ZWO ASI678MC Color USB3.0 Astro Camera - Sensor D= 8.86 mm, 2.0 µm Pixel Size

ZWO ASI678MC Color USB3.0 Astro Camera with passive Air-Cooling - Sensor D= 8.86 mm

This camera is equipped with a modern 1/1.8" sensor with 3840*2160 pixels. In addition to the modern Starvis-2 technology (back-illumination), the IMX678 offers an extremely smooth image without amplifier glow (Amp-Glow), but convinces especially with the extremely high resolution (2.0 µm pixels) and the high frame rate. We recommend the camera among others for:

♦ Detailed planetary photography
♦ Lunar surface details
♦ Sun details (with suitable filter)
♦ Photography of (small) brighter nebulae and star clusters without power consuming cooling - exposure time up to 2000 seconds is possible
♦ Infrared photography to reduce the influence of seeing, thus sharper luminance channel
♦ Autoguiding camera (autoguiding port is available)
♦ EAA (electronically assisted astronomy) for planets, moon and sun

Lunar and planetary photography

Due to the fine 2.0 µm pixels, you achieve a very high resolution already from f/7, which makes the use of Barlow and converter systems unnecessary.

EAA (electronically assisted astronomy)

The extremely high resolution, combined with a high frame rate of 47.5 fps at full resolution (RAW8 format), allows real-time observation of planets as well as details on the moon and sun. Why not observe together in a group - without long waiting for everyone´s turn!

Use as autoguider:

The ASI6678MC is a lightweight with only 126 grams. It hardly loads the focuser. Of course, the camera offers the ST-4 autoguiding interface. A 2 metres long autoguiding cable is also included.

AR-coated clear glass filter protects the sensor from dust

The clear glass filter prevents dust from getting to the sensor. It also lets UV and infrared through, so you can also do infrared photography with the camera. You have full control over what light hits the sensor with the right choice of contrast filters, nebula filters, IR pass filters, or UV/IR blocking filters.

Air cooling - reduces sensor temperature

The sensor heats up during the exposures. The PCS dissipates heat from the sensor via a heat conducting pad. The sensor temperature is thus reduced by up to 15 degrees Celsius compared to cameras without PCS.

Very high sensitivity for short exposure times

One advantage of the back-illuminated CMOS sensor is the lower readout noise and improved sensitivity. In particular, Sony uses STARVIS™-2 technology in the IMX678 sensor, which provides excellent low-light visibility. You can achieve a very high light output in astro imaging and realize high image quality not only in visible light, but also in the near infrared range (to reduce seeing). In addition, the low readout noise ensures a higher dynamic range.

The ASI678MC is not only ideal for planetary and detailed images of the Sun and the Moon, but can also be used as a live streaming camera or as an all-sky camera for observing or monitoring weather conditions.

The low noise and anti-ampglow circuitry make this not! Peltier-cooled camera interesting for capturing deep-sky objects such as faint nebulae, star clusters and galaxies.

The HCG mode:

The camera has a built-in HCG mode that can effectively reduce readout noise at high gain and maintain the same wide dynamic range you would expect at low gain. When the gain is 182, the HCG mode automatically turns on. This results in the readout noise below 1.1 e- while the dynamic range can still reach about 12 f-stops.

Downloads

Drivers and programs, for example FireCapture or SharpCap, can be downloaded from the web, a link overview is available here.

Frequently asked questions about ZWO cameras:

The FAQ section is constantly updated by ZWO, here you can find answers to many questions.

FAQ about ZWO cameras

ZWO users forum

Instructions for ZWO products:

The page is constantly updated by ZWO, here you can find instructions for ZWO products.

Link to the instruction manuals

How to clean my ZWO camera:

The manufacturer provides a manual that deals with the cleaning of an ASI camera and the regeneration of the desiccant tablets: Please click here

Astrophotographic results obtained with this camera on Astrobin

Here you can find some astrophotographs made with this camera model: Link to Astrobin

♦ ASI camera
♦ Adapter T2 (M42x0.75) on 1.25"
♦ 1.25" cover
♦ Adapter T2 to CS mount (mounted)
♦ Wide field lens (mounted)
♦ USB 3.0 cable
♦ ST4 cable
♦ Quick Start Guide

No reviews by eKomi at this time.

Astrophotographic results obtained with this camera on Astrobin

Here you can find some astrophotographs made with this camera model: Link to Astrobin