Celestron Skyris 132C Astronomical Color CMOS Camera #95508

2017-10-15T12:42:50

This isn't just a telescope camera because it has a "C" mount that enables it to be used on any instrument that produces visible light images that accept the very common "C" mount. This mount has been in use for years previously for visible image capture with adapted 35mm film cameras such as with microscopes. This camera can replace a film camera, again, as long as there is a "C" mount which is standardized screw mount. However, telescope or not, this camera has some significant features for technical use. It can detect by specification 4096 brightness levels for each of its pixels (bit depth=12). It has square--not rectangular--pixel dimensions that obviate dimensional distortion with respect to the camera orientation relative to the sample under study. Rotation of the sample under the camera in the same reference plane for example. The above assumes that if any selected specific brightness level were applied to the red, green, and blue pixels simultaneously that when added together their color response would identically be gray. Also that their responses over the entire gray-level range would be linear. That just means that the gray darkness would take place in equal proportion to illumination brightness. This has to the case for this camera since it works for color astrophotography. The odd twist to the story is that this camera has "stacking" software that essentially adds together and averages several frames together that equalize variations in pixel response in order to form rather remarkably clear astrophotography results. This methodology approximates the response of a "photometric" array which is kept so cold in use that temperature effect upon the sensor pixels is obviated or highly minimized; these cost big bucks. In short, the technical and software capability of this camera can approximate the performance of big buck engineering level cooled photometric sensor arrays in certain applications. So not only is this camera suitable for dimly lit objects in the sky, it's also ideal--at a moderate Adorama price--for microscopes wherein I'm studying colored particles for a volunteer engineering project. I just could not believe what I saw in terms of color gradient rendition. I doubt that it's "colormetric" but in a relative sense, or with bright illumination, the results are good enough for a cigar and are repeatable.

STEPHEN W.

2016-05-30T11:48:03

CMOS technology for astro photography is the way to go. I believe this Skyris 132C is pretty decent and produces a really cool picture of the planets and the moon. The Regstax software make it all happen to produce really good pictures..

Romeo U.