ZWO Color Camera ASI2600MC Duo - Sensor D=28.3 mm - with Guiding Sensor

ASI2600MC Duo - APS-C color camera with integrated guide sensor

The ASI2600MC Duo combines imaging and guiding sensors in one compact body. The main sensor is the Sony IMX571 coming with a native 16-bit ADC, 14 stops dynamic range, and 3.76 µm square pixels. The readout noise is as low as 1.0 e, and the full well capacity reaches an incredible level of 73 ke. And it has no amp glow!

The guide sensor is the type 1/1.8 SC2210 with excellent NIR sensitivity. The sensor size is 7.68 mm x 4.32 mm. It has 4 µm x 4 µm pixels with an array of 1920×1080 and a full depth of 8780 e.

The stars on the corner of the guide images affected by reducers back focus distance might not be very round. It is not due to the sensor tilt and will not affect normal use.

Two-in-one design
Thanks to the compact design, the ASI2600MC Duo only needs one USB cable for control. It reduces potential cabling issues and improves setup speeds. You don´t need a separate OAG and guiding camera.

Main sensor
The main sensor IMX571 features an APS-C format and 26MP total pixels. The size is 23.5 mm in width x 15.7 mm in height, and the diagonal is 28.3 mm. The 3.76 µm x 3.76 µm small pixel size accommodates an impressive full depth of 50 ke. With the new hardware technology, it is even extended to 73 ke.

Guide sensor
The SC2210 sensor taken from the ASI220MM Mini camera features very high sensitivity. The QE peak value reaches 92% at 500 nm. The readout noise is as low as 0.6 e. As the new generation of guide sensor, it has achieved great results in guiding, proved by hundreds of astrophotographers.

The USB 3.0 cable operates both sensors. The guide sensor can then be selected in PHD2, for example, and the IMX571 sensor in the imaging software. Capturing and guiding can then begin.

Features

STARVIS technology
ASI2600MC DUO is based on Sony STARVIS technology. Sony´ s back-illuminated CMOS image sensor improves sensitivity and noise reduction - the key factors to enhancing image quality.

Native 16bit ADC
This 16-bit ADC is not a CCD 16-bit ADC. It can really achieve a dynamic range output of 14 stops, which will significantly improve the image sharpness and contrast, and also create smoother and more natural color transitions.

FPS
ASI2600MC Duo´s max FPS in RAW 8 mode at full resolution is 15 fps, which is even quicker compared to ASI2600MC Pro.

Extended full well mode
The full well capacity of ASI2600MC Duo is extended to 73 ke, which is 1.46x larger than ASI2600MC Pro.

USB 3.0 & 512 MB DDR3 buffer
With the match of USB 3.0 and 512 MB DDR3 buffer, ASI2600MC Duo provides stable and secure data transmission that can effectively avoid frame-dropping issues during long exposures.

No amp-glow
Traditional CMOS sensors produce a weak infrared light source during operation quite often seen in the corner of uncalibrated images. It is the tell-tale sign of amp glow. As the ASI2600MC Duo uses zero-amp glow circuitry, you won´t have to worry about amp glow even when using high gain, long exposure imaging.

QE (Quantum efficiency)
Based on ZWO´s testing results, the QE peak value of ASI2600MC Duo is over 91%.

Two-stage TEC cooling
Thanks to the two-stage TEC cooling, ASI2600MC Duo can lower the CMOS sensor temperature to more than 35 degrees Celsius below ambient temperature, which can greatly reduce dark current generation and sensor noise even during extended exposure times.
*The Delta T 35 °C is tested at 30 °C ambient temperature. It might get down when the cooling system is working for a long time. Also, as the ambient temperature falls, the Delta T would decrease.

Dark current noise
The dark current noise of the ASI2600MC Duo is extremely low. Even with moderate cooling, you get a very low-noise image.

Anti-Dew heater
There is a polyimide heater completely fitting the protective window in the ASI2600MC Duo camera. It can help avoid any potential annoying dew or icing issues depending on the environment in which you capture images.
The power of the heater is around 5 W. You are free to turn it off anytime in your photography software if you want to save power.

Important: external power supply required!

This camera requires 1 amp even in uncooled operation, which is a problem for USB sockets on computers, because they are only rated for 900 mA (0.9 A).

Stable operation of the camera is therefore only possible with an external 12 V power supply.

Optimal support before and after the purchase through Teleskop-Service:

We work with the cameras ourselves and can offer you optimal advice. Which camera fits to your telescope, how do you achieve the optimal adaptation? Teleskop-Service is one of the largest ZWO dealers. Through our contacts we also offer the best possible service after the purchase.

Practical tip 1 from TS: Integration of 2" filters, 360° rotation and quick coupling

The camera is often used on correctors that do not have a filter thread. In addition, the filters should always be used as close as possible to the camera. Here we offer you a solution that can do much more.

2" filter holder directly in front of the camera

360° rotation for the right choice of the image section

Quick release - you can remove the camera from the remote ear at any time, without screws and thus entangling the cables

The adaptation is very simple, the 21 mm T2 extension is replaced by:

1x TSROTT2-T2 and 2x T2AbstimmA1

One tuning ring comes to the camera side, one tuning ring comes to the telescope side of the rotator. Then screw on the M42-M48 adapter with 16.5 mm length and you are in the right distance with the camera.

Practice tip 2 from TS: Connection of camera lenses

The manufacturer gives, see seventh picture, hints for the direct connection of Nikon F or Canon EOS lenses, but does not have the suitable adapters in the product range anymore. However, you can get into focus with an adapter that fits the lens mount and is available from TS, and an extension ring.

In addition to the lens, you will need

ZWO-EFW2-NIKON or ZWO-EFW2-EOS

TSVM5415

If you want to use a filter (2"), the filter drawer matching the lens mount is the more elegant solution:

ZWO-FD-NIKON or ZWO-FD-EOS

Adapters, extension ring and filter drawers are linked in the accessory recommendations.

Practical tip 3 from TS: Storage of cameras and accessories

Especially in our latitudes, the nights are often very humid. This humidity condenses on your camera, eyepiece or filter when they come into the warm interior of the apartment. Especially cooled cameras are affected by this. Quickly a photo session is over because the sensor ices up.

Good storage is an important prevention against dew and also extends the life span.

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 out of the camera. At the same time, the penetration of humid room air is prevented. Dry storage even allows the small dry tablets in cooled cameras to partially regenerate. Your camera or accessories are always ready for you in optimal condition. You can find the silica gel and the case in our product recommendations.

Practical tip 4 from TS: Guiding without ST-4 Port

This camera has no ST-4 autoguider port, so you have to connect the mount directly to the PC. Here is a table which lists cables and matching hints for some mounts:

Downloads, drivers:

ZWO provides software and drivers online for free download.

Downloads, drivers:

ZWO provides software and drivers online for free download.

Software and drivers for all ZWO cameras

Frequently asked questions about ZWO cameras:

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

FAQ about ZWO cameras

ZWO Users Forum

Manuals for ZWO products:

The manuals page is constantly updated by ZWO, here you can find user guides for ZWO products.

Link to the manuals

How to clean my ZWO camera:

The manufacturer provides a manual that covers how to clean an ASI camera and regenerate the desiccant tablets: Please click here.

Question:
How to guide with the ASI2600 Duo?

Answer from Teleskop-Service:
To be able to guide with the ZWO ASI 2600 Duo without ST4, you need a direct cable connection between the mount and the PC.
Depending on the mount type, there are different cables that make this possible. Usually it is a USB type B cable to USB A. Then you need to install the appropriate ASCOM drivers to be able to control the mount. You can then use a guding program such as PHD2 to select the mount with the appropriate ASCOM driver and the camera as the tracking device. In parallel, you can then take pictures with the large IMX571 chip in a recording software.