Altair Hypercam 269C PRO Color Astro Camera fan cooled Sony Sensor D=21.8 mm

Altair Hypercam 269 PRO Fan-Cooled Color Astro Camera

This camera is an alternative to the DSLR camera. The active air cooling removes the generated heat, and the noise behavior improves. However, icing problems or increased power consumption are not an issue. The power supply simply works via USB. This camera is a fine all-round solution for deep-sky photography, but also for photography of the moon and planets. The uncomplicated operation makes it also well suited for beginners.

The modern IMX269 sensor from Sony offers high resolution and still very high sensitivity. Due to the very low amplifier glow, the camera is best suited for long exposures.

The main advantages of the PRO version:

Temperature sensor with real-time data output

ROI (Region of Interest) for cropping and thus faster photography when taking pictures of sun, moon and planets

4K mode (cropped!)

Binning is supported

Active fan cooling - higher efficiency than passive cooling as, for example, with DSLR or system cameras

One year license for SharpCap PRO free!

Includes ultra-accurate polar alignment guide, optimization wizard for CMOS exposure times for deep sky objects, livestacking for EAA/video astronomy, live subtraction for dark frames and flats. Just download the latest SharpCap, connect your camera, register it when the display pops up and confirm your free license.

Easier than a DSLR, it also needs no "astro modification"

The Hypercam is much easier to use and focus than a DSLR, thanks to live preview with standard AltairCapture and SharpCap software. You can see a faint star clearly and in real time because there is no video compression in between. You also don´t need to modify the Hypercam to capture details in the red hydrogen light because there´s no filter blocking that area in the way. There are no heavy and unwieldy power connectors, which could easily come loose, and no mirror to cause vibrations, but there is an output with true RAW mode. You get exactly what the Sony sensor "sees".

Low Readout Noise

Low Readout Noise: The Sony IMX269 CMOS sensor has a very low readout noise of about 2.6e and the usual characteristics of high sensitivity, low dark current, no smear, and excellent anti-blooming expected from a CMOS sensor. Unit gain is 282 in high conversion gain mode and 565 in low conversion gain mode for SharpCap and most other imaging applications (2.82 / 5.65 in AltairCapture).

4 GB DDR3 buffer RAM - USB3.0 speed and USB2.0 reliability:

USB3.0 and buffering by memory directly on the board result in much faster transfer speeds than USB2.0 cameras, but if, like many photographers, you prefer longer and more flexible USB2.0 cables because they work more reliably on a USB2.0 hub, that´s not a problem either! The Hypercam is fully compatible with the USB2.0 protocol. Just install the software and get started!

Important: Windows PC hardware requirements for best performance

Minimum CPU: Equal to i5 or higher

Minimum memory: 8 GB or more

USB port: USB2.0 high-speed port or USB3.0 high-speed port (best performance)

Please note: Some laptops and touchscreen notebooks may not have sufficient USB throughput.

Quality software and drivers included:

AltairCapture: Unlike cheaper camera manufacturers, Altair Astro has spent a lot of time to further improve the AltairCapture software with its many features and intuitive operation, it can be downloaded from Altair Astro Customer Support. AltairCapture is a robust 64-bit Windows application that provides full control of the camera in video or single frame mode. It contains many automatic functions and supports all major file formats for astrophotography and professional scientific image acquisition in 16bit, 12bit or 8bit modes. Furthermore, the popular programs PHD Guiding and SharpCap are also natively supported. ASCOM drivers are also available for download at Altair Astro Customer Support where you can also get regular driver updates. Installation is very simple and, unlike cheaper cameras, you don´t have to waste time optimizing .DLL files just to get the camera to work as expected.

SharpCap PRO:

Altair Astro has worked closely with SharpCap developer Robin Glover since 2015 to fully integrate Altair cameras with SharpCap from the ground up. Now, together with this camera, SharpCap PRO allows even more features, for example, software-assisted polar alignment (more accurate than most other methods), live subtraction of flats, and live subtraction of dark frames. The fast, accurate pole alignment feature in SharpCap PRO is a photography lifesaver that saves setup time.

Cooling via fan:

The Hypercam is cooled with an internal, low-vibration fan. It can be turned on or off via AltairCapture and SharpCap, but you can also adjust the speed with these programs. Cool air is drawn in through the ventilation slots on the side of the case, past a large internal heat sink. This is directly connected to the sensor, much like a computer CPU. The air flowing freely through the housing cools not only the sensor, but all internal electronic components. Cooling is especially desirable during long exposures to reduce thermal noise. Some camera housings become uncomfortably warm during a solar photography session, and the sensor can reach 60 or even 70 °C (140 or 158 °F). This can cause the electronics to become prone to failure and unreliable. The Hypercam is designed for steady, reliable solar photography using a solar filter or Altair solar wedge (Herschel wedge). If the fan is running, the Hypercam´s housing will always remain cool.

Autoguiding:

The camera has an ST4 autoguider port and can be used for autoguiding with mounts from all major manufacturers that support the ST4 format, including iOptron, Celestron, and Skywatcher. The IMX269 is more than sensitive enough for autoguiding.

Practical tip from Teleskop-Service: Storage of cameras and accessories

Especially in our latitudes, the nights are often very humid. When it cools down, however, moisture from the inside also condenses on the entrance window or sensor. Quickly a photo session is over, because the image becomes cloudy.

Good storage is an important preventive measure against dew and also prolongs the life of the camera.

After use, put the camera immediately into the TS Protect Case and add some silica gel. During storage, the silica gel will suck the moisture from the inside of the camera. At the same time, it prevents the humid room air from entering. Your camera or accessories will always be ready for you in optimal condition. You can find the silica gel and the case in our product recommendations.