ASI 533 MC Pro Color Camera

ZWO ASI 533 MC Pro: a powerful, next-generation color astronomical camera

ZWO has taken another step forward with this new camera. The color sensor, with a diagonal of approximately 16 mm, can be used in almost any telescope. Thanks to its square shape, the telescope's corrected field of view is optimally utilized. This allows many telescopes to be used even without a corrector.

One of the most outstanding features of the ASI 533MC Pro is its fantastic light sensitivity. Its 80% QE, thanks to back-illumination technology, and the very low brightness of the amplifier make the camera very suitable for all astronomical applications, but especially for deep-sky photography.

The single-shot color camera offers greater convenience than monochrome cameras. Not everyone wants to go through the tedious L-RGB process to capture beautiful color images of nebulae or planets. Color cameras allow you to obtain beautiful images without changing filters. However, in a direct comparison with a DSLR camera, the ASI provides significantly higher light sensitivity, a sharper image, and considerably greater depth of field. Stars don't saturate as quickly.

Other advantages and features of the ASI 533 MC Pro color camera:

• USB 3.0 for fast download (can also be used with USB 2.0)
• DDR3 memory buffer for stable data transfer with USB 2.0: minimizes amplifier brightness
• Powerful Peltier cooling up to 35°C under ambient conditions
• One of Sony's most light-sensitive CMOS sensors
• High resolution thanks to 3.76 µm pixels: ideal for fast and sharp telescopes, such as apochromatic, Hyperstar, Celestron Fastar or fast Newtonian telescopes
• High sensitivity (QE approx. 80%), making it an ideal astronomical camera for faint objects
• 14-bit ADC, which allows for a depth similar to CCD cameras, but with much greater sensitivity.

Areas of application for the camera:

• Deep-sky imaging (nebulae and galaxies): Thanks to its high sensitivity, nebulae and galaxies can be viewed in just a few seconds. The camera can be cooled to 35°C below ambient temperature, further reducing the already low noise. By increasing the gain, exposure times can be reduced to less than 30 seconds, eliminating the effects of tracking inaccuracies.
• Lunar and planetary photography: atmospheric turbulence is frozen thanks to extremely short exposure times, achieved with very high sensitivity. Due to the sensor's high resolution, a wealth of detail can be captured, even with a shorter telescope focal length. Video astronomy is also possible.

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 it in the accessories recommendations.

A 12V, 3A–5A DC power supply with a 5.5×2.1mm plug and center positive terminal is required, or an 11–14V lithium battery. Please note that using a power supply outside this voltage range will likely cause irreparable damage to the camera.

Specs: