Player One Ares-C Pro Color Astro Camera with Sony IMX533 Sensor, D=16 mm

Player One Ares-C Pro - Cooled Color Astro Camera with Sony IMX533 Sensor, 16 mm Focal Length

The Ares-C Pro camera was developed by Player One Astronomy. This camera is not only ideal for deep-sky photography, but also for solar and lunar imaging. The Ares-C Pro camera features a 1-inch square Sony IMX533 color sensor. The pixel size of 3.76 µm allows for a full-well capacity of 73 ke^- with a total pixel count of 9 MP (the resolution is 3008 × 3008 pixels) and a diagonal of 16 mm.

Imaging unit - sensor and electronics
The 1-inch IMX533 CMOS sensor is a practical size for most applications, and its back-illuminated pixels with Sony STARVIS technology ensure high light sensitivity. The larger pixels, in conjunction with the drive electronics, enable an improved full-well capacity of 73 ke^- (standard: 50 ke^-), which is higher than the value typically achieved with this sensor.

There are two capture modes:

Normal mode offers a higher frame rate and is better suited for planetary photography. In RAW8 mode, the camera achieves 43 frames per second, which is significantly faster than other models currently available on the market.

LRN mode (Low Readout Noise) is characterized by lower readout noise and a higher dynamic range. It is better suited for DSO photography.

The Non-Amp-Glow circuit is particularly helpful in deep-sky photography; "dark frames" are completely dark. This results in a very quiet background, making it much easier to achieve high-quality images.

The Ares-C PRO camera is also ideal for photographing the Sun, Moon, and planets. Thanks to its relatively large, square 1-inch sensor, the entire disk of the Sun and Moon can be easily captured using short-focal-length refractors. It also allows for more efficient mosaic creation.

Lightweight body with tilter
The camera features a round body in a classic red and black color scheme. The use of carbon fiber keeps the weight down - just 420 grams - and gives it a modern look. Player One has also integrated the sensor tilter plate and anti-dew electronics. Thanks to this design, the camera is not only lightweight and stylish, but also highly functional.

Tilt plates with adjustment from the front (3P tilter plate) or from the rear (4P tilter plate)
When photographing deep-sky objects, the sensor tilt plate can be used to compensate for sensor tilt and make the stars at the corners more rounded. The Ares camera can be used with both the front- and rear-accessible tilter plates to accommodate all usage scenarios:

The front-mounted 3P tilter plate is the camera´s default part; Player One assumes that most users already have experience with this. It works well in a lot of basic scenarios.

The 4P tilter plate, adjusted from the back, is an alternative part for the camera; it is required when using a filter wheel or filter drawer and a fixed-angle OAG. It is also convenient for RASA users to adjust the sensor´s tilt angle.

The built-in high-density sponge shading pad effectively prevents light from entering through the side slits.

Cooling
As is standard with Player One´s cooled cameras, this model features a two-stage TEC cooling system. Thanks to an improved structure design that rejects the heat back into the sensor chamber, the temperature difference (Delta-T) between the sensor and the ambient temperature can reach 35 to 40 °C. This significantly reduces dark current.

A dew heater prevents the entrance window from fogging up.

Type-C Data port and power port
On the back of the cooled camera, there are two Type-C data ports and a 12 V 5.5/2.1 mm DC power port.

The main data port supports the USB 3.0 protocol, and the camera can operate at 43 fps in RAW8 mode. When reccording images, the actual write speed will be influenced by the writing speed of the hard drive itself. If the hard drive´s write speed is slow, the theoretical recording speed may not be achieved. It is recommended to use a high-quality solid-state drive for recording to fully utilize the camera´s performance.

The camera has a 12 V 5.5/2.1 mm DC connector to provide enough power to the TEC cooling system. If you do not need the cooling, connect only the Type-C connector; the camera will then work as an uncooled camera.

512 MB DDR3 Cache
The DDR3 cache in cooled cameras is increased to 512MB. It helps stabilize and secure data transmission, it effectively avoids frame dropping and greatly reduces readout noise.

With the DDR3 cache, the camera does not have high demands on computing needs any longer and will still have excellent performance even if it is connected to a USB 2.0 port.

Camera + Metal Cover
M48F-M42M Extender 17.5 mm
M42F-M42M Extender 20 mm
M48M-M42F Adapter 0 mm
T-mount adapter and 1.25" Cover
Air Blower
Type-C to Type-A USB 3.2 Cable, 2 m
Type-C to Type-C USB 2.0 Cable, 0.5 m
Type-C to Type-B USB 2.0 Cable, 0.5 m
Screwdriver, 2 mm Hexagonal Wrench and a bag of M2.5*5 screws
4P Tilter
Cable Tie
Camera Bag

Safety informations: PDF Download