ASI 2600 MC-Air Color Camera

The ASI 2600 Air combines an imaging sensor and a guiding sensor in a compact housing. The main sensor is the Sony IMX571 with a native 16-bit ADC, a dynamic range of 14 f-stops, and square pixels of 3.76 micrometers. The read noise is only 1.0e, and the full well capacity reaches an incredible level of 80ke. And all of this without amplifier glow. The main feature is the now integrated ASI Air astrophotography computer, which was previously only available separately. This means you get a cooled DeepSky camera with guiding and an astronomical computer (shutter) in one device!

The guiding sensor is the SC2210 with excellent NIR sensitivity, equivalent to the sensor in the ZWO ASI 220MM mini-camera. The sensor size is 7.68mm x 4.32mm. It has 4x4 micrometer pixels with a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels and a full well capacity of 8780e. Stars in the corners of guiding images, which are affected by focal length, may not be perfectly round. This is not due to sensor tilt and does not affect normal use.

Thanks to its compact design, the ASI2600MC Air only needs one USB cable for control. This avoids potential cabling issues and simplifies setup. You don't need a separate OAG or guide camera.

Other features:

• STARVIS technology: The ASI2600MC Air is based on Sony's STARVIS technology. Sony's back-illuminated CMOS image sensor improves sensitivity and noise reduction, key factors for improving image quality.
• Native 16-bit ADC: This 16-bit ADC is not a 16-bit CCD ADC. It can achieve a dynamic range of 14 f-stops, which significantly improves image sharpness and contrast and also allows for smoother and more natural color transitions.
• FPS: The maximum frame rate in RAW8 mode at full resolution is 15 fps, which is even faster than the normal ASI 2600MC Pro.
• USB 3.0 and 512 MB DDR3 buffer: With the combination of USB 3.0 and a 512 MB DDR3 buffer, the ASI2600MC Air offers stable and secure data transmission that can effectively prevent image loss.
• No amplifier glow: Conventional CMOS sensors generate a weak infrared light source during operation, which is often seen in the corners of uncalibrated images. This is the telltale sign of amplifier glow. Since the ASI2600MC Air uses a zero glow circuit, you don't have to worry about amplifier glow, even when shooting with high gain and long exposure times.
• QE (quantum efficiency): According to ZWO test results, the maximum QE value of the ASI2600MC Air is over 91%.
• Two-stage TEC cooling: Thanks to two-stage TEC cooling, the ASI2600MC Air can reduce the CMOS sensor temperature to more than 35 degrees Celsius below ambient temperature, which can significantly reduce dark current generation and sensor noise, even with long exposure times. The Delta T 35 ℃ is tested at an ambient temperature of 30 ℃. It may decrease if the cooling system operates for a long period of time. If the ambient temperature drops, so does the Delta T.
• Dark current noise: The dark current noise of the ASI2600MC Air is extremely low. Even with moderate cooling, you get an image with very low noise.
• Anti-dew heater: The ASI2600Air camera has a polyimide heater. This can help prevent potential condensation or icing problems, depending on the environment in which the images are taken. The heater's power is approximately 5 W. You can turn it off at any time if you want to save power.

Please note that an external power supply is required.

This camera needs 1 amp even when not cooled, which is a problem for computer USB ports as they are only designed for 900mA, i.e. 0.9A. Therefore, stable operation of the camera is only possible with an external 12V power supply (12V, 3A, 5.5 / 2.1mm).

Telescope requirements: ZWO Air cameras are compatible with telescopes that support APS-C or larger image formats. If a telescope with an APS-C image circle is used, slight distortions may occur in the guide star. For more precise and stable tracking (autoguidance), we recommend using a telescope with full format or a larger image circle.

Advantages:

• Integrated SC2210 guide sensor
• Sony IMX571 APS-C color sensor - back-illuminated
• High resolution thanks to 3.76 µm Pixels
• Integrated anti-dew heater
• Integrated ASI Air

Specifications