The ZWO ASI 183 camera has great potential and opens the door to new possibilities thanks to its functionalities. It is ideal for both deep-sky applications and lunar and planetary photography.
The ASI 183 series includes the most sensitive cameras in ZWO's history. The maximum quantum efficiency of the mono sensor is 84%!
Perfect for astrophotography
Specially designed for astronomical applications, Sony's IMX183CLK-J (monochrome) and IMX183CQJ-J (color) sensors are housed in a high-sensitivity back-illuminated (BSI) design with pixels of just 2.4 µm. ASI 183 cameras feature an extraordinarily high Full Well Capacity of 15,000 electrons for such small pixels.
Thanks to Sony's Exmor R technology, these cameras are ideal for photographing the deep sky. The sensor achieves a quantum efficiency of 84%. In the case of H-Alpha light, it is over 60%. High quantum efficiency means that the sensor records a higher percentage of the light captured by the telescope. And this improves the quality of astrophotographs.
High Speed
High frames per second rates are very helpful in lunar and solar photography. The high readout rate is preserved during real-time focusing and the Lucky-Imaging procedure for binary stars and planetary captures.
Possible frames per second rates:
10-bit ADC
- 5496×3672 19 fps
- 3840×2160 41.04 fps
- 1920×1080 80.10 fps
- 1280×720 117.30 fps
12-bit ADC
- 5496×3672 19 fps
- 3840×2160 36.12 fps
- 1920×1080 70.48 fps
- 1280×720 103.23 fps
Special features of ZWO ASI Pro cameras:
ASI Pro cameras are equipped with 512 MByte DDR3 internal memory, which ensures secure data transfer and reduces the so-called Amp-Glow, which can occur when data is transferred at low speed with USB 2.0.
In addition, ASI Pro cameras have an improved casing. The sensor receptacle is firmly closed with four screws. The design has undergone extensive testing that has demonstrated its extraordinary robustness. In fact, this camera does not fog up even in environments with high ambient humidity.
And, to ensure impressive deep-sky captures, ASI Pro cameras feature a dual-stage Peltier cooling system that allows the sensor to reach 40 to 45 ºC below ambient temperature and significantly reduces sensor noise.
ZWO ASI cameras with active cooling require an additional 12-volt power supply. If you do not have a suitable power supply, you will find one in the accessory recommendations.
12 V at 3 A~5 A DC with D5.5×2.1 mm plug, center positive, or an 11 to 14 volt lithium battery are required. Please note that using a power supply outside this voltage range will likely cause irreparable damage to the camera.
Color or black and white? Monochrome cameras have an advantage in that they are much more sensitive and have better resolution than color cameras. Color cameras, on the other hand, require a greater investment: they need color filters and a filter wheel.
Specifications
| Feature |
Specification |
| Sensor |
CMOS (Sony IMX183) |
| Capacity |
— |
| Chip size |
13.2 × 8.8 mm |
| Chip diagonal |
15.9 mm |
| Megapixels |
20.18 MP |
| Pixel size |
2.4 µm |
| Photo resolution |
5496 × 3672 |
| Digital sampling |
12 bits |
| Color camera |
No (monochrome) |
| Cooling |
Yes |
| Maximum cooling difference |
45 °C relative to ambient |
| Operating temperature |
-5 °C to 45 °C |
| Minimum exposure time |
32 µs |
| Maximum exposure time |
33.3 min |
| Frames per second |
19 fps (at maximum resolution) |
| Read noise |
1.6 e⁻ |
| Full Well Capacity |
15,000 e⁻ |
| Interfaces |
USB 3.0, USB 2.0 |
| Connection to telescope |
1.25" · 2" · T2 |
| Flange focal distance |
6.5 mm |
| Power supply |
12 V |
| Memory buffer |
256 MB |
| Internal memory |
DDR3 RAM |
| Filter wheel |
No |
| Weight |
410 g |
| Diameter |
78 mm |
| Length |
85 mm |
| Series |
ASI 183 |
| Applications |
AllSky, Meteors |
| Autoguide |
No |
| Moon and planets |
Yes |
| Nebulae and galaxies |
Yes |