Users starting in astrophotography often isaresearching an affordable and simple to use solution. Often, however, the cheap cameras have very small sensors that not only allow you to frame a small field but also make it difficult to fit a lot of deep-sky objects or, more simply, even find them in the night sky! The QHY8L color CCD camera completely changes the rules as it offers, at a dramatically low price, a big color CCD sensor (equal to those of a DSLR with DX or APS-C sensor) combined with double Peltier cell cooling system (that incredibly reduces electronic noise in long exposures typical of astrophotography), a 16 bits advanced electronic A/D converter and to a compact and lightweight body.
Technical comment by Filippo: "I have used many times the QHY8L CCD camera and I always recommend it to amateur astronomers looking for a reliable, simple to use (it includes a simple control and capture software), cheap camera but with a large dimension sensor."
This way you can take pictures of large apparent dimension in the sky objects (such as the Andromeda Galaxy, the Orion Nebula and the Pleiades) without the need for very short focal length. For example the QHY8L used together with AIRY APO80 refractor frames a field of 2.72°x1.81°! The sensor is Sony QHY8L ICX413AQ with 6 mega pixels resolution (3032 x 2016).
- QHY8L camera
- DC-201 external cooling system controller
- Connection cable from DC-201 to QHY8L
- USB cable for PC connection
- Camera tilt regolation adapter
- Rear clip to safely lock cables on the camera
- Desiccant Tube
- USB pen with drivers, control software and user manual
QHY8L camera comes with all accessories to use it. In the USB pen, you will find drivers, control software and user manual.
NGC281 nebula recorded by Fabio Semeraro with QHY8L CCD camera and AIRY APO120 refractor telescope.
Type: | Camera CCD raffreddata |
---|---|
Sensor | Color |
Sensor | Sony ICX413AQ |
Resolution | 3032 x 2016 |
Sensor dimensions (mm) | 23,6 x 15,7 |
Sensor diagonal (mm) | 28.3 |
Pixels dimensions (µm) | 7,8 x 7,8 |
A/D converter | 16 bit |
Cooling | -40°C rispetto a T ambientale |
Readout Noise (e-) | 6-10e @600 Kpixel/s |
ST4 integrated autoguide port | Yes |
Telescope interface | Filetto T femmina (42x0,75) |
Connection to PC | USB 2.0 |
Power | External 12V 5A |
Backfocus (mm) | 20 |
Weight (gr.) | 400 |