOV. Especially since I was using it at 1200mm focal length. I was sampling around .63 arc seconds per pixel! Even at that ridiculous scale, I managed to get some halfway decent results. However, imaging in the summer in Tucson where it's not uncommon to be in the high 90's or even 100 degrees F at 10:00 P.M. was a huge no go. Great review Cuiv 😀
Thanks Mike, and those temps are brutal!! Wow!
HI
First of all I apologize for the terrible way of expressing myself due to the google translator.
I followed your video with great interest: I am a young, old amateur astronomer... that is, I am 67 years old, but only 2/3 years ago I was able to approach observational astronomy.
This service of yours is appropriate because I decided, after some fairly successful attempts with the reflex, and not being exactly very rich, to get a sensor that is not exactly small and with a good resolution. Even though I had never tried it, I imagined that the use of a high detail sensor could have some advantages, and in fact for me the detail, the resolution, is one of the fundamental characteristics of a good photo, even at the cost of a little more noise.
Can I ask you if in your opinion it would be applicable to a Celestron c8 with gearbox or to an apo 115/800 triplet? what do you think? Thanks and good light to you.
P.S.: I write from Italy
I am so surprised to see the kind of image quality the little camera produces. Especially compared to a cooled one. Great review with lots of details!
Yep, I was surprised as well - but it was a pleasant surprise :)
amazing, I agree, many debates about whether smaller pixels are useful with our optics, "wont see the benefit" its great that you did this test to see what difference there may be. Maybe short exposures with tiny pixels might be the way to go. And I d welcome a smaller pixel APS-C size sensor thats cooled!
Yes - It does seem to be a matter of debate, although undersampling vs oversampling is pretty clear cut!
I just watched this video and was happy to get confirmation on a concept I "discovered" a couple of years. Working with a W.O. Z61, my first scope after using a T3i, I was frustrated at how small many DSOs were with the 360mm FL and APS-C format. My thought was, what if I went with a smaller sensor to get me more "reach" vs. cropping the larger sensor. But that only made sense to me if if the pixels were smaller as well. The 462mc fit that bill. I then bought a 678mc because it has even smaller pixels. Haven't used that much, maybe it's time to revisit that camera with shorter exposures and no dithering.
Howdee, Cuiv! I've been using a planetary camera for deep space with my 10" Newtonian for quite some time now (ASI178MC). I have always thought that, though I am certainly "overly thrifty," my results were much better than they had a right to be. Thank you for the vindication. I also use a QHY183MC with my reflector. There is an old saying, "Even a blind pig occasionally finds an acorn."
Glad to be able to offer vindication ;) hey if it works it works and that's it! Should we all say we are blind pigs? ;)
This is timed perfectly. I'm currently working on the supernova with an ASI678MC planetary camera on my 10" newt. Trying to work out the best exposures in my brief moments of sky clarity. I'm trying to use FireCapture and a 2.5x Barlow on the nova itself.
Oh wow going for a Barlow might be extreme on a 10" Newt with 2" already, but can be fun!!
@@CuivTheLazyGeek FireCapture couldn't see anything at all. I guess the exposure times aren't in range. So I gave up on that and took about 12 five minute exposures then the clouds hosed me. I must be a masochist. Wouldn't whips and chains be cheaper?
Lucky imaging and a planetary cam for deep sky… Thx to you and Luke for the idea!
Out pleasure;)
Love your enthusiasm to go beyond the status quo and your critical thinking! It’s that process that makes us all think a little more and who knows what will come out of that effort!!!
Thanks so much! It's definitely been fun!
Fantastic results and very worth the effort. Do you really think that a five second exposure as possible? How about subsecond? I think trying subsecond X exposures with the current device would be very interesting.
Check out Astrobiscuit 's BAT video!! Yes 5s is possible but lower than that read noise can be an issue in most skies
@@CuivTheLazyGeek - Thank you, I will
Good test! Can you do the test again with 10s exp on the cooled camera to remove this variable? I wonder is the difference is the seeing only
Good idea, I'll look into it, but I would need to make sure I can do subframes otherwise I wouldn't have enough disk space for that sensor resolution!
Can you do another DIY smart telescope video? I challenge you to design one on a budget of under $700! (Your videos are honestly incredible btw, I have a few telescopes and a smart one, but I like the DIY essence to it as well.)
Honestly these days with the Seestar and the Dwarf 2, I don't think such a tutorial is needed. But it could be interesting to assemble the cheapest yet still viable fully goto astro system!
Cuiv, I really like doing unorthodox things myself; stuff that goes against the "astrophotography dogma".
I am always experimenting, especially with the partly cloudy weather that seem to dominate this summer for me, I can't seriously just go after a target in these conditions, so I just end up fiddling around with my gear too!
I acquired a IMX178 MM for guiding not long ago, but sometimes I end up staring at my guider's picture on PHD2 instead of the main camera subs, because it's giving such a nice and sharp stars and I can even make out the DSO's in 3 second exposures, which is amazing!
I've been thinking of sticking that guide camera in as my main and see what I can come up with! It has 2.4microns, so somewhat smaller than the 533mm pro, so I'm sooooo curious to figure out what I could get. I have to figure out whether if I could attach it to my filter wheel, now that's gonna look funny if I can pull it off! I also owned the QHY183C for a short while and yes, it was absolutely sharper and more refined images at lower focal lengths than the 533 sensor - I was using it with a 350mm doublet. The problem was the huge amp glow and noise and small welldepth, it was easy to over expose the images, but absolutely loved the sharpness of the images it made.
ZWO used to make a cooled version of that camera, the ASI 178MM-Cooled, which is now discontinued. I have one and it takes very nice images.
That's amazing, Cuiv. If QHY came out with a color version of this, I could see using it to help with detail while also including my ASI2600MM PRO, or as a stand-alone for the fun of it. Hey QHY, listen to Cuiv on this one!!
Definitely fun stuff!
Really interesting results. Gives me confidence that my fan-cooled AltAir 183C should be capable of great results on galaxies and other smaller DSOs.
Should definitely get good results!
Hey Cuiv, if you ever find the time, I'd really love to see how this camera performs with hyperstar. Since setting my c8 up with hyperstar, I'd really like to just leave it in that configuration and do a simple camera swap for the smaller targets. I'd love to see actual results from the traditional celestron reducer with maybe an asi 533 (which I own) compared against this camera on the hyperstar assembly.
P.s. I love these thinking outside the box videos.
Oh heck yeah. I've been debating on dipping my toes into mono using my mono solar camera for deepsky. Great test
Hey nothing to lose by trying!
Any thoughts of trying that camera on your Hyper Star set up? I have a Zwo 224 MC I'm wanting to try on my 9.25 SCT soon. Awesome video! 😁
Great video Cuiv, I have to agree with you as I have done this myself using a un-cooled ZWO ASI290MC camera with 2.9um pixels on DSOs. It works well enough but processing is complicated due to noise removal. I used longer exposures (3-4min) so my noise levels may have been higher yet this is definitely possible to do using a budget planetary camera. I will revisit this with short exposures at some point as I never tried that but by all means using a planetary camera on DSOs does work if you spend a bit more time in processing...
Seems the upcoming cooled 585 cameras might scratch the itch to some extent!
Great Video Cuiv! I Use a Planetary camera for deep sky imaging here! The ZWO ASI 224mc. That Qhy cam has Fantastic performance indeed, for a 200 dollar planetary cam! Some nice details on the galaxy there!
Thanks for that feedback! I was indeed surprised by the relatively good result I got, and all those details! How do you like the 224MC?
@@CuivTheLazyGeek I Love Them For sure. It has Very good Noise Control even at High gain. And The Sensitivity is Good too!
I use the colour version of the IMX 224 Sony sensor in my Mallincam usb camera and love it. Great quantum efficiency when it came out.
Nice video, i just bought this camera! But in my opinion you missed something: the RGB matrix opens up at about 700-800nm so you get a mono nir camera with the right filter.
Good point as well!
Great video. Just think what the next 10 years will bring! Tiny pixels in good sized chips with high sensitivity and the storage capacity and processing power to deal with 5000 200 MB images with 2 and 3X drizzling.
We'll see, exciting times for sure :-)
I can totally sympathise with the flexy wooden deck boards (I also shoot from my rooftop). With a standalone autoguider, I have to take one step at a time, slowly, and watch my Vixen AP's hand controller to know when the guiding corrections have stabilised, and make sure that the guide star hasn't been lost.
I know the feeling! Fortunately as long as I'm not standing on the balcony, everything is fine! So I always start and manage the imaging session remotely!
Thank you for that really good video! I personally have the ASI183MM paired with my 640mm focal length refractor and I'll never part with it! The resolution is really nice and the amp glow can be controlled with good darks :-)
That does sound like a great combination! I had a 183MM a long time ago and wish I hadn't parted with it!
player one and touptek are releasing a cooled 585, that sensor is already incredible at lucky imaging uncooled, I can't imagine how well it will do with a tec cooler
That's going to be a lot of fun!
As cameras get more sensitive, the SNR advantages of large pixels will get traded away for the resolution advantages of smaller pixels. I've often thought that the calculators for optimal pixel size gets things wrong, especially for color cameras where the color noise is larger than the pixel size. Sampling beyond the optical limits of the telescope can still be advantageous. Smaller pixels = finer grained noise... there might be more of it because of the SNR trade off, but I find it easier to look at than the large blotchy noise from larger pixels.
You're absolutely right, since the Debayering algorithm will get information from several neighboring pixels!!
I love it when there is "A rhyme to this madness." 😉
Is there also "A method to your reason?"😁
Another great and helpful video tho, thank you!
Hahaha I like making silly mistakes!
I would like it if camera manuf put out a tiny pixeled cooled camera as well! Im a qhy183 user and currently paired my askar 180 mini refractor to my qhy294m in 47mpixel mode (2.3micron pixels). The good is we could use small scopes to capture better detail, so I'll keep an eye out for new developments in this area. Thanks for this review, Cuiv
That's already such a cool setup!!
@@CuivTheLazyGeek Thanks! I think a 1.5micron pixels camera with such a small refractor (or a red cat, or an evoguide which is also great astrograph) would still be in the good sampling area.
Well done and very interesting results Cuiv. I love when simple experiments like this. You mentioned drizziling the IMX data, is that done when you are initially stacking it WBPP or after that? Cheers Kurt
It's done in WBPP! I have a fairly recent video that goes through the whole process!
Great video. It kinda touched on the stage of astrophotography I'm currently stuck in. When I first got a telescope, I didn't have a real mount so I got stuck trying to do EAA with a planetary camera. Now i have an Heq5 pro but I don't have the cash to properly equip it. So now I'm currently just playing around trying to do like you're doing. Just trying all the things that the experts say won't work just to see what I can see until I get better equipment.
You should do some livestacking
Cuiv. This is amazing.
I have the Celestron Neximage 5 and have tried a couple of years ago (and not too extensively!) a couple of times to get deep sky images with it. Everyone kept saying it is a waste of time to use it anyway. It seems like the problem I had was the camera kept losing focus, and would shut down. I don't know if it has the tiny pixels either. Maybe I will try again and spend a little more time on it this time.
Very interesting. The planetary camera has some promise repurposed for DS. Great video.
Thanks Rick and thanks for the support as always! And it's always fun to be testing some cheap cameras :-)
thanks for sharing such amazing and informative videos. As a beginner I'd like to buy a "budget" camera in order to experiment.
Hey Cuiv, there's cooled alternative. ASI 294MM which is binned as default, however native pixel size is only 2.3um and runs at a resolution of 47mp! ZWO has released an update 2 years ago or so that alows to run the camera at its native spec on bin1 12 bit ADC.
Yes indeed! Still, I consider the 294MM to be an older sensor tech compared to the 571 generation...
Amazing. I still think the cooled camera will yield better results overall, but there is not doubt that in terms of cost-effectiveness, bang-for-the-buck, the planetary camera is clearly ahead. It's certainly a viable contender for deep space images.
Yep, and the cooled camera will be more hassle free! But the planetary cam can be a great alternative
So glad I came across this video. I was about to buy a Touptek G3M715c which is actually the same thing as this QHY camera with sony imx 715 sensor. Do you think I would get good results shooting with tis camera and a Tecnosky 70/420 ED ?
I bought the 183c Pro for just those reasons, even knowing it was last gen tech.
Having seen how well that little QHY did., I think I possibly overspent in a purely value calculation.
The 183C Pro is still such a nice piece of kit though.. but the 585 cooled versions coming out will be awesome!
Cuiv, I just purchased the QHY 5III715C because of this video and I have a question. It looks like you left the IR/cut filter in place for this test, can you tell me why you would not remove it? Love your channel great work! Domo arigato. 🙏
Salut Cuiv'
Thanks for the video.
One thing to mention though, I think we have to be cautious comparing these two pictures.
Looking at it, it looks like you have quite substential tracking issues, and the issues are minimized by the only 10" exposure.
What was your RMS error during the two nights?
It would be a bit more reliable to compare with subs of 10" also for the imx 571.
Individual frames will be way more defined in 10"exposures if you have tracking issues. And as always, BlurX, like many softwares work better with quality data. (garbage in, garbage out)
Garde ton enthousiasme, il est précieux !
Yep, I think I refer to limitations during the video - I don't have the RMS figures for the second night since I wasn't guiding!
I learned a lot from this video. Interesting to know how to calculate the optics limitation vs sensor resolution/pixel pitch.
Glad this helps spur curiosity!
These small planetary cameras that are really affordable with affordable small refactor and lightweight mount can make a great EAA rig.
I myself use ASI225MC and Meade Lpi-G Advanced Mono (IMX178) with 60/400mm refactor on AZ GTi and it makes super lightweight and portable rig and this very affordable. No external power only 8xAA and Android tablet connected to camera for stacking - just grab and go rig.
I captured this supernova with such a rig to realise how bright it was in comparison to the galaxy.
Some great tips and ideas. I've got to give this a try with my ASI678 and my Rokinon 135mm f2 lens. I've been trying to find a combo for international travel that takes up as little space as possible. Just no room to add even a small scope. I already take that lens (and two smaller ones) with me, but using the planetary camera might allow me to image DSOs with just a little more reach with the small FoV (as opposed to simply cropping a big pixel camera like the ASI294mc pro).
Very cool experiment Cuiv, due to a low budget I'm using my asi462mc planet camera with the SV50370ed at 336mm on objects like the Pac-Man nebula. Results are very promising.👍
Very interesting. I bought an ASI178 based on one of your EAA videos. I think it produces better results than my cooled ASI183MC Pro on my 150P F4 Quattro.
Great vid, Cuiv! Thanks!
My pleasure!!
this would be a great fit for your Hyperstar 😊
keep the 571 for nebulae and get into detail with 715 ...
I'm not sure if Hyperstar is diffraction limited though - but the cooled 585 could be good for it!
Hi Cuiv, thanks another great video
My pleasure!
Until I can afford to upgrade I’ve been rocking the Meade LPI-G
6 megapixel color camera, I got it off Orion’s website for $150. Plus I got it’s mono brother for $150 for my guide scope. Other than having to make sure to do good calibration, fight off pesky amp glow. I’ve been getting great results. I’m slightly under sample, but I’m amazed this 2.4 µm cam works in my evostar 72ed.
it was a nice affordable way to learn how all the stuff works! lol!
Hi Cuiv, Another really interesting topic.I tried a similar experiment with my GPCAM224 C planetary camera last year but the results were terrible. The mistake I made I think was attempting imaging a large emission nebular (I did improve the final image considerably by combining with Ha data taken with my cooled 183 mono camera) I think that the pixel size of the 224 maybe a bit high as well. PI totally agree with your comments on the 183 sensor, I really like using mine, but the amp glow can occasionally be a pain ( using dark frames does not always totally eradicate it)
It was a good experiment! But yeah a 183 successor camera would be nice...
"33C it's going to be really really warm". *Cries in 48C and 76 percent humidity*
Hahaha oh man that is harsh!! 48C truly is extreme - is it normal or a heat wave?
@@CuivTheLazyGeek it is usual to see such temperatures during the monsoon months (June - august). Very very humid with very very high temperatures especially in July. 48-49 is peak though
@@rayyanimran1557 oh wow that is brutal! Take care!
Yeah, Arizona is the same minus the humidity. I run my camera 10° warmer because the cooling gets completely stressed out when it’s over 100 Fahrenheit at one in the morning.
Nice video! Keep in mind that cooled cameras can cause vibrations from the fan, which can transfer to the housing or sensor.
So the planet camera is better with it's high resolution. But it depends on a great deal of factors. I do mostly do planetary astronomy and it is good to know that I will be able to use a planetary camera for deep space objects if I feel like it.
I would love a cooled planetary camera. I tried some DSO imaging with the Player-one Uranus C with a fan cooler and was rather amazed at the results. I think I would be more amazed if I could cool it to -10C and not worry about making dark calibration frames each night.
have a look at the 585mc, it was 2.9 sized pixels and no amp glow at all. double the price of this camera but still waaaay cheaper than a cooled camera. Meant to be surprisingly good on DSOs.
Its a method made possible by new cmos sensors on fast optics: oversampled with short exposure times for 'lucky' imaging. The 585 sensor has good QE, low noise, and 2.7um pixels, which is great between 750- 1000mm. What percentage of the subs did you throw away?
In the end I didn't throw any sub away manually, but just some subs had a stacking weight of 5% or so - just letting WBPP set the weight based on FWHM
I have used my ZWO ASI 224MC with M42 and M101 on my 12mm f6 Newtonian with Similar results. Orion looked amazing - quite noisy and a bit fuzzy but huge detail of a small area. I haven't done as long integrations as you but really see the possibilities - and so much easier to deal with than my full frame DSLR
I have not tried lucky imaging myself.. but I believe some people have use this technique for targets such as the cat's nebula.
Absolutely right!
I only use planetary cams for dso lucky imaging. Work quite well with the zwo asi290
Great video. Player One has just introduced the Uranus C Pro. Cooled IMX 585. I thought I had talked myself out of purchasing it, I have a small budget and can't afford the higher cost of most cooled camera's, but at $550, and your video showing that small pixels work well , it might be in my future. It'd be great if you could review it
Oooh that's great to see more and more choice in the hobby!
Great result !!
Thank you!
Why not a clip-op cooltron with heat sink like the old Meade planetary camera had?
Thanks for this informative video. I'm having issues having this camera being detected by my windows 10 dell laptop, I tried following the tutorial from their webpage to install all the drivers but still see the camera just as "WestBridge" while making the noise of connecting and disconnecting new device... If you had any similar issues could you tell me how you achieved the computer to detect the camera? Anyway, I also wanted to confirm that you are using that awesome mini computer MeLE Fanless Mini PC from your links, since maybe it's just that my 2016 computer cannot really detect the camera, and buying a computer that is proven to detect it (and grant me the full wireless experience and automation) could be a really good workaround.
Thanks for your help!
I think what this shows is that you really don't have to spend a fortune to look close enough at DSOs to be left stunned by what you see. I mean 200 bucks and you have the tinest pixels as your base. Now what could you do, what could you tweak to collect the data🤔 I bet you thought of a dozen tweaks when you first saw the picture. Like say, even shorter frames. Or maybe a special sequence that takes a seconds worth of subsecond exposures, and then pauses for a second before repeating. If you time it right, you might come close to freezing the atmosphere in place while keeping your noncooled camera as cool as possible.
This experiment of yours has been very inspiring. It shows that a budget friendly camera can do legit astrophotography. I mean just imagine what little camera could have produced if it were your only one. If you were forced to use all your know how to pull a rabbit out of a hat.
As it is, the biggest problem with a planetary camera can now be canceled by a mosaic. I mean, if you really want the target bad enough, you'll click on your computer screen a few more times.
Very interesting experiment! More $$$ is not significantly better. The s/n ratio is a problem, but can be delt with. Great video. Thanks!
Interesting. With proper use of non-destructive photo editing, the QHY5III715C should yield better and more accurate final images.
Cuiv....Great video Thanks!!! I am into EAA viewing, What do you think the results would be pairing this camera with my Redcat51? And viewing M 101 for instance?
The aperture of the Redcat would mean you are far above the resolution limit of the scope with this sensor - the 585 sensor or 183 would likely be a better match!
Have you tested the skywatcher evolux 62ed? Paired with this it would make up an amazing beginner setup. Amazing video!
No, I don't have that scope :-) I think it would also pair well with the Askar V, but let's remember that on those refractors it would be way, way beyond Dawe's limit, although this could be partially rescued by Debayering requiring data from multiple pixels to interpolate a single one
Interesting video Cuiv, Your right both my cameras the ZWO533 and Altair 26C have 3.76 micron pixels, there isn't a cooled non amp glow alternative with small pixels. I have my ZWO178 mono that I guide with but Im gonna try some deep sky with it as its 2.4 micron pixels are the smallest I have.
Will be fun to try for sure!
Salut Cuiv
Une vidéo d’enfer comme toujours, absolument indispensable pour tous les astrams qui ont un jour pensé arrêter ou être lassés ( tous ? ) .
En effet , une telle joie,enthousiasme et simplicité ne peut que nous remettre sur la voie .
Un grand merci et plein de bises du sud de la France ( on est très bises ici ! )
Nb : le lucky imaging n’est pas loin , tu compte t’y mettre ?
À Tokyo c’est sûrement un immense challenge ou impossible……
J'y réfléchis en tout cas, ça peut être fun ;)
Take a hint from Raiders of the Lost Ark and place sand bags totalling your body weight where you were standing when you set polar alignment. Should keep that pesky balcony in control.
Hahaha that's actually a super cool idea :p
@@CuivTheLazyGeek Just keep those great how-to videos coming. Love them all.
Goes to show there is a problem with the common pixel scale mathematics, many people are choosing the wrong cameras simply because they incorrectly calculated their pixel scale thinking they were going to get better results… It’s not the case, and with AI decon tools like BXT it’s definitely not the case… I’m not surprised how well the planetary camera did.
And there's another aspect, which is the Debayering that uses data from multiple pixels - performing an averaging of sorts
Mr. Cuiv, I am ONLY interested in photographing/videoing the solar system - if you feel that there would be sufficient interest, would you please consider a video on the various cameras that YOU would suggest are best for planets. (And the sun) Thank you Sir.
Thanks, I like uncooled cameras. They are lighter, smaller and use less power.
I have been seen good DSO results with imx585 sensor cameras. Pixels are moderately small. Player One just announced the Uranus-C PRO a imx585 sensor with cooling. I would be interested in a cooled vs uncooled test with a 585.
That's nice on the 585! Still 2.9um pixels - but for my FL that might actually be the sweet spot!
You need a sand bag the same weight as Cuiv so when you are done polar aligning you can quickly move and replace yourself with the sand bag like Indiana Jones stealing a relic. Or just make a concrete pier on the roof and don’t tell the landlord
Hi Cuiv! Did you integrate all 1200 frames for the left image? Didn't it take a very long time in Pixinsight?
Yes, all frames - no not so long because the resolution isn't that huge