SBIG STF-8050M Monochrome Camera

What sets the SBIG STF-8050M Monochrome Camera apart is its innovative design and advanced features, tailored for both professional and amateur photographers. This high-quality, durable camera is specifically designed to capture stunning black and white images, making it a unique choice for those specializing in monochrome photography.

The STF-8050M is equipped with a KAI-08050 Image Sensor, an 8-megapixel CCD in a 4/3" (22 mm diagonal) optical format. This sensor is based on the TRUESENSE 5.5 micron Interline Transfer CCD Platform, renowned for its broad dynamic range, superior imaging performance, and flexible readout architecture. This ensures that every shot you take is detailed, crisp, and clear, even in low light conditions.

One of the standout features of the STF-8050M is the TRUESENSE Sparse Color Filter Pattern. This innovative technology provides a 2x improvement in light sensitivity compared to a standard color Bayer part, making it an excellent choice for indoor or night photography.

The STF-8050M is optimized for fast full frame download and maximum cooling, ensuring that your camera performs optimally even in demanding conditions. A high-resolution 8.3-megapixel 16-bit frame can be downloaded in about half a second using the dual channel readout mode. Despite this rapid download rate, the read noise remains exceptionally low, about 9e-.

This reliable camera is also designed to operate well in microscopy applications, where extremely high speed is desirable. Its strong cooling capability, capable of a cooling delta greater than -50 degrees C, reduces the need for dark frames. This means that the camera at room temperature can cool enough to reduce the dark current to 1/100th of an electron per pixel per second, or less.

The STF-8050M's short exposure capability makes it an excellent choice for solar, lunar, and planetary imaging, while still being a very capable deep sky imager. For acquiring dark frames, mechanical shuttering can be achieved using an SBIG filter wheel with one slot blocked.

In summary, the STF-8050M Monochrome Camera, with its large 8.1 megapixel CCD, high-resolution 5.5 micron pixels, low noise 16-bit images, and fast exposure times, is the ideal choice for those seeking to capture breathtaking solar and lunar images.