ASI715MC Color Camera

A high-performance camera for planetarium and autoguiding.

• 1/2.8" 8.46 megapixel Sony IMX715 color CMOS sensor.
  
• Up to 45 fps at maximum resolution.
  
• 12-bit analog to digital converter.
  
• For high-resolution planetary and solar imaging, high-speed deep sky, or visual aids.

The ASI715 camera is equipped with a 1/2.8" format sensor with 8.46 million pixels (3864 x 2192 px). At maximum resolution, the maximum acquisition speed reaches 45 images/second. The ASI715 is a safe bet for high-resolution planetary imaging . Due to its high sensitivity, its very low read noise and its dynamic range, it will be particularly suitable for imaging the planet. Moon, planets and Sun The choice of the focal length of the telescope, and of the focal length multipliers (Barlow lens) to be associated, must take into account the very small pixels (1.45 µm) of the camera to avoid too much oversampling.

Sensor performance
The IMX715 sensor is built on Sony's STARVIS architecture and uses back-illuminated photosite illumination technology (the sensor is referred to as "back-illuminated"). This construction reduces the distance light must travel across the sensor and reduces photon blockage by non-photosensitive electronic elements. Sensitivity is significantly increased, even in very low-light conditions. Exmor R technology also offers a parallelized noise reduction system, as close as possible to the photosites; an A/D converter is present in each column of the sensor and is associated with noise filtering circuitry upstream (analog side) and downstream (digital side). Thanks to these techniques, readout noise becomes negligible and the sensor's readout speed is accelerated.

Electronics and power supply
The ZWO ASI715 camera has two connectors: a USB 3.0 port and an RJ12 autoguiding port. The USB 3.0 connector offers a speed of 5 Gb/s. Therefore, it is possible to acquire images in full resolution at 45 frames/s. The RJ-12 connector allows autoguiding on all market mounts compatible with the ST4 control protocol. The camera is passively cooled via the chassis. The camera does not have a dedicated cooling module. As a result, the ASI715 electronics are powered at 5 V via the USB port. No external power supply is required.

The mechanics of assembly
The ASI715 has an M42 female input thread. A mechanical M42 to 31.75 mm male converter is included, as well as a 2 m USB cable and an ST4 autoguider cable. ZWO also offers a well-made 2.1 mm focal length lens. Thus equipped, the camera can also function as an All-View camera for sky surveillance.

Software
As with all ZWO brand cameras, the main and most complete camera control software is ASIStudio , which can be downloaded for free from the ZWO manufacturer's website. The brand also offers a free SDK (Software Development Kit) so that many software programs, both free and paid, natively support ZWO cameras: Prism, NINA, FireCapture, MaximDL, SharpCap, PHD2, AllSkEye, etc. We invite you to consult the specific documentation for this software to find out its level of compatibility or visit the ZWO website for a comprehensive list.

ZWO also offers a unified ASCOM controller to control all of its accessories through the ASCOM/Alpaca platform. This controller is available for free download from the ZWO website.

For Linux and Mac users, the Indi or Indigo drivers are free and available from the websites of these platforms. Control is then achieved using KStars/Ekos software (on Linux) and AstroImager/AstroTelescope from the CloudMakers publisher (on Mac).

Finally, ZWO cameras can be accessed through video drivers such as DirectShow or TWAIN. For more details, please visit the ZWO website.

The ASI715MC color camera
The ASI715MC is equipped with a Sony IMX715 CMOS sensor with a Bayer array (color) and an anti-UV/IR filter that cuts wavelengths below 400 nm and above 750 nm. Color photography is straightforward, without the need for tricolor filters. The output from a color camera is more than sufficient for most applications.

Specs

Construction specifications