Hey what's up everyone, Mack Murdock here with OPT and today we're going to be going
over part two of our galaxy season series.
In our previous episode we talked about telescope recommendations which if you haven't watched
that already you can click the link right over here in this episode.
We're going to be going over some of our top recommended cameras that can help you during
this galaxy season.
Now there are so many amazing cameras to choose from and many that won't make this list but
I figured I'd do my best in bringing you our top five.
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So let's get into some camera basics.
So the first thing you want to think about is whether you want to shoot in mono - which
is black and white, or a one shot color - which is your normal color camera.
They both have their advantages and disadvantages and we highly recommend that you check out
the video that we made on the differences between color and monochrome to help you choose
which road you want to go down and what is the best fit for you.
Alright, let's dive in our first camera, its the ZWO ASI2600mm Pro.
Now what does this mean exactly> Well let's break it down.
ZWO is the brand of the camera.
ASI is the type of the camera.
The 2600 is the number of pixels on your sensor also known as a 26 megapixel, but the important
part that you need to be aware of is this right here - you're either gonna see mm or
mc.
This part will tell you whether it's a mono or color sensor.
And finally it will say Pro if it's a cooled camera for all deep space targets.
We highly recommend that you use Pro cameras because they'll cut down the noise by cooling
down the sensor and giving you a much better image.
The ASI 2600mm Pro is an amazing camera and one of the flagship cameras of the ZWO lineup.
We made a full length video comparing the specs of the ASI 2600mm Pro to the ASI 1600mm
Pro that you can check out by clicking right here.
Normally you don't need such a large sensor during galaxy season if you want to get close
up on your galaxies but having a large APS-C size sensor allows you to get all the beautiful
galactic dust around the galaxy.
Or you can always shoot wide and crop without losing quality like you would if you cropped
in with a smaller sensor.
The ASI 2600 is a perfect year-round monochrome camera, it's back illuminated to remove amp
glow and at 16 bit gives you a nice smooth transition between all the different shades
of black in your image which will later give you more colors.
When your rgb images are stacked a very deep well depth and overall it's an amazing camera.
Next on the list we have the QHY 268c.
Definitely one of the top color cameras on the QHY lineup.
The WHY 268c is a color camera so you don't need to worry about getting LRGB filters.
The filters are actually placed on your sensor in a series called the bayer matrix.
One shot color sensors are very similar to DSLR cameras where you can just shoot your
target, stack and then start processing.
With its back illuminated sensor, it greatly reduces amp glow and with its deep full well
depth you can image your target without having to worry about blowing out your stars or the
core of your galaxies as fast.
Moving on to the next one the ASI 294mm Pro with its smaller micro four-third size sensor.
It gives you a tighter field of view on your target than the previous two, cutting out
more space and having your galaxy fill up more of the frame.
It's an ultra sensitive camera that is perfect for picking up the fine details in your galaxies.
It's got a 90 quantum efficiency which means 90 percent of the light hitting the sensor
is actually getting recorded as signal.
And for the record 90 is actually incredibly high for sensors, these days it's 14-bit 12
megapixel back illuminated sensor is definitely one of the top sensors out there.
These days this camera comes in both color and mono so it's definitely worth considering.
Fourth on the list we have the ZWO ASI 533mc Pro.
This camera is one of the top budget color cameras from ZWO for great reasons, it's small
3.8 micron pixel size gives you a nice fine resolution for your images while still being
big enough to be sensitive to light.
The ASI 533mc Pro has a slightly different sensor than the rest due to its one inch square
pixel.
This way you never need to worry about whether your image is in portrait or landscape - it
picks up 14 bits of data giving you a great array of colors in your image as well.
Then when it's not galaxy season, pop in your Triad Ultra and get some epic narrow band
images of your favorite nebulas.
This camera is one of the least expensive pro cameras in the ZWO lineup making it perfect
for those that want to get started with a dedicated astro camera without breaking the
bank.
Speaking of the Radian Triad Ultra filter, with these color cameras you're going to be
picking up a fair amount of light pollution depending on where you live you might want
to try and cut some of that out before it hits your sensor.
So check out the Optolong series filters.
Filters like the LPro are perfect for cutting out light pollution for broadband targets
like galaxies.
That being said the honest truth is while these filters can definitely help, there's
no substitute for dark skies during galaxy season.
Fifth and final we have the QHY183.
This camera packs a punch - it comes with a built-in dew heater to make sure that your
sensor stays condensation free during the cold nights.
The qhy 183 also has a 20 megapixel back illuminated color sensor with a small 2.7 micron pixel
size so you get the amp glow protection but you also get the fine resolution of a small
pixel this camera.
Also gets a pretty high frame rate which is perfect for lunar and planetary photography
overall.
This camera is well-rounded will take you very far in this hobby and will not disappoint.
I'd like to throw in an honorable mention a DSLR or mirrorless camera.
Getting a dedicated astronomy camera is definitely an upgrade from your standard DSLR, but don't
let that stop you if that's all you got.
Some of the most amazing images have been taken on a DSLR - it's how a lot of people
get started with deep space.
Just make sure that you get the right T-adapter for your camera so you can connect it to your
telescope.
If you'd like to learn more on the differences between the DSLR and the dedicated astro camera
click the link right over here.
Anyways that about wraps us up I hope you enjoyed watching this and you learned something
fun!
If there's any cameras you really recommend to the people out there please leave it in
the comments below to help one another, learn and grow with different suggestions.
As always, if you enjoyed this video and you want to support the channel please like and
subscribe.
My name is Mack Murdock here with OPT.
Thanks for watching and clear skies!