A very good choice for a quality- and price-conscious planetary photographer
The ZWO ASI224MC comes with an exciting a 1/3″ and 1.2M pixels IMX224 sensor that features SONY Exmor and NIR Technology.
The comparatively small sensor, extremely low read noise (1.5 e), high sensitivity also in NIR and achievable very high framerates (150 fps at 10 bit ADC) make this new camera a very good choice for a quality-conscious planetary photographer.
This camera will mostly be used for imaging planets, but it can also be used for deep-sky imaging up to a certain level as it supports up to 1000 seconds exposure time and features amp-glow reduction.
This colour camera provides you with a simple imaging process, no need to worry about filters and filter wheel, so if you cannot spend much time and happy to go for a slight compromise, this is probably the best colour planetary imager today that you can buy in this price range (and it would beat many much more expensive cameras as well ...)
Infrared & methane band photography:
This camera comes with a clear glass protection filter which transmits infrared, too. The extended IR sensitivity allows the use in infrared photography with the optional WO IR pass filter. With the optional ZWO ASICH4Filter, images in the methane band are also possible.
Note: If you want to use the advantages of planetary photography in the infrared range, you need an IR pass filter which blocks the visual range, but transmits near infrared.
Features of the ZWO ASI224MC Camera
♦ Recommended for the planets and some deep sky objects
♦ Resolution: 1304x976 at up 64 fps (at 12bit ADC) or
150 fps (at 10 bit ADC)
♦ Long time exposure up to 1000 s!
♦ Autoguider port
♦ Very low read noise (1.5 e)
♦ High sensitivity, especially in IR range
♦ PCB with "amp-glow reduction technology" already installed
♦ Full aluminium housing with standard 2" interface
♦ M42x0.75 internal thread
♦ T-thread to 1.25" adapter included
♦ Comes with AR protection window - full transmission also in IR. If infrared should be blocked, an IR-cut filter is necessary.
System requirements
USB 3.0 should be available and supported by the operating system. Support exists since
♦ Windows 8
♦ Mac OS X 10.8
♦ Linux Kernel 2.6.31
The camera manufacturer writes:
"most important is USB3.0 host controller
we recommend "Intel® USB 3.0 eXtensible Host Controller"
from customer´s feedback, all intel host controller works and can provide the maximum data transfer
and here is more detail test result:
tested platform and USB Host controller:
Lenovo IdeaPad Z580: intel USB 3.0 eXtensible Host Controller
MacBook air 2014: intel USB 3.0 eXtensible Host Controller
Dell Inspiron 17-7737 i7: intel USB 3.0 eXtensible Host Controller
HP Pavilion dv7 Notebook PC: intel USB 3.0 eXtensible Host Controller
MacBook Pro 2013: intel USB 3.0 eXtensible Host Controller
PC: Renesas Electronics USB3.0 Host Controller
PC: AMD USB3.0 Host Controller
PCIE-USB3.0 Card: NEC/Renesas μPD720200A μPD720201 & μPD720202
PCIE-USB3.0 Card: VIA Labs VL800
already know incompatible USB host:
PCIE-USB3.0 Card: NEC/Renesas μPD720200 under windows 8
PCIE-USB3.0 Card: Trendnet TU3-H2PIE card
PC: Etron usb3.0 host controller"
Downloads
The newest versions of drivers and software can be downloaded from the manufacturer´s website.
Drivers and SoftwareFrequently Asked Questions about ZWO Cameras:
The FAQ section is constantly updated by ZWO, here you can find the answers to many questions.
FAQ about ZWO camerasManuals for ZWO products:
The manuals page is constantly updated by ZWO, here you can find user guides for ZWO products.
Link to the manualsHow 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.
Astrophotographic results obtained with this camera on Astrobin
Here you can find some astrophotographs made with this camera model:
Link to Astrobin
