Guide Cameras Archives - Modern Astronomy

QHY5III585M Mono Camera

Bernard Karpinski — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 22:52:04 +0000

The QHY5III585M Mono Camera is one of the new generation of QHY5III V2 series planetary guide cameras, offering a mono version of the QHY5III585C. It has a high sensitivity in the near infrared while the dynamic range performance has been greatly improved. It has a 1/1.2-inch large sensor and zero amp glow.

The camera utilizes the Sony IMX585 BSI Sensor, a Sony Starvis II processor that enables high sensitivity and high dynamic range (HDR). It also improves sensitivity in the near-infrared range by approximately 1.7 times compared to the IMX485. The new camera has a large full well capacity of over 30ke-, approximately three times that of the previous generation.

As the QHY team notes, “In this latest generation of sensors, the photodiode portion of the pixel well is physically deeper than in previous sensors, allowing photons of longer wavelengths to penetrate deeper into the substrate. This dramatically increases the sensor’s sensitivity to red and near-infrared (NIR) light. The sensor displays almost equal peak sensitivity to NIR light as it does to light in the visible spectrum.”

One benefit of the back-illuminated CMOS structure is improved full well capacity. In a typical front-illuminated sensor, photons from the target entering the photosensitive layer of the sensor must first pass through the metal wiring that is embedded just above the photosensitive layer. The wiring structure reflects some of the photons and reduces the efficiency of the sensor.

In the back- illuminated sensor the light is allowed to enter the photosensitive surface from the reverse side. In this case the sensor’s embedded wiring structure is below the photosensitive layer. As a result, more incoming photons strike the photosensitive layer and more electrons are generated and captured in the pixel well. This ratio of photon to electron production is called quantum efficiency. The higher the quantum efficiency the more efficient the sensor is at converting photons to electrons and hence the more sensitive the sensor is to capturing an image of something dim.

The QHY5III585M mono camera is equipped with a 512MB DDR3 image buffer which can effectively reduce the pressure on computer transmission, a great help for planetary photography which often requires writing a large amount of data in a short period of time.

The camera utilizes the USB3.2 Gen1 Type-C interface. Compared to the USB3.0 Type-B interface used in the previous generation, the Type-C interface has a longer life and is more flexible. The custom interfaces of the previous generation camera has been replaced with a more universal ST-4 compatible guiding interface. Now, even if the guiding cable is lost or damaged, you will be able to easily get a replacement.

The QHY5III585M Mono Camera is equipped with a status indicator at the back of the camera. If the camera experiences an abnormal status, the multi-colored indicator light will help to determine the situation with different colors signifying different conditions. During normal operation this indicator light is off, so there is no worry about light contaminating the image.

The QHY5III585M Mono Camera uses a 1.25-inch eyepiece shape design, so it can be added to the 1.25-inch eyepiece without the need for additional interfaces. It also contains the front end of the C-mount, which can be connected to the C-mount lens. Note that this back intercept is slightly less than the standard C back intercept of 17.5 mm. The reason for this design is that a distance of 17.5mm can be achieved through a 1.25-inch spacer.

The QHY5III585M Mono Camera specifications include:

– CMOS Sensor: Sony IMX585 BSI Sensor

– Pixel Size: 2.9um*2.9um

– Effective Pixel Area: 3856*2180

– Effective Pixels: 8.4 Mega Pixel

– Sensor Size: 1/1.2inch

– Full Well Capacity: 32ke-

– Readout Noise: 0.8-5.5e-

– AD Sample Depth: 12-bit (output as 16-bit and 8-bit)

– Built-in Image Buffer: 512MB DDR3 Memory

– ROI Frame Rate: Full Resolution – 41.5FPS @8BIT, 23.5FPS @16BIT; 1920Lines – 82FPS @8BIT, 47FPS @16BIT; 640Lines -177FPS @8BIT, 106FPS @16BIT

– Exposure Time Range: 11us-900sec

– Shutter Type: Electronic Rolling Shutter

– Computer Interface: USB3.2 Gen1 Type-C

– Guide Port: ST4

– Telescope Interface: 1.25-inch, compatible with CS interface or C interface by changing the front-end connector (An IR-Cut filter and an IR850nm filter are included in the standard version)

– Back Focal Length: 17mm (with adapter);8±0.5mm（without adapter）

– Weight: 90g

The post QHY5III585M Mono Camera appeared first on Modern Astronomy.

QHY5III568M Mono Camera

Bernard Karpinski — Wed, 17 Jul 2024 22:02:42 +0000

The QHY5III568M Mono Camera is a back-illuminated planetary & guiding camera of the latest 5III V2 series with a global shutter and true hardware binning.

Note: In order to activate the Charge Binning function of the QHY5III568M Mono Camera, please select “Read Mode–2×2 FD Binning” instead of the normal binning function included in the software (Taking SharpCap for example).

BSI

One benefit of the back-illuminated CMOS structure is improved sensitivity. In a typical front-illuminated sensor, photons from the target entering the photosensitive layer of the sensor must first pass through the metal wiring that is embedded just above the photosensitive layer. The wiring structure reflects some of the photons and reduces the efficiency of the sensor.

Global Shutter

Unlike the rolling shutter technology used in most CMOS cameras, a global shutter guarantees that the exposure time for the whole image area is uniform, beginning and ending at exactly the same time. This type of shutter is ideal for high precision applications. For high speed moving object and the atmospheric agitation the global shutter can generate undistorted imaging and realizes high picture quality.

FD Binning (Hardware Binning)

Unlike Most CMOS cameras, the camera supports charge-domain binning (FD Binning), which is the true hardware pixel binning similar to CCD cameras.

In the past, only CCD sensors were capable of hardware binning. Most CMOS cameras used digital binning, which relied on algorithms for binning. The disadvantage of this binning method (using 2*2 binning as an example) is that while the signal is amplified by 4 times, it also introduces twice the amount of noise, resulting in only a doubling of the signal-to-noise ratio, and then frame rate can not be improved. In contrast, hardware binning does not amplify additional noise, resulting in a direct 4-fold improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio. What’s more, the frame rate can increase a lot even the ROI function is not activited.

QHY5III Series V2 Introduction

512MB DDR3

The QHY5III (Ver. 2) series planetary and guiding cameras are all equipped with a 512MB DDR3 image buffer which can effectively reduce the pressure on computer transmission, a great help for planetary photography which often requires writing a large amount of data in a short period of time. Some deep-sky astrophotography cameras on the market today only have 256MB, for example.

In comparison, the 512MB DDR3 memory of the new 5III (Ver. 2) series cameras represents a significant upgrade.

New Front-end Design with Better Compatibility

QHY5III (Ver. 2) series cameras have adopted a new front-end design with better compatibility.Here we only take QHY5III200M as example, however, ALL V2 cams in the future share these features.

The BFL of V2 cam is only 8mm, which means you can easily compat a V2 cam with your OAG. The basic top adapter includes 1.25 inch threads and you can still use your 1.25 inch filter.

The top adapter glass of V2 can be easily swiched. One of the adavantage of changable top glasses is you can use one filter even you’re using Lens! You can add a 1.25inch-cs adapter to connect CS lens, or add a second CS-C lens for C-mount lens. The two adapters are all standard accessories of V2 cams.

By the way, there’s a 1.25-inch filter wheel adapter to connect your mono planetary cam with the QHYCFW3-S filter wheel.

USB 3.2 Gen1 Type C Interface

The new QHY5III (Ver.2) series cameras all use the USB3.2 Gen1 Type-C interface. Compared to the USB3.0 Type-B interface used in the previous generation, the Type-C interface has a longer life and is more flexible.

Tips: It is recommended to use the official standard Type-C data cable of QHYCCD. As the market is flooded with a large number of poor-quality Type-C cables, casual use may lead to the camera malfunctioning. If you use your own spare cable, please make sure it is a high-quality cable.

Universal Guiding Interface

The custom interfaces of the previous generation of planetary cameras and guiders has been replaced in the QHY5III (Ver.2) cameras with a more universal ST-4 compatible guiding interface. Now, even if the guiding cable is lost or damaged, you will be able to easily get a replacement on the market at a low cost.

Indicator LED

The new QHY5III568M mono camera is equipped with a status indicator at the back of the camera. If the camera experiences an abnormal status, the multi-colored indicator light will help to determine the situation with different colors signifying different conditions. During normal operation this indicator light is off, so there is no worry about light contaminating the image.

Sample Images

http://astro.christone.net/hsolar/s20240307b_cgo.jpg

http://astro.christone.net/hsolar/s20240310b_cgo.jpg

By Christopher Go
QHY5III568M + Stellarvue SV70 + Coronado SM60

Specifications

Model	QHY5III568M/C
Image Sensor	Sony IMX568
Mono/Color	Both Available
FSI/BSI	BSI
Sensor Size	6.7mm*5.6mm（Type1/1.8）
Pixel Size	2.74μm*2.74μm
Effective Pixel Area	2472*2064
Effective Pixels	5.1 Megapixels
Full Well Capacity	Full Resolution: 8.8ke- 2X2 FD Binning: 9.7ke-
Read Noise	Full Resolution: 1.5e- to 2.3e- 2X2 FD Binning: 1.6e- to 2.7e-
A/D	12-bit (output as 16-bit and 8-bit)
Built-in Image Buffer	512MB DDR3 Memory
Full Frame Rates	64.9FPS@8bit, 34.5FPS@16bit
ROI Frame Rates	1920X1080, 115.6FPS@8bit, 62.1FPS@16bit 800X600, 187.2FPS@8bit, 100.5FPS@16bit 480X480, 221.2FPS@8bit, 118.5FPS@16bit2X2 FD Binning 1236X1032, 283.2FPS@8bit, 142.5FPS@16bit 800X600, 439.6FPS@8bit, 221.9FPS@16bit 480X480, 519.6FPS@8bit, 262.8FPS@16bit
Exposure Time Range	11μs-900sec
Shutter Type	Electronic Global Shutter
Computer Interface	USB3.0 Type-C
Guide Port	Standard ST-4 Style
Telescope Interface	1.25-inch, with CS and C-Mount
Optical Window	AR Anti-reflection Glass (5III568M） IR-Cut filter (5III568C)
Extra Filter	–
Back Focal Length	17mm (with adapter); 8mm（without adapter）
Weight	80g

Curves

Spectral Sensitivity

Mechanical Dimensions

Accessories

User Guide

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QHY5III678C Colour Camera

Bernard Karpinski — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 15:39:25 +0000

The QHY5III678C Colour Camera is one of the 2nd generation of the QHY5III series, it’s the upgraded version of QHY5III178C with excellent near-infrared high sensitivity. The product comes with filters including the IR850 filter.

Extended Near Infrared Sensitivity

In this latest generation of sensors, the photodiode portion of the pixel well is physically deeper than in previous sensors, allowing photons of longer wavelengths to penetrate deeper into the substrate. This dramatically increases the sensor’s sensitivity to red and near-infrared (NIR) light. The sensor displays almost equal peak sensitivity to NIR light as it does to light in the visible spectrum.

QHY5III Series V2 Introduction

512MB DDR3

In comparison, the 512MB DDR3 memory of the new 5III (Ver. 2) series cameras represents a significant upgrade.

New Front-end Design with Better Compatibility

QHY5III (Ver. 2) series cameras have adopted a new front-end design with better compatibility.Here we only take QHY5III200M as example, however, ALL V2 cams in the future share these features.

The BFL of V2 cam is only 8mm, which means you can easily compat a V2 cam with your OAG. The basic top adapter includes 1.25 inch threads and you can still use your 1.25 inch filter.

By the way, there’s a 1.25 inch filter wheel adapter to connet your mono planetary cam with QHYCFW3-S filter wheel.

USB 3.2 Gen1 Type C Interface

Universal Guiding Interface

Indicator LED

The new QHY5III (Ver.2) series of cameras is equipped with a status indicator at the back of the camera. If the camera experiences an abnormal status, the multi-colored indicator light will help to determine the situation with different colors signifying different conditions. During normal operation this indicator light is off, so there is no worry about light contaminating the image.

Specification

Model	QHY5III678
CMOS Sensor	Sony IMX678
Pixel Size	2.0um*2.0um
Effective Pixel Area	3856*2180
Effective Pixels	8.4 Mega Pixel
Fullwell	9ke-
Readout Noise	0.57-3.3e-
AD Sample Depth	12-bit (output as 16-bit and 8-bit)
Built-in Image Buffer	512MB DDR3 Memory
ROI Frame Rate	Full Resolution 43FPS @8BIT 22FPS @16BIT 1920Lines 85FPS @8BIT 43.5FPS @16BIT 640Lines 99FPS @8BIT 93FPS @16BIT
Exposure Time Range	11us-900sec
Shutter Type	Electric Rolling Shutter
Computer Interface	USB3.2 Gen1 Type-C
Guide Port	st4
Telescope Interface	1.25-inch, compatible with CS-port and C-port lenses by replacing the front-end connector (An IR AR glass and an IR850nm filter are included in the standard version.)

Back Focal Length	17mm（with adapter）; 8±0.5mm（without adapter）
Weight	90g

Curves

Mechanical Dimensions

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QHY5III462M Mono Camera

Bernard Karpinski — Thu, 04 May 2023 13:25:06 +0000

QHY5III462M Mono Camera with Enhanced N-IR Sensitivity.

The QHY5III462M Mono camera features the Sony IMX462 STARVIS CMOS sensor. This sixth-generation sensor provides two-megapixel resolution with a pixel area of 1920 x 1080 and a pixel size of 2.9um. This sixth-generation sensor is exceptionally sensitive to near-infrared (NIR) light, displaying an almost equal peak sensitivity to NIR light as to light in the visible spectrum. Indeed, the peak quantum efficiency (QE) in near-infrared is around 800 nm, which is as high as the peak QE in the visible wavelengths.

The IMX462 sensor is back-illuminated, with Super High Conversion Gain (sHCG) technology that provides very low read noise at high gain. Using lower capacitance, a small amount of charge can be converted to a higher voltage, which results in higher sensitivity in low-light conditions. This is very helpful when stacking many short-exposure planetary images. The back-illuminated CMOS structure of the IMX462 also provides an improved full well capacity. This two-megapixel astronomy camera has a 1.25″ telescope interface, with an electric rolling shutter, a guide port, and a USB 3.0 port. As with the other cameras in the QHY 5III series, the QHY5III462M is both powered and controlled through its USB 3.0 port without the need for additional cables or power sources.

QHY has utilized the IMX462 sensor in this CMOS camera to provide optimal performance for planetary imaging. Between the sixth-generation sensor and the Super High Conversion Gain Technology, this affordable camera is an excellent addition to your astrophotography setup.

Sony IMX462 CMOS Sensor
The QHY5III462M employs the sixth-generation Sony 2.1 megapixel IMX462 STARVIS CMOS sensor with a 1920×1080 effective pixel array consisting of 2.9 µm x 2.9 µm pixels. This pixel size and resolution are identical to that of the sensor incorporated into the QHY5III290 model–a camera with an outstanding track record for planetary imaging used by some of the leading planetary imagers in the field.

Super High Conversion Gain (sHCG) Technology
As indicated by the chart on the left, the QHY5III462M produces very low read noise at high gain. This is accomplished through the Super High Conversion Gain (sHCG) technology embedded into the Sony IMX462 CMOS sensor. This allows for higher sensitivity in low-light conditions, which is a great benefit, especially for those looking to stack many short-exposure planetary images.

Model	QHY5III462M
CMOS Sensor	SONY IMX462 BSI CMOS
Pixel Size	2.9um x 2.9um
Effective Pixel Area	1920 x 1080
Effective Pixels	2 MP
Fullwell	12000e-
Readout Noise	0.5e-
AD Sample Depth	12-bit (output as 16-bit and 8-bit)
Sensor Size	Typical 1/2.8 inch
Full Frame Rate	Full Resolution 135 FPS@8-bits (USB3.0 Port）
ROI Frame Rate	Higher rates at selected fields of interest (Supports any region ROI)
Exposure Time Range	7us-900sec
Shutter Type	Electronic Rolling Shutter
Computer Interface	USB3.0
Guide Port	Yes
Telescope Interface	1.25-inch
Optical Window Type	Interchangeable 1.25-inch filter as optical window QHY5III462M: Includes a free 1.25-inch IR850 filter
Back Focal Length	12mm (±0.5)
Weight	88g

Curves

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QHY5III715C Colour Camera

Bernard Karpinski — Thu, 04 May 2023 11:29:59 +0000

Overview

The QHY5III715C Colour Camera is an ultra-high resolution back-illuminated color camera with extremely low read noise. The sensor has a 1/2.8-inch optical format, similar to the QHY5III462C. However, the QHY5III715C has 4X as many pixels as the QHY5III462C for 4K resolution with 1.45um pixels.

This makes the new QHY5III715C Colour Camera ideal for smaller short focal length refractors. The exceptionally small pixels subtend a FOV of less than 1 arcsecond at focal lengths of 12 inches (300mm) or longer. The QHY5III715C inherits all of the updates and improvements of the QHY5III Series Ver. 2 line of cameras (See below).

Extended Near Infrared Sensitivity

QHY5III Series V2 Introduction

512MB DDR3

In comparison, the 512MB DDR3 memory of the new 5III (Ver. 2) series cameras represents a significant upgrade.

New Front-end Design with Better Compatibility

QHY5III (Ver. 2) series cameras have adopted a new front-end design with better compatibility.Here we only take QHY5III200M as example, however, ALL V2 cams in the future share these features.

The BFL of V2 cam is only 8mm, which means you can easily compat a V2 cam with your OAG. The basic top adapter includes 1.25 inch threads and you can still use your 1.25 inch filter.

By the way, there’s a 1.25 inch filter wheel adapter to connet your mono planetary cam with QHYCFW3-S filter wheel.

USB 3.2 Gen1 Type C Interface

Universal Guiding Interface

Indicator LED

Specification

Model	QHY5III715C
CMOS Sensor	Sony IMX715
Pixel Size	1.45um*1.45um
Effective Pixel Area	3840*2192
Effective Pixels	8.4 Mega Pixel
Fullwell	5.7ke-
Readout Noise	0.87-2.17e-
AD Sample Depth	12-bit (output as 16-bit and 8-bit)
Built-in Image Buffer	512MB DDR3 Memory
ROI Frame Rate	Full Resolution 42FPS @8BIT 23FPS @16BIT 1920Lines 83FPS @8BIT 47FPS @16BIT 640Lines 99FPS @8BIT 99FPS @16BIT
Exposure Time Range	11us-900sec
Shutter Type	Electric Rolling Shutter
Computer Interface	USB3.2 Gen1 Type-C
Guide Port	st4
Telescope Interface	1.25-inch, compatible with CS-port and C-port lenses by replacing the front-end connector
Front end	Standard replaceable IR anti-reflection glass
Back Focal Length	17mm(with adapter);8±0.5mm（without adapter）
Chip package size	5.6mm x 3.2mm
Debayer	GBRG
Weight	90g

Curves

Mechanical Dimensions

Accessories

Install “All-In-One” System Pack

All-in-one Pack supports most QHYCCD models only except PoleMaster and several discontinued CCD cameras.

Download Page: https://www.qhyccd.com/download/

Video Tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/embed/mZDxIK0GZRc?start=1

Since most of the contents of All-in-one package are plug-ins that support third-party software, the third-party capturing software that you want to use must be installed before the All-in-one package. Otherwise the program will report an error.
ALL-IN-ONE Pack contains:
- System Driver, which is necessary for the camera operation and must be installed.
- WDM Broadcast Driver, which can provide a live signal to Obs and other live software, you can install it if you have such needs like opeing a live show.
- EZCAP_QT , which is developed by QHYCCD and can be used in QHY devices tests, and management of updates. So even if you won’t use EZCAP_QT for capturing, we suggest you install it.
- Ascom driver, which is necessary for the camera used in Ascom (the latest version of Ascom is 6.6).
- The two sorts of Ascom CFW Drivers correspond to two methods of controling the filter wheel: USB control and camera serial control. It is recommended that both drivers should be installed if you have a filter wheel.
- CP210X_VCP is a serial driver. Some computers come with the driver, but the computer without the driver may be failed of controling the filter wheel.
- SDKs for Third-party Software: Just pick and install the corresponding SDK according to the software you want to use. Don’t forget to check whether the software you are using is 32-bit or 64-bit and select the right SDKs.
- SHARPCAP is also included in the pack, you can choose 32-bit or 64-bit to install. This is authorized by SHARPCAP.
- QT LIB is a plug-in to ensure that 64-bit software can exeuate normally on some computers with poor compatibility.
Difference between Stable version and Beta Version: Beta version is the latest version, which gives priority to support for the latest products (the stable version may not be compatible with those yet), and has some of the latest optimized ,but experimental features. The stable version is older than the beta version but more stable, so it is recommended for beginners who are not using the latest products.
Don’t let the camera connect to the computer during the All-in-one pack installation process; connect it to the computer after all the installation is complete.

Using Software

Here we mainly take QHY5III462C as example. This User Guide can be applied to all QHY5III series Camera.

Using SharpCap

Connect the camera and run SHARPCAP. if everything goes well, the video screen will be displayed after the software is opened, you can see the current frame rate at the bottom right of the software.

If you open the software first, and then connect the camera, you can use Camera->Scan Camera in the menu bar to find the camera. After you find the camera, it will be displayed in the menu (such as QHY5III462C). Check it.

In order to ensure that the camera can run successfully, the software will start the camera at the lowest speed to avoid being stuck because sometimes the frame rate is too high and exceeds the transmission bandwidth of the computer. So the frame rate you see now is a lower frame rate, which will be much lower than the highest frame rate declared on the QHYCCD webpage.

After the camera starts normally, you can try to increase the frame rate. The method is to first set the exposure time to 1 ms, (too long exposure time will limit the frame rate), and then reduce the value of “USB Traffic” to increase the USB bandwidth, at this time you can see the frame rate will increase . If your machine’s CPU speed is fast enough, such as an I7-4 core computer, it should be able to reach the maximum frame rate. But please note that not all computers can reach the maximum frame rate, it has a certain relationship with the CPU occupancy rate, the computer’s energy saving settings, and even the performance of the motherboard. If you find that when the USB traffic is reduced to a certain level, the frame rate does not rise but decreases, so the performance bottleneck of the computer has been reached at this time, and the frame rate can no longer be increased. In addition, sometimes the performance of the computer’s graphics card will also have a certain impact on the frame rate, you can consider reducing the software’s ZOOM zoom. See if it helps increase the frame rate. Because the display of the screen will occupy the CPU performance, thereby reducing the rate at which the CPU acquires images, which affects the frame rate.

The following figure is the frame rate of QHY5III462C under good conditions. Under full resolution output, it can reach up to 135FPS under normal circumstances.

Adjust OFFSET. You will find that when the lens cover is closed and the image is completely black, the background of the image is still not completely black. Therefore, you need to adjust the OFFSET value to make the image darker. Generally speaking, for planetary shooting, setting the image background to very dark is not a big problem. For deep space shooting, a certain background should be retained, and it should not be completely black, otherwise it will lead to the loss of a weak background cloud.

For planetary cameras, it is necessary to set OFFSET to a value as low as possible, so that the image with the lens cover as close to 0 as possible. Because the presence of bias may affect white balance. White balance is to multiply the red, green and blue data by a factor to compensate for the color cast caused by the different sensitivity to red, green and blue, or the different ratios of red, green and blue contained in the ambient light. But if there is a background offset, this offset will also be multiplied by a factor, and the resulting ratio is wrong. So if you don’t want to do accurate color calibration in the later stage, you can set the image background as close to 0 as possible in the early stage to get a simpler white balance. (For deep space, you must keep an image background, so it is recommended to shoot in deep space, do not do white balance here, let the RGB ratio settings be the same, and do white balance later).

If you want to try 16-bit images, it is best to set the USB bandwidth to a number greater than 5 (for QHY5III462C), otherwise the image will be stuck because of insufficient USB bandwidth. Then set it to “mono16” in the COLORSPACE box. At this time, the camera works in 16-bit mode (actually 12-bit, zero-fill the lower bits).

Check the “LX” mode to extend the exposure time range to long exposure time. QHY5III series cameras have an amplifier glow control circuit, which can significantly reduce the amplifier glow. Because it is an uncooled camera, it is recommended not to use too long exposure time, otherwise the background thermal noise will rise. For deep space shooting, it is recommended to use a short exposure + a large number of superimposed methods to shoot.

Using through ASCOM Platform

There are many astronomical software support ASCOM, you can connect QHY5III462C through ASCOM. Note that currently QHY5III462C only supports the ordinary ASCOM shooting mode, and does not yet support the ASCOM video mode. In order to obtain the maximum dynamic range and effect, the ASCOM driver uses the maximum number of digits transmission by default (for QHY5III462C, 12-bit), the image is stored in a 16-bit format, and the lower bits are filled with zeros.

Use MAXIMDL for Plantery Imaging

1. Download and install the ASCOM platform http://www.ascom-standards.org/

(Friendly reminder: If you can’t log in to the ASCOM platform download site, please use the scientific Internet, or contact the agent, or please provide help to the QHYCCD astronomical photography discussion group. In addition, the ASCOM installation process needs to rely on .NET support, if A dialog box pops up during ASCOM installation saying that the .NET component is missing, you need to install the .NET component first. This component can be downloaded from the Microsoft website).

2. If you have not installed the ASCOM driver for QHY5III, please download and install it at https://www.qhyccd.com/QHY5III.html

3. Run MAXIMDL software

4. In the camera model, select ASCOM (left picture), then select QHYCCD-Cameras-Capture (right picture)

5. In the properties, select QHY5IIIxxx Camera

6. Under normal circumstances, you can choose a gain of 1 and an offset of 10. Later, you can make certain adjustments according to the specific situation. The speed and overscan calibration options in the window are useless, please ignore.

The following is a scene of QHY5III462C used in MAXIMDL. Please note that since the QHY5III series cameras do not contain a built-in large-capacity frame memory, they cannot buffer a frame of pictures. During transmission, frame loss may occur. If the frame is dropped, the camera will try to take another shot, so sometimes it may take longer to get a frame.

When changing the exposure time to a long exposure time, the CMOS chip may output a few frames of short exposure. These frames may be output, but the subsequent frames will be normal long exposure frames.

Using PHD for Guiding

You can use the PHD guide software and the camera’s built-in guide port to guide the star. The PHD guide software is also connected to QHY5III462C through ASCOM. In the camera button of PHDGudiing 2.5, select the connection method of ASCOM Camera and On-camera guide star.

Select the Connect button, then the ASCOM camera chooser window appears, select QHYCCD-Camera-Capture in the camera list. Select QHY5IIIxxx camera. Set the proper Gain and Offset

Connect the camera to the equatorial mount. Select the button to start continuous preview

Select a star point on the screen, a green frame appears, and then select to start calibrating the equatorial mount and guide star.

Webcam application and BroadCast Video WDM Drive

QHYCCD BroadCast WDM Camera is a broadcast driver that supports QHYCCD cameras with video broadcast function, which can meet the needs of customers to send video images to other target software. For example, use sharpcap to connect a WDM-enabled camera, and the sharpcap display video image can be sent to other WDM-supported software for display, which is suitable for video online broadcast applications.

Installation:

Perform the AllInOne installation and check the BroadCast WDM Camera option.

The installation process is over, right-click the computer to find the device manager, and check that the image device name is QHYCCD BroadCast WDM Camera, which means the installation is successful.

Activate the function:

Usually sharpcap is used to connect the camera as the broadcasting terminal. After connecting the camera, you need to turn on the Enable Live Broadcast switch to broadcast. Common supporting software (ie, broadcast receiver) includes:OBS，UFOCAPTURE, HANDYAVI, QQ video functions, etc.

Note:

Currently only supports Windows system.

Currently, the SDK does not support 16 bits for the time being.

RGB24 mode must be selected for color images, otherwise the image will appear gridded.

Guiding Line

QHY5III Guiding Line Sequence Definition

The guide circuit contains an optocoupler isolator. The COMMON pin is generally connected to GND. Usually the four direction pins from the equatorial mount are internally pulled up on the equatorial mount circuit, so when the QHY5III sends out the guide star pulse, the optocoupler pulls it down to realize the output of the guide star command.

QHY5III Guiding Line RJ11 Crystal Head Wire Sequence

The line sequence is fully compatible with equatorial mounts such as EQ5/EQ6/Aidon/Startron. The order of the pins is (facing the direction of the crystal head)

The line sequence of the socket at the equatorial mount is

If you use other types of equatorial mounts, please confirm whether the wire sequence is the same as the above.

FAQ

1.QHY5III supports 12-bit or 14-bit images?

QHY5III462C supports 12-bit image output, whether it is 12-bit or 14-bit, it is finally converted into 16-bit output to the computer. (For example, 12 bits are 0-2047, mapped to 0-65535, 14 bits are 0-16383, also mapped to 0-65535)

2. How to get the maximum frame rate?

Because QHY5III series cameras have a very high frame rate and data volume, not all computers can reach the maximum frame rate. Generally I7 quad-core is no problem. However, the CPU occupancy rate will also affect the maximum frame rate, so when using QHY5III, try to close other programs that occupy the CPU and free up the CPU to process the data. If the CPU usage is too high, the program will respond slowly or even crash.

3. How to avoid camera stuck or not smooth?

3.1 Whether the computer or equatorial mount has electric leakage, and the grounding is not good. If there is leakage in the computer or equatorial mount, the leakage current will be transmitted between the camera and the computer via the USB cable, which may easily interfere with the USB transmission signal. Please ensure that the computer or equatorial mount is well grounded and that there are no leakage problems.

3.2 Is the power supply voltage of the USB port sufficient? The voltage output of the USB port of some notebook computers is less than 5V, which will cause insufficient power supply of the camera and easy deadlock. If this is the case, you can use an externally powered USB3.0 HUB to connect the camera.

3.3 Whether the CPU usage is too high. Excessive CPU usage can easily cause images to freeze. You can reduce the USB transfer rate by increasing the value of USB Traffic to solve the problem of high CPU usage, and the image transmission is smoother (but the frame rate will be reduced)

3.4 Whether the USB cable is in good contact. Sometimes there is a bad connection between the USB interface of the computer and the USB interface of the USB cable or the USB interface of the camera, which can cause the USB transmission to be stuck easily. You can confirm this problem by shaking the USB plug slightly to see if the image is stuck during the shaking process. If so, you can replace the USB cable or add a small amount of silicone oil or engine oil to the USB plug, which can effectively solve the problem of poor contact.

3.5 Avoid static electricity. Sometimes the static electricity of the human body can cause the camera to freeze. Especially when the human body touches the camera. Before touching the camera, you can first touch the metal casing of the computer to discharge static electricity, and then contact the camera.

3.6 The front USB port of some computers is connected to the motherboard through a cable inside the computer case, the performance of high-speed signals will be affected, and the power supply capacity may also be reduced. It is easy to cause the USB transmission to get stuck or not smooth. Therefore, avoid using the front USB port, and try to use the rear USB port. The rear USB port is directly routed on the motherboard, and the signal and current can be guaranteed

4. What is the interface of QHY5III to the telescope? How to equip QHY5III with C-mount lens?

The QHY5III462 camera uses a 1.25-inch eyepiece shape design, so it can be added to the 1.25-inch eyepiece without the need for additional interfaces. It also contains the front end of the C-mount, which can be connected to the C-mount lens. Note that this back intercept is slightly less than the standard C back intercept of 17.5 mm. The reason for this design is that a distance of 17.5mm can be achieved through a 1.25-inch spacer. If the distance is designed too close to 17.5mm, then in case it is exceeded, there is no way.

But need to pay attention to choose the C-mount lens according to the chip size. Since the C-mount lens is used, the back intercept is 17.5mm, so it needs to be replaced with a C-mount extension ring. The intercept is extended by 5mm.

5. How to clean the CMOS chip or camera glass window?

Since the surface of SONY I chip is not coated, cleaning is relatively simple. You can unscrew the front of the camera and use lens paper to clean the CMOS chip, or you can use a commercially available SLR camera cleaning kit to clean it.

The glass window of the camera is more likely to be scratched due to the AR coating or infrared cut filter, so it needs to be cleaned carefully.

6. Can QHY5III462C run in FireCapture?

Yes. The latest version of FireCapture already supports QHY5III series cameras. The old version of FircCapture needs to replace the SDK to support. Please go to the QHYCCD website to download the latest version of the SDK and replace it in the FC installation directory.

7. About QHY5III amplifier glow suppression function

Different models of cameras in the QHY5III series have different effects of suppressing the light emission of the amplifier. QHY5III174 and QHY5III224 can see obvious improvement. The amplifier of QHY5III178 itself emits very little light, and QHY5III462 basically has no problem of amplifier lighting.

8. How to solve the problem that the frame rate drops to 0 after the camera runs for a period of time with the DDR mode turned on?

Some users have reported that the camera with DDR module has been running on SharpCap for a period of time and the frame rate has dropped to zero; this problem is caused by the high output rate of the CMOS chip and the slow reception rate of the computer. Once the CMOS sensor starts to work, it will be exposed continuously, and the image will be output again and again without stopping. If the computer suspends USB transmission too frequently due to the operating system, it will cause DDR data to overflow, resulting in continuous generation of bad frames. No image entering the DDR is complete, so the frame rate is zero.

Solution: The first method is to reduce the frame rate of the camera by increasing the value of USB traffic, thereby avoiding the camera stuck. It should be noted that the previous SharpCap patch cannot set the USB traffic value to a large value, so it is necessary to download and install the latest SharpCap patch on the official website. The second method is to turn off DDR mode in SharpCap, but for computers that are not very good, this method may not be effective because of its slow data transmission speed.

Appendix: Bayer Sequences of Some Colored Cameras

Cooled CMOS Camera	Bayer
QHY600C	RGGB
QHY268C	RGGB
QHY410C	RGGB
QHY533C	GBRG
QHY367Pro	RGGB
QHY128Pro	RGGB
QHY294C	RGGB
QHY247C	RGGB
QHY168C	RGGB
QHY165C	RGGB
QHY163C	GRBG
QHY183C	RGGB
QHY174C	RGGB
QHY178C	GBRG
QHY290C	GBRG
QHY224C	GBRG
Planetary and Guiding	Bayer
QHY5III174C	RGGB
QHY5III178C	GBRG
QHY5III224C	GBRG
QHY5III290C	GBRG
QHY5III462C	GBRG
QHY5III485C	RGGB
QHY5L-II-C	BGGR
QHY5P-II-C	GBRG
Cooled CCD Camera	Bayer
QHY8L-C	GBRG
QHY10-C	RGGB
QHY12-C	BGGR

Appendix: White Balance Adjustment

When SharpCAP starts, it will use the default white balance, which is R:G:B=1:1:1. Therefore, the image you see is greenish (as shown below). Because from the light efficiency curve of the color CMOS chip, the response to green light is the highest. In order to obtain the correct white balance, you need to perform manual white balance adjustment.

For color cameras, SharpCAP will automatically open the progress bar of the white balance adjustment function, and you can make adjustments.

Since white balance is the ratio of light sensitivity between red and green, and the ratio of light sensitivity between blue and green, you can first fix the green value to 128. Then adjust the red and blue.

For example, after adjustment, blue is 255 and red is 161, and now it looks much better. If you need more blue, because the blue has reached 255 and cannot be adjusted upwards, in this case, you can reduce the green appropriately. Then adjust again. In this way, a larger proportion can be obtained.

As we said before. If you are doing planetary imaging you should set the offset value as low as possible. To make the background close to zero. Then you can easy to get correct color balance. Otherwise it will not easy to get it. The The following image shows the offset is good and you can not get good balance.

The reason is that the Color balance is a ratio of the RGB sensitivity difference. So we use a ratio to multiple the RGB value and get it done. But if there is a bias exist. The ratio will not be correct. For example, the G sensitivity is two times than R.

G=2R In order to get white balance. We multiply a ratio of 2 to R

R’=2R= G so we get R=G

When a bias exist. The bias is a constant add to each pixel. So the image you see is:

R’’=R+bias

G’’=G+bias=2R+bias

Now the ratio R”:G”=(R+bias)/(2R+bias) and it is not equ to 1:2. It shows the bias will effect the true value of the R:G. And the ratio of R:G will arious when the image light changed. It is hardly to correct with a fixed ratio.

But for DSO capture, You should keep the offset above zero and avoid the background is cut off. A background from 1000-5000 is a good value(16bit mode) for DSO imaging.

The post QHY5III715C Colour Camera appeared first on Modern Astronomy.

QHY5III678M Planetary Guide Camera

Bernard Karpinski — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 16:47:36 +0000

The QHY5III678M planetary guide camera is one of the 2nd generation of the QHY5III series, it’s the upgraded version of QHY5III178M with excellent near-infrared high sensitivity. The product comes with filters including the IR850 filter.

Extended Near Infrared Sensitivity

QHY5III Series V2 Introduction

512MB DDR3

In comparison, the 512MB DDR3 memory of the new 5III (Ver. 2) series cameras represents a significant upgrade.

New Front-end Design with Better Compatibility

QHY5III (Ver. 2) series cameras have adopted a new front-end design with better compatibility.Here we only take QHY5III200M as example, however, ALL V2 cams in the future share these features.

The BFL of V2 cam is only 8mm, which means you can easily compat a V2 cam with your OAG. The basic top adapter includes 1.25 inch threads and you can still use your 1.25 inch filter.

By the way, there’s a 1.25 inch filter wheel adapter to connet your mono planetary cam with QHYCFW3-S filter wheel.

USB 3.2 Gen1 Type C Interface

Universal Guiding Interface

Indicator LED

Specification

Model	QHY5III678
CMOS Sensor	Sony IMX678
Pixel Size	2.0um*2.0um
Effective Pixel Area	3856*2180
Effective Pixels	8.4 Mega Pixel
Fullwell	9ke-
Readout Noise	0.57-3.3e-
AD Sample Depth	12-bit (output as 16-bit and 8-bit)
Built-in Image Buffer	512MB DDR3 Memory
ROI Frame Rate	Full Resolution 43FPS @8BIT 22FPS @16BIT 1920Lines 85FPS @8BIT 43.5FPS @16BIT 640Lines 99FPS @8BIT 93FPS @16BIT
Exposure Time Range	11us-900sec
Shutter Type	Electric Rolling Shutter
Computer Interface	USB3.2 Gen1 Type-C
Guide Port	st4
Telescope Interface	1.25-inch, compatible with CS-port and C-port lenses by replacing the front-end connector (An IR AR glass and an IR850nm filter are included in the standard version.)

Back Focal Length	17mm（with adapter）; 8±0.5mm（without adapter）
Weight	90g

Curves

Mechanical Dimensions

The post QHY5III678M Planetary Guide Camera appeared first on Modern Astronomy.

QHY5III585C Colour Camera

Bernard Karpinski — Thu, 09 Mar 2023 13:47:45 +0000

The QHY5III585C colour camera is one of the new generation of QHY5III V2 series planetary guide cameras, offering an enhanced version of its predecessor, the QHY5III485C. It has a high sensitivity in the near infrared similar to that of QHY5III462C, while the dynamic range performance has been greatly improved. It has a 1/1.2-inch large sensor and zero amp glow.

The QHY5III585C colour camera is equipped with a 512MB DDR3 image buffer which can effectively reduce the pressure on computer transmission, a great help for planetary photography which often requires writing a large amount of data in a short period of time.

The QHY5III585C colour camera is equipped with a status indicator at the back of the camera. If the camera experiences an abnormal status, the multi-colored indicator light will help to determine the situation with different colors signifying different conditions. During normal operation this indicator light is off, so there is no worry about light contaminating the image.

The QHY5III585C colour camera uses a 1.25-inch eyepiece shape design, so it can be added to the 1.25-inch eyepiece without the need for additional interfaces. It also contains the front end of the C-mount, which can be connected to the C-mount lens. Note that this back intercept is slightly less than the standard C back intercept of 17.5 mm. The reason for this design is that a distance of 17.5mm can be achieved through a 1.25-inch spacer.

The QHY5III585C colour camera specifications include:

– CMOS Sensor: Sony IMX585 BSI Sensor

– Pixel Size: 2.9um*2.9um

– Effective Pixel Area: 3856*2180

– Effective Pixels: 8.4 Mega Pixel

– Sensor Size: 1/1.2inch

– Full Well Capacity: 32ke-

– Readout Noise: 0.8-5.5e-

– AD Sample Depth: 12-bit (output as 16-bit and 8-bit)

– Built-in Image Buffer: 512MB DDR3 Memory

– ROI Frame Rate: Full Resolution – 41.5FPS @8BIT, 23.5FPS @16BIT; 1920Lines – 82FPS @8BIT, 47FPS @16BIT; 640Lines -177FPS @8BIT, 106FPS @16BIT

– Exposure Time Range: 11us-900sec

– Shutter Type: Electronic Rolling Shutter

– Computer Interface: USB3.2 Gen1 Type-C

– Guide Port: ST4

– Telescope Interface: 1.25-inch, compatible with CS interface or C interface by changing the front-end connector (An IR-Cut filter and an IR850nm filter are included in the standard version)

– Back Focal Length: 17mm (with adapter);8±0.5mm（without adapter）

– Weight: 90g

You can learn more about the QHY5III585C camera here.

The post QHY5III585C Colour Camera appeared first on Modern Astronomy.

QHY5III200M Planetary Guide Camera

Bernard Karpinski — Thu, 03 Nov 2022 20:33:13 +0000

The QHY5III200M Planetary Guide Camerais a new generation QHY5III V2 series camera, using a domestic CMOS, with excellent quality, and near-infrared high sensitivity similar to the QHY5III462C. QHY5III200M is also the first mono CMOS planetary camera with near-infrared enhancement characteristics QHY developed. In addition, the 4um large picture elements to make it easier to use for guiding.

The product comes with filters including the IR850 filter.

Extended Near Infrared Sensitivity

QHY5III200M Absolute QE Curve

QHY5III Series V2 Introduction

512MB DDR3

In comparison, the 512MB DDR3 memory of the new 5III (Ver. 2) series cameras represents a significant upgrade.

New Front-end Design with Better Compatibility

QHY5III (Ver. 2) series cameras have adopted a new front-end design with better compatibility. The new front end supports 1.25″ interface of telescopes and is also compatible with CS-port lenses and C-port lenses, and can shoot with C/CS-port lenses with filters attached.

A 1.25″ framed filter can be fitted with the front end, and a frameless filter can be fitted on the front part of the upper CMOS. The size of the filter glass that is compatible here varies depending on the size of the sensor, but is basically a standard lab filter specification. Compared to the more expensive astronomical filters, lab filters tend to be less expensive and have a wider variety of bands, allowing you to develop more uses and applications for them.

USB 3.2 Gen1 Type C Interface

Universal Guiding Interface

Indicator LED

Specification

Model	QHY5III200M
CMOS Sensor	SC2210
Pixel Size	4um*4um
Effective Pixel Area	1920*1080
Effective Pixels	2 Mega Pixel
Fullwell	8000e
Readout Noise	0.75e – 3e
AD Sample Depth	12bit (output as 16bit and 8bit)
Built-in Image Buffer	512MB DDR3 Memory
ROI Frame Rate	Full Resolution 96.5FPS @8BIT 60FPS @16BIT 960Lines 187FPS @8BIT 116FPS @16BIT 480Lines 209FPS @8BIT 130FPS @16BIT
Exposure Time Range	15us-900sec
Shutter Type	Electric Rolling Shutter
Computer Interface	USB3.2 Gen1 Type-C
Guide Port	st4
Telescope Interface	1.25-inch， compatible with CS-port and C-port lenses by replacing the front-end connector (An IR AR glass and an IR850nm filter are included in the standard version.)

Back Focal Length	17mm
Weight	90g

Curves

User Guide

Install “All-In-One” System Pack

All-in-one Pack (Windows) is for all QHYCCD USB3.0 devices, including all Cooled CMOS cameras, QHY5III and QHY 5II series, QHYCFW3. We recommend you choose “Stable Version” as usual.

In this pack there are:

1. System driver. It must be installed to make devices work.

2. EZCAP_QT: it’s developed by QHYCCD which could be used in QHY devices tests, simple capture tasks, and above all, the management of updates. So even if you won’t use EZCAP_QT as your main capture software, we suggest you install it to get the latest information of QHY drivers/SDK updates.

3. Ascom driver: Ascom Platform is supported by most astronomy devices which connect to Windows.

4. SDK: SDK is the file of “.dll” format. With this the device can be identified in other capture software.

5. SkyX Plugin: special support for SkyX.

6. QHYCCD BroadCast WDM Driver: It is a broadcast driver that supports QHYCCD cameras with video broadcast function, which can meet the needs of customers to send video images to other target software.

How to install it?
Take SharpCap (x64) for example:
Before the installation, make sure you’ve already installed SharpCap (X64) on your PC;

Then click ”Third Party Software Support” – “SharpCap 64”, the pack will detect the location of SharpCap files and install automatically; if not, please manually select root directory of SharpCap where you installed it, like: C:\Program Files\SharpCap 3.2 (64 bit)

Using Software

Here we mainly take QHY5III462C as example. This User Guide can be applied to all QHY5III series Camera.

Using SharpCap

Connect the camera and run SHARPCAP. if everything goes well, the video screen will be displayed after the software is opened, you can see the current frame rate at the bottom right of the software.

The following figure is the frame rate of QHY5III462C under good conditions. Under full resolution output, it can reach up to 135FPS under normal circumstances.

Using through ASCOM Platform

Use MAXIMDL for Plantery Imaging

1. Download and install the ASCOM platform http://www.ascom-standards.org/

2. If you have not installed the ASCOM driver for QHY5III, please download and install it at https://www.qhyccd.com/QHY5III.html

3. Run MAXIMDL software

4. In the camera model, select ASCOM (left picture), then select QHYCCD-Cameras-Capture (right picture)

5. In the properties, select QHY5IIIxxx Camera

Using PHD for Guiding

Select the Connect button, then the ASCOM camera chooser window appears, select QHYCCD-Camera-Capture in the camera list. Select QHY5IIIxxx camera. Set the proper Gain and Offset

Connect the camera to the equatorial mount. Select the button to start continuous preview

Select a star point on the screen, a green frame appears, and then select to start calibrating the equatorial mount and guide star.

Webcam application and BroadCast Video WDM Drive

Installation:

Perform the AllInOne installation and check the BroadCast WDM Camera option.

The installation process is over, right-click the computer to find the device manager, and check that the image device name is QHYCCD BroadCast WDM Camera, which means the installation is successful.

Activate the function:

Note:

Currently only supports Windows system.

Currently, the SDK does not support 16 bits for the time being.

RGB24 mode must be selected for color images, otherwise the image will appear gridded.

Guiding Line

QHY5III Guiding Line Sequence Definition

QHY5III Guiding Line RJ11 Crystal Head Wire Sequence

The line sequence is fully compatible with equatorial mounts such as EQ5/EQ6/Aidon/Startron. The order of the pins is (facing the direction of the crystal head)

The line sequence of the socket at the equatorial mount is

If you use other types of equatorial mounts, please confirm whether the wire sequence is the same as the above.

FAQ

1.QHY5III supports 12-bit or 14-bit images?

2. How to get the maximum frame rate?

3. How to avoid camera stuck or not smooth?

4. What is the interface of QHY5III to the telescope? How to equip QHY5III with C-mount lens?

5. How to clean the CMOS chip or camera glass window?

The glass window of the camera is more likely to be scratched due to the AR coating or infrared cut filter, so it needs to be cleaned carefully.

6. Can QHY5III462C run in FireCapture?

7. About QHY5III amplifier glow suppression function

8. How to solve the problem that the frame rate drops to 0 after the camera runs for a period of time with the DDR mode turned on?

Appendix: Bayer Sequences of Some Colored Cameras

Cooled CMOS Camera	Bayer
QHY600C	RGGB
QHY268C	RGGB
QHY410C	RGGB
QHY367Pro	RGGB
QHY128Pro	RGGB
QHY294C	RGGB
QHY247C	RGGB
QHY168C	RGGB
QHY165C	RGGB
QHY163C	GRBG
QHY183C	RGGB
QHY174C	RGGB
QHY178C	GBRG
QHY290C	GBRG
QHY224C	GBRG
Planetary and Guiding	Bayer
QHY5III174C	RGGB
QHY5III178C	GBRG
QHY5III224C	GBRG
QHY5III290C	GBRG
QHY5III462C	GBRG
QHY5III485C	RGGB
QHY5L-II-C	BGGR
QHY5P-II-C	GBRG
Cooled CCD Camera	Bayer
QHY8L-C	GBRG
QHY10-C	RGGB
QHY12-C	BGGR

Appendix: White Balance Adjustment

For color cameras, SharpCAP will automatically open the progress bar of the white balance adjustment function, and you can make adjustments.

G=2R In order to get white balance. We multiply a ratio of 2 to R

R’=2R= G so we get R=G

When a bias exist. The bias is a constant add to each pixel. So the image you see is:

R’’=R+bias

G’’=G+bias=2R+bias

But for DSO capture, You should keep the offset above zero and avoid the background is cut off. A background from 1000-5000 is a good value(16bit mode) for DSO imaging.

The post QHY5III200M Planetary Guide Camera appeared first on Modern Astronomy.

QHY5III462C Camera and Expansion Kit

Bernard Karpinski — Sun, 16 Aug 2020 20:14:30 +0000

The QHY5III462C Camera and Expansion Kit contains all the items in the standard kit plus a quality Methane (CH4) filter and All Sky Lens.

List of contents:

QHY QHY5III462 USB 3.0 CMOS Colour Imaging Camera in storage tin

1.25″ UV/IR Cut Filter

1.25″ IR850 Filter

USB Cable

Guide Cable

Focus Locking Ring

C-Mount Adapter

1.25″ 10nm Methane Filter (890nm) – info – more info

Wide Angle All-Sky Lens

CS Mount Lens Adapter

Superb NIR response – High QE 800-1000nm

Monochrome at NIR

The QHY5III462C Camera and Expansion Kit uses Sony’s latest generation IMX462 back-illuminated sensor with extended red and near infrared response. It has nearly double the red and NIR sensitivity as previous generation BSI sensors and even greater sensitivity compared to front illuminated sensors. Because the RGB filters become transparent at NIR wavelengths, the camera captures RGB colour images in visible light and monochrome images in NIR.

Super High Conversion Gain – Boosts Low Light Sensitivity

0.5e- Read Noise!

Sony’s new sHCG (Super High Conversion Gain) technology produces a higher voltage from fewer photons resulting in greater sensitivity even at very low levels of light. With sHCG technology, even in visible light, the QHY5III462C has higher sensitivity than the back-illuminated IMX290 based cameras.

High Frame Rate – 135FPS

To produce the highest detail with the greatest dynamic range, many planetary imagers prefer to capture hundreds or thousands of images in as short a time as possible and then process the results into one final combined image. This requires high sensitivity for short exposures and low read noise for combining multiple images. The QHY5III462C will output 135 frames per second at full resolution. With its exceptionally high QE and extraordinarily low (0.5e-) read noise, it is the perfect camera for planetary imaging.

Filters for Visible and IR Imaging – IR850 for NIR, UV-IR for Colour

The QHY5III462C comes with two free 1.25-inch filters. The IR850 filter is a long wavelength pass filter that allows wavelengths > 850nm to pass through. The UV/IR filter passes visible light and blocks the NIR. With these two filters you can capture both RGB colour images and NIR monochrome images with the same camera. At NIR wavelengths, the RGB filters become transparent and the camera behaves like a monochrome IR camera.

Best for Beginners – Reasonable price, Multiple functions

: IR850 Filter

Special for NIR photography or monochrome shots

: IR/Cut Filter

For normal astrophotography when using 462C as colour camera.

: IR890 CH4 filter

In Expansion Kit–CH4 filter is useful for Saturn and Jupiter imaging.

The post QHY5III462C Camera and Expansion Kit appeared first on Modern Astronomy.

QHY5III462C Planetary and NIR Imaging Camera

Bernard Karpinski — Tue, 21 Jul 2020 21:00:27 +0000

The QHY5III462C Planetary and NIR Imaging Camera uses Sony’s latest generation IMX462 back-illuminated sensor with extended red and near infrared response. It has nearly double the Red and NIR sensitivity as previous generation BSI sensors and even greater sensitivity compared to front illuminated sensors. Because the RGB filters become transparent at NIR wavelengths, the camera captures RGB colour images in visible light and monochrome images in NIR.

Sony’s new sHCG (Super High Conversion Gain) technology produces a higher voltage from fewer photons resulting in greater sensitivity even at very low levels of light. With sHCG technology, even in visible light, the QHY5III462C Planetary and NIR Imaging Camera has higher sensitivity than the back-illuminated QHY5III290 cameras

An extensive review is here

Further information from QHYCCD

The post QHY5III462C Planetary and NIR Imaging Camera appeared first on Modern Astronomy.

Guide Cameras Archives - Modern Astronomy

QHY5III585M Mono Camera

QHY5III568M Mono Camera

The QHY5III568M Mono Camera is a back-illuminated planetary & guiding camera of the latest 5III V2 series with a global shutter and true hardware binning.

QHY5III678C Colour Camera

QHY5III462M Mono Camera

QHY5III462M Mono Camera with Enhanced N-IR Sensitivity.

QHY5III715C Colour Camera

QHY5III678M Planetary Guide Camera

QHY5III585C Colour Camera

QHY5III200M Planetary Guide Camera

QHY5III462C Camera and Expansion Kit

Superb NIR response – High QE 800-1000nm

Monochrome at NIR

Super High Conversion Gain – Boosts Low Light Sensitivity

0.5e- Read Noise!

High Frame Rate – 135FPS

Filters for Visible and IR Imaging – IR850 for NIR, UV-IR for Colour

Best for Beginners – Reasonable price, Multiple functions

IR850 Filter

IR/Cut Filter

IR890 CH4 filter

QHY5III462C Planetary and NIR Imaging Camera