ZWO ASI2600MM Duo APS-C Cooled Monochrome Astronomy Camera with Built-In Guide Sensor
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ZWO ASI2600MM Duo Overview
Building on the success of the ASI2600MC Duo with its built-in guide camera, ZWO has now added this technology into their best-selling monochrome camera! The ASI2600MM Duo features the same main camera sensor as the best-selling ASI2600MM Pro, which has produced countless stunning astrophotography images.
Agena Astro affiliate Astroworkz recently created this introduction video about the ASI2600MM Duo:
The ASI2600MM Duo combines imaging and guiding sensors in one compact body. The main sensor is the Sony IMX571 coming with a native 16-bit ADC,14stops dynamic range, and a 3.76um square pixel array. The readout noise is as low as 1.0e, and the full well capacity reaches an incredible level of 73ke. And it has no amp glow!
The guide sensor is the Type 1/1.8 SC2210 with excellent NIR sensitivity. The sensor size is 7.68mm x 4.32mm. It has 4umx4um pixels with an array of 1920×1080 and a full depth of 8780e.
The stars on the corner of the guide images affected by reducers back focus distance might not be very round. It is not due to the sensor tilt and will not affect normal use.
Two-in-one design
Thanks to the compact design, the ASI2600MM Duo only needs one USB cable for control. It reduces potential cabling issues and improves setup speeds. You don’t need a separate OAG and guide camera.
Tilt Adjustment from Rear (Optional）
The 3 points from the rear make tilt adjustment much easier without the trouble of removing the tilt plate from the camera.
Built-in Guide Sensor
The SC2210 sensor taken from the ASI220MM Mini camera features very high sensitivity. The QE peak value reaches 92% at 500nm. The readout noise is as low as 0.6e. As the new generation of guide sensor, it has achieved great results in guiding, proved by hundreds of astrophotographers.
Here are a few benefits of having a guide camera in the main camera body:
- Eliminates the need for a guide scope or off-axis guider (OAG)
- Allows more accurate guiding at your telescope's full focal length
- No OAG allows for extra room in your image train for rotators & more
- Similar cost to guide camera and guide scope/OAG purchased separately
Main sensor
The main sensor IMX571 features an APS-C format and 26MP total pixels. The size is 23.5mm in width x 15.7mm in height, and the diagonal is 28.3mm. The 3.76um x 3.76um small pixel size accommodates an impressive full depth of 50ke. With the new hardware technology, it is even extended to 73ke.
STARVIS technology
ASI2600MM DUO is based on Sony STARVIS technology. Sony’s back-illuminated CMOS image sensor improves sensitivity and noise reduction – the key factors to enhancing image quality.
Native 16bit ADC
This 16-bit ADC is not a CCD 16-bit ADC. It can really achieve a dynamic range output of 14stops, which will significantly improve the image sharpness and contrast, and also create smoother and more natural color transitions.
FPS
ASI2600MM Duo’s max FPS in RAW 8 mode at full resolution is 15FPS, which is even quicker compared to ASI2600MM Pro.
Extended full well mode
The full well capacity of ASI2600MM Duo is extended to 73ke when the gain value is set to -25.
USB 3.0 & 512MB DDR3 buffer
Traditional CMOS sensors produce a weak infrared light source during operation quite often seen in the corner of uncalibrated images. It is the tell-tale sign of amp glow. As the ASI2600MM Duo uses zero-amp glow circuitry, you won’t have to worry about amp glow even when using high gain, long exposure imaging.
QE (Quantum efficiency)
Based on ZWO's testing results, the QE peak value of ASI2600MC Duo is over 80%, the QE peak value of ASI2600MM Duo is over 91%.
Two-stage TEC cooling
Thanks to the two-stage TEC cooling, ASI2600MM Duo can lower the CMOS sensor temperature to more than 30-35 degrees Celsius below ambient temperature, which can greatly reduce dark current generation and sensor noise even during extended exposure times.
*The Delta T 30-35℃ is tested at 30℃ ambient temperature. It might get down when the cooling system is working for a long time. Also, as the ambient temperature falls, the Delta T would decrease.
Anti-Dew Heater
There is a polyimide heater completely fitting the protective window in the ASI2600MM Duo camera. It can help avoid any potential annoying dew or icing issues depending on the environment in which you capture images.
The power of the heater is around 5W. If you want to save battery, you can always turn it off in your photography software.
Full Specifications
Main Camera:
- Sony IMX571 APS-C size Back-illuminated CMOS sensor (monochrome)
- Resolution: 6248×4176
- Pixel Size: 3.76μm
- Sensor Size: 23.5mm x 15.7mm (28.3mm diagonal)
- Max FPS at full resolution: 15FPS in RAW 8 mode
- Read Noise: 0.9e-4.2e
- QE peak: >80%
- Full well: 50Ke - Over 73Ke - at extended full well mode
- ADC: 16 bit (14-stop dynamic range)
- USB: 3.0
- Telescope Connection: M54x0.75
- Back Focus: 17.5mm (standard) or 12.5mm (without tilt plate)
Guide Camera:
- SC2210 1/1.8" size CMOS sensor (monochrome, same as ASI220MM Mini)
- Resolution: 1920x1080
- Sensor Size: 7.68 x 4.32mm
- Quantum Efficiency: 92%
- Read Noise: As low as 0.6e
- FPS: 14
- USB: 2.0
- ADC: 12bit
ASI2600MM Duo Overview
The ZWO ASI2600MM Duo is a revolutionary astrophotography monochrome camera with a guide sensor built in for easy autoguiding! Featuring the same main camera sensor as the ultra-popular ASI2600MC Pro, this camera has a guide camera sensor built in just above the main camera sensor. This gives you the added benefit of not needing a separate guide scope or off-axis guider.
Agena Astro affiliate Peter Zelinka recently created this informative ASI2600MC Duo review:
ASI2600MC Duo Main Camera
The main camera features the famed IMX571 color sensor, which is one of the most used sensors in astrophotography. With a 26-megapixel resolution of 6248x4176, this camera excels at capturing deep sky objects in their full glory and ready for printing.
A 16-bit ADC lends to a high dynamic range of 14 stops, meaning the camera can capture detail in dark shadows and bright highlights. The 3.76µm pixels are sized very well for pixel scale on a wide variety of astrophotography telescopes, ensuring you won't be undersampled or oversampled.
With a cooling fan capable of reaching -35º C below ambient temperature and a read noise as low as 0.9e, the ASI2600MC Duo keeps noise in your images very low compared to most other color cameras on the market.
An overall quantum efficiency of 80% translates to impressive light-gathering ability, and a full well capacity of 73ke (up from 50ke on the ASI2600MC Pro) means stars won't become oversaturated and lose detail. Amp glow is a thing of the past with this camera, and dark frames will have zero amp glow.
The sensor itself measures 28.3mm across the diagonal, which is APS-C size.
ASI2600MC Duo Guide Camera
Unlike other astrophotography cameras including ZWO's Pro line, the ASI2600MC Duo has a special trick up its sleeve: a built in guide camera sensor situated just above the main camera sensor. Like the main camera, the guide camera can pick up guide stars from your telescope, eliminating the need for a guide scope. If you're upgrading from a guide scope, your guiding results will drastically improve because you can guide at your telescope's full focal length and not the guide scope.
The ASI2600MC Duo also eliminates the need for an off-axis guider, which uses a pickup prism to pick off light. By eliminating an off-axis guider, you then have more back focus available for additional accessories like a camera rotator, which ZWO has previously teased as a future product. Technically, the ASI2600MC Duo utilizes an on-axis guider system.
When the ASI2600MC Duo was first announced, many astrophotographers questioned the ability of the guide camera to pick up guide stars. This is because the guide sensor sits behind any filters. Since some filters like dual band filters drastically reduce the amount of incoming light, it was unclear whether the guide camera could detect stars to guide from. This has been thoroughly tested and the results are clear: the guide camera sensor has no issue with picking up guide stars.
The guide camera sensor is the same found in the ASI220MM Mini, which is a highly-sensitive guide camera. The sensor is 7.7 x 4.3mm and has a resolution of 1920x1080. Autoguiding software uses what is known as the centroid of a star to accurately guide. This means that round stars are not required for good guiding. Even though stars may appear elongated on telescopes with APS-C sized image circles, users report that guiding still works extremely well on the ASI2600MC Duo.
Additional Features
The ASI2600MC Duo has many of the standard features expected from ZWO's latest Pro line of cameras, including USB 3.0 with a 512mb DDR3 buffer for quickly transferring large images files. It also has an anti-dew heater which prevents dew from forming on the protective glass over the camera sensor. This can be useful for users who live in climates with higher humidity levels. The dew heater consumes 5W of additional power, but can be turned on or off in astrophotography software like ZWO's ASIAIR.
Upgraded from the M42 threaded connection on the ASI2600MC Pro, the Duo model now comes standard with an M54x0.75 connection. Last but not least, the ASI2600MC Duo features helpful rear-facing tilt adjustment screws so you can eliminate sensor tilt without removing the camera.
The ASI2600MC Duo is the perfect camera choice for someone just diving into the deep end of astrophotography or those looking to simplify their existing astrophotography rig. Being both highly sensitive and having a guide camera built in, it can capture incredible images and eliminates many of the hassles of setting up complex autoguiding setups.
Full Specifications
Main Camera:
- Sony IMX571 APS-C size Back-illuminated CMOS sensor (color)
- Resolution: 6248×4176
- Pixel Size: 3.76μm
- Sensor Size: 23.5mm x 15.7mm (28.3mm diagonal)
- Max FPS at full resolution: 15FPS in RAW 8 mode
- Read Noise: 1.0e-3.3e
- QE peak: >80%
- Full well: 73ke (at gain -25)
- Exposure Range: 32μs-2000s
- ADC: 16 bit (14-stop dynamic range)
- USB: 3.0
- Telescope Connection: M54x0.75
- Back Focus: 17.5mm (standard) or 12.5mm (without tilt plate)
Guide Camera:
- SC2210 1/1.8" size CMOS sensor (monochrome)
- Resolution: 1920x1080
- Sensor Size: 7.7 x 4.3mm
- Quantum Efficiency: 92%
- Read Noise: As low as 0.6e
Other Information
- Country of Manufacture: China
ZWO ASI2600MM Duo Overview
Building on the success of the ASI2600MC Duo with its built-in guide camera, ZWO has now added this technology into their best-selling monochrome camera! The ASI2600MM Duo features the same main camera sensor as the best-selling ASI2600MM Pro, which has produced countless stunning astrophotography images.
Agena Astro affiliate Astroworkz recently created this introduction video about the ASI2600MM Duo:
The ASI2600MM Duo combines imaging and guiding sensors in one compact body. The main sensor is the Sony IMX571 coming with a native 16-bit ADC,14stops dynamic range, and a 3.76um square pixel array. The readout noise is as low as 1.0e, and the full well capacity reaches an incredible level of 73ke. And it has no amp glow!
The guide sensor is the Type 1/1.8 SC2210 with excellent NIR sensitivity. The sensor size is 7.68mm x 4.32mm. It has 4umx4um pixels with an array of 1920×1080 and a full depth of 8780e.
The stars on the corner of the guide images affected by reducers back focus distance might not be very round. It is not due to the sensor tilt and will not affect normal use.
Two-in-one design
Thanks to the compact design, the ASI2600MM Duo only needs one USB cable for control. It reduces potential cabling issues and improves setup speeds. You don’t need a separate OAG and guide camera.
Tilt Adjustment from Rear (Optional）
The 3 points from the rear make tilt adjustment much easier without the trouble of removing the tilt plate from the camera.
Built-in Guide Sensor
The SC2210 sensor taken from the ASI220MM Mini camera features very high sensitivity. The QE peak value reaches 92% at 500nm. The readout noise is as low as 0.6e. As the new generation of guide sensor, it has achieved great results in guiding, proved by hundreds of astrophotographers.
Here are a few benefits of having a guide camera in the main camera body:
- Eliminates the need for a guide scope or off-axis guider (OAG)
- Allows more accurate guiding at your telescope's full focal length
- No OAG allows for extra room in your image train for rotators & more
- Similar cost to guide camera and guide scope/OAG purchased separately
Main sensor
The main sensor IMX571 features an APS-C format and 26MP total pixels. The size is 23.5mm in width x 15.7mm in height, and the diagonal is 28.3mm. The 3.76um x 3.76um small pixel size accommodates an impressive full depth of 50ke. With the new hardware technology, it is even extended to 73ke.
STARVIS technology
ASI2600MM DUO is based on Sony STARVIS technology. Sony’s back-illuminated CMOS image sensor improves sensitivity and noise reduction – the key factors to enhancing image quality.
Native 16bit ADC
This 16-bit ADC is not a CCD 16-bit ADC. It can really achieve a dynamic range output of 14stops, which will significantly improve the image sharpness and contrast, and also create smoother and more natural color transitions.
FPS
ASI2600MM Duo’s max FPS in RAW 8 mode at full resolution is 15FPS, which is even quicker compared to ASI2600MM Pro.
Extended full well mode
The full well capacity of ASI2600MM Duo is extended to 73ke when the gain value is set to -25.
USB 3.0 & 512MB DDR3 buffer
Traditional CMOS sensors produce a weak infrared light source during operation quite often seen in the corner of uncalibrated images. It is the tell-tale sign of amp glow. As the ASI2600MM Duo uses zero-amp glow circuitry, you won’t have to worry about amp glow even when using high gain, long exposure imaging.
QE (Quantum efficiency)
Based on ZWO's testing results, the QE peak value of ASI2600MC Duo is over 80%, the QE peak value of ASI2600MM Duo is over 91%.
Two-stage TEC cooling
Thanks to the two-stage TEC cooling, ASI2600MM Duo can lower the CMOS sensor temperature to more than 30-35 degrees Celsius below ambient temperature, which can greatly reduce dark current generation and sensor noise even during extended exposure times.
*The Delta T 30-35℃ is tested at 30℃ ambient temperature. It might get down when the cooling system is working for a long time. Also, as the ambient temperature falls, the Delta T would decrease.
Anti-Dew Heater
There is a polyimide heater completely fitting the protective window in the ASI2600MM Duo camera. It can help avoid any potential annoying dew or icing issues depending on the environment in which you capture images.
The power of the heater is around 5W. If you want to save battery, you can always turn it off in your photography software.
Full Specifications
Main Camera:
- Sony IMX571 APS-C size Back-illuminated CMOS sensor (monochrome)
- Resolution: 6248×4176
- Pixel Size: 3.76μm
- Sensor Size: 23.5mm x 15.7mm (28.3mm diagonal)
- Max FPS at full resolution: 15FPS in RAW 8 mode
- Read Noise: 0.9e-4.2e
- QE peak: >80%
- Full well: 50Ke - Over 73Ke - at extended full well mode
- ADC: 16 bit (14-stop dynamic range)
- USB: 3.0
- Telescope Connection: M54x0.75
- Back Focus: 17.5mm (standard) or 12.5mm (without tilt plate)
Guide Camera:
- SC2210 1/1.8" size CMOS sensor (monochrome, same as ASI220MM Mini)
- Resolution: 1920x1080
- Sensor Size: 7.68 x 4.32mm
- Quantum Efficiency: 92%
- Read Noise: As low as 0.6e
- FPS: 14
- USB: 2.0
- ADC: 12bit
ASI2600MM Duo Overview
The ZWO ASI2600MM Duo is a revolutionary astrophotography monochrome camera with a guide sensor built in for easy autoguiding! Featuring the same main camera sensor as the ultra-popular ASI2600MC Pro, this camera has a guide camera sensor built in just above the main camera sensor. This gives you the added benefit of not needing a separate guide scope or off-axis guider.
Agena Astro affiliate Peter Zelinka recently created this informative ASI2600MC Duo review:
ASI2600MC Duo Main Camera
The main camera features the famed IMX571 color sensor, which is one of the most used sensors in astrophotography. With a 26-megapixel resolution of 6248x4176, this camera excels at capturing deep sky objects in their full glory and ready for printing.
A 16-bit ADC lends to a high dynamic range of 14 stops, meaning the camera can capture detail in dark shadows and bright highlights. The 3.76µm pixels are sized very well for pixel scale on a wide variety of astrophotography telescopes, ensuring you won't be undersampled or oversampled.
With a cooling fan capable of reaching -35º C below ambient temperature and a read noise as low as 0.9e, the ASI2600MC Duo keeps noise in your images very low compared to most other color cameras on the market.
An overall quantum efficiency of 80% translates to impressive light-gathering ability, and a full well capacity of 73ke (up from 50ke on the ASI2600MC Pro) means stars won't become oversaturated and lose detail. Amp glow is a thing of the past with this camera, and dark frames will have zero amp glow.
The sensor itself measures 28.3mm across the diagonal, which is APS-C size.
ASI2600MC Duo Guide Camera
Unlike other astrophotography cameras including ZWO's Pro line, the ASI2600MC Duo has a special trick up its sleeve: a built in guide camera sensor situated just above the main camera sensor. Like the main camera, the guide camera can pick up guide stars from your telescope, eliminating the need for a guide scope. If you're upgrading from a guide scope, your guiding results will drastically improve because you can guide at your telescope's full focal length and not the guide scope.
The ASI2600MC Duo also eliminates the need for an off-axis guider, which uses a pickup prism to pick off light. By eliminating an off-axis guider, you then have more back focus available for additional accessories like a camera rotator, which ZWO has previously teased as a future product. Technically, the ASI2600MC Duo utilizes an on-axis guider system.
When the ASI2600MC Duo was first announced, many astrophotographers questioned the ability of the guide camera to pick up guide stars. This is because the guide sensor sits behind any filters. Since some filters like dual band filters drastically reduce the amount of incoming light, it was unclear whether the guide camera could detect stars to guide from. This has been thoroughly tested and the results are clear: the guide camera sensor has no issue with picking up guide stars.
The guide camera sensor is the same found in the ASI220MM Mini, which is a highly-sensitive guide camera. The sensor is 7.7 x 4.3mm and has a resolution of 1920x1080. Autoguiding software uses what is known as the centroid of a star to accurately guide. This means that round stars are not required for good guiding. Even though stars may appear elongated on telescopes with APS-C sized image circles, users report that guiding still works extremely well on the ASI2600MC Duo.
Additional Features
The ASI2600MC Duo has many of the standard features expected from ZWO's latest Pro line of cameras, including USB 3.0 with a 512mb DDR3 buffer for quickly transferring large images files. It also has an anti-dew heater which prevents dew from forming on the protective glass over the camera sensor. This can be useful for users who live in climates with higher humidity levels. The dew heater consumes 5W of additional power, but can be turned on or off in astrophotography software like ZWO's ASIAIR.
Upgraded from the M42 threaded connection on the ASI2600MC Pro, the Duo model now comes standard with an M54x0.75 connection. Last but not least, the ASI2600MC Duo features helpful rear-facing tilt adjustment screws so you can eliminate sensor tilt without removing the camera.
The ASI2600MC Duo is the perfect camera choice for someone just diving into the deep end of astrophotography or those looking to simplify their existing astrophotography rig. Being both highly sensitive and having a guide camera built in, it can capture incredible images and eliminates many of the hassles of setting up complex autoguiding setups.
Full Specifications
Main Camera:
- Sony IMX571 APS-C size Back-illuminated CMOS sensor (color)
- Resolution: 6248×4176
- Pixel Size: 3.76μm
- Sensor Size: 23.5mm x 15.7mm (28.3mm diagonal)
- Max FPS at full resolution: 15FPS in RAW 8 mode
- Read Noise: 1.0e-3.3e
- QE peak: >80%
- Full well: 73ke (at gain -25)
- Exposure Range: 32μs-2000s
- ADC: 16 bit (14-stop dynamic range)
- USB: 3.0
- Telescope Connection: M54x0.75
- Back Focus: 17.5mm (standard) or 12.5mm (without tilt plate)
Guide Camera:
- SC2210 1/1.8" size CMOS sensor (monochrome)
- Resolution: 1920x1080
- Sensor Size: 7.7 x 4.3mm
- Quantum Efficiency: 92%
- Read Noise: As low as 0.6e
- Camera body
- Camera bag
- USB 2.0 cable (0.5m) x2
- Quick guide
- USB 3.0 cable (0.75m) x1
- M54M-M54F (16.5mm) adapter
- M54M-M54F (21mm) adapter
- M54M-M48F adapter
- Hexagon wrench
- USB 3.0 cable (2m) x1
- Power supply not included: This ZWO Pro/Cooled camera must be powered from an external 12V DC power source with a minimum of 3 amps in order to run the TEC cooler and connect to your computer. The camera may not be recognized by a computer or operate properly if only the USB3.0 cable is connected to your computer. You can use ZWO’s 12V DC power supply, the DC Out port on an ASIAir or an external battery. These are not included with the camera.
ZWO ASI2600MM Duo Overview
Building on the success of the ASI2600MC Duo with its built-in guide camera, ZWO has now added this technology into their best-selling monochrome camera! The ASI2600MM Duo features the same main camera sensor as the best-selling ASI2600MM Pro, which has produced countless stunning astrophotography images.
Agena Astro affiliate Astroworkz recently created this introduction video about the ASI2600MM Duo:
The ASI2600MM Duo combines imaging and guiding sensors in one compact body. The main sensor is the Sony IMX571 coming with a native 16-bit ADC,14stops dynamic range, and a 3.76um square pixel array. The readout noise is as low as 1.0e, and the full well capacity reaches an incredible level of 73ke. And it has no amp glow!
The guide sensor is the Type 1/1.8 SC2210 with excellent NIR sensitivity. The sensor size is 7.68mm x 4.32mm. It has 4umx4um pixels with an array of 1920×1080 and a full depth of 8780e.
The stars on the corner of the guide images affected by reducers back focus distance might not be very round. It is not due to the sensor tilt and will not affect normal use.
Two-in-one design
Thanks to the compact design, the ASI2600MM Duo only needs one USB cable for control. It reduces potential cabling issues and improves setup speeds. You don’t need a separate OAG and guide camera.
Tilt Adjustment from Rear (Optional）
The 3 points from the rear make tilt adjustment much easier without the trouble of removing the tilt plate from the camera.
Built-in Guide Sensor
The SC2210 sensor taken from the ASI220MM Mini camera features very high sensitivity. The QE peak value reaches 92% at 500nm. The readout noise is as low as 0.6e. As the new generation of guide sensor, it has achieved great results in guiding, proved by hundreds of astrophotographers.
Here are a few benefits of having a guide camera in the main camera body:
- Eliminates the need for a guide scope or off-axis guider (OAG)
- Allows more accurate guiding at your telescope's full focal length
- No OAG allows for extra room in your image train for rotators & more
- Similar cost to guide camera and guide scope/OAG purchased separately
Main sensor
The main sensor IMX571 features an APS-C format and 26MP total pixels. The size is 23.5mm in width x 15.7mm in height, and the diagonal is 28.3mm. The 3.76um x 3.76um small pixel size accommodates an impressive full depth of 50ke. With the new hardware technology, it is even extended to 73ke.
STARVIS technology
ASI2600MM DUO is based on Sony STARVIS technology. Sony’s back-illuminated CMOS image sensor improves sensitivity and noise reduction – the key factors to enhancing image quality.
Native 16bit ADC
This 16-bit ADC is not a CCD 16-bit ADC. It can really achieve a dynamic range output of 14stops, which will significantly improve the image sharpness and contrast, and also create smoother and more natural color transitions.
FPS
ASI2600MM Duo’s max FPS in RAW 8 mode at full resolution is 15FPS, which is even quicker compared to ASI2600MM Pro.
Extended full well mode
The full well capacity of ASI2600MM Duo is extended to 73ke when the gain value is set to -25.
USB 3.0 & 512MB DDR3 buffer
Traditional CMOS sensors produce a weak infrared light source during operation quite often seen in the corner of uncalibrated images. It is the tell-tale sign of amp glow. As the ASI2600MM Duo uses zero-amp glow circuitry, you won’t have to worry about amp glow even when using high gain, long exposure imaging.
QE (Quantum efficiency)
Based on ZWO's testing results, the QE peak value of ASI2600MC Duo is over 80%, the QE peak value of ASI2600MM Duo is over 91%.
Two-stage TEC cooling
Thanks to the two-stage TEC cooling, ASI2600MM Duo can lower the CMOS sensor temperature to more than 30-35 degrees Celsius below ambient temperature, which can greatly reduce dark current generation and sensor noise even during extended exposure times.
*The Delta T 30-35℃ is tested at 30℃ ambient temperature. It might get down when the cooling system is working for a long time. Also, as the ambient temperature falls, the Delta T would decrease.
Anti-Dew Heater
There is a polyimide heater completely fitting the protective window in the ASI2600MM Duo camera. It can help avoid any potential annoying dew or icing issues depending on the environment in which you capture images.
The power of the heater is around 5W. If you want to save battery, you can always turn it off in your photography software.
Full Specifications
Main Camera:
- Sony IMX571 APS-C size Back-illuminated CMOS sensor (monochrome)
- Resolution: 6248×4176
- Pixel Size: 3.76μm
- Sensor Size: 23.5mm x 15.7mm (28.3mm diagonal)
- Max FPS at full resolution: 15FPS in RAW 8 mode
- Read Noise: 0.9e-4.2e
- QE peak: >80%
- Full well: 50Ke - Over 73Ke - at extended full well mode
- ADC: 16 bit (14-stop dynamic range)
- USB: 3.0
- Telescope Connection: M54x0.75
- Back Focus: 17.5mm (standard) or 12.5mm (without tilt plate)
Guide Camera:
- SC2210 1/1.8" size CMOS sensor (monochrome, same as ASI220MM Mini)
- Resolution: 1920x1080
- Sensor Size: 7.68 x 4.32mm
- Quantum Efficiency: 92%
- Read Noise: As low as 0.6e
- FPS: 14
- USB: 2.0
- ADC: 12bit
ASI2600MM Duo Overview
The ZWO ASI2600MM Duo is a revolutionary astrophotography monochrome camera with a guide sensor built in for easy autoguiding! Featuring the same main camera sensor as the ultra-popular ASI2600MC Pro, this camera has a guide camera sensor built in just above the main camera sensor. This gives you the added benefit of not needing a separate guide scope or off-axis guider.
Agena Astro affiliate Peter Zelinka recently created this informative ASI2600MC Duo review:
ASI2600MC Duo Main Camera
The main camera features the famed IMX571 color sensor, which is one of the most used sensors in astrophotography. With a 26-megapixel resolution of 6248x4176, this camera excels at capturing deep sky objects in their full glory and ready for printing.
A 16-bit ADC lends to a high dynamic range of 14 stops, meaning the camera can capture detail in dark shadows and bright highlights. The 3.76µm pixels are sized very well for pixel scale on a wide variety of astrophotography telescopes, ensuring you won't be undersampled or oversampled.
With a cooling fan capable of reaching -35º C below ambient temperature and a read noise as low as 0.9e, the ASI2600MC Duo keeps noise in your images very low compared to most other color cameras on the market.
An overall quantum efficiency of 80% translates to impressive light-gathering ability, and a full well capacity of 73ke (up from 50ke on the ASI2600MC Pro) means stars won't become oversaturated and lose detail. Amp glow is a thing of the past with this camera, and dark frames will have zero amp glow.
The sensor itself measures 28.3mm across the diagonal, which is APS-C size.
ASI2600MC Duo Guide Camera
Unlike other astrophotography cameras including ZWO's Pro line, the ASI2600MC Duo has a special trick up its sleeve: a built in guide camera sensor situated just above the main camera sensor. Like the main camera, the guide camera can pick up guide stars from your telescope, eliminating the need for a guide scope. If you're upgrading from a guide scope, your guiding results will drastically improve because you can guide at your telescope's full focal length and not the guide scope.
The ASI2600MC Duo also eliminates the need for an off-axis guider, which uses a pickup prism to pick off light. By eliminating an off-axis guider, you then have more back focus available for additional accessories like a camera rotator, which ZWO has previously teased as a future product. Technically, the ASI2600MC Duo utilizes an on-axis guider system.
When the ASI2600MC Duo was first announced, many astrophotographers questioned the ability of the guide camera to pick up guide stars. This is because the guide sensor sits behind any filters. Since some filters like dual band filters drastically reduce the amount of incoming light, it was unclear whether the guide camera could detect stars to guide from. This has been thoroughly tested and the results are clear: the guide camera sensor has no issue with picking up guide stars.
The guide camera sensor is the same found in the ASI220MM Mini, which is a highly-sensitive guide camera. The sensor is 7.7 x 4.3mm and has a resolution of 1920x1080. Autoguiding software uses what is known as the centroid of a star to accurately guide. This means that round stars are not required for good guiding. Even though stars may appear elongated on telescopes with APS-C sized image circles, users report that guiding still works extremely well on the ASI2600MC Duo.
Additional Features
The ASI2600MC Duo has many of the standard features expected from ZWO's latest Pro line of cameras, including USB 3.0 with a 512mb DDR3 buffer for quickly transferring large images files. It also has an anti-dew heater which prevents dew from forming on the protective glass over the camera sensor. This can be useful for users who live in climates with higher humidity levels. The dew heater consumes 5W of additional power, but can be turned on or off in astrophotography software like ZWO's ASIAIR.
Upgraded from the M42 threaded connection on the ASI2600MC Pro, the Duo model now comes standard with an M54x0.75 connection. Last but not least, the ASI2600MC Duo features helpful rear-facing tilt adjustment screws so you can eliminate sensor tilt without removing the camera.
The ASI2600MC Duo is the perfect camera choice for someone just diving into the deep end of astrophotography or those looking to simplify their existing astrophotography rig. Being both highly sensitive and having a guide camera built in, it can capture incredible images and eliminates many of the hassles of setting up complex autoguiding setups.
Full Specifications
Main Camera:
- Sony IMX571 APS-C size Back-illuminated CMOS sensor (color)
- Resolution: 6248×4176
- Pixel Size: 3.76μm
- Sensor Size: 23.5mm x 15.7mm (28.3mm diagonal)
- Max FPS at full resolution: 15FPS in RAW 8 mode
- Read Noise: 1.0e-3.3e
- QE peak: >80%
- Full well: 73ke (at gain -25)
- Exposure Range: 32μs-2000s
- ADC: 16 bit (14-stop dynamic range)
- USB: 3.0
- Telescope Connection: M54x0.75
- Back Focus: 17.5mm (standard) or 12.5mm (without tilt plate)
Guide Camera:
- SC2210 1/1.8" size CMOS sensor (monochrome)
- Resolution: 1920x1080
- Sensor Size: 7.7 x 4.3mm
- Quantum Efficiency: 92%
- Read Noise: As low as 0.6e
Other Information
- Country of Manufacture: China
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- Camera body
- Camera bag
- USB 2.0 cable (0.5m) x2
- Quick guide
- USB 3.0 cable (0.75m) x1
- M54M-M54F (16.5mm) adapter
- M54M-M54F (21mm) adapter
- M54M-M48F adapter
- Hexagon wrench
- USB 3.0 cable (2m) x1
- Power supply not included: This ZWO Pro/Cooled camera must be powered from an external 12V DC power source with a minimum of 3 amps in order to run the TEC cooler and connect to your computer. The camera may not be recognized by a computer or operate properly if only the USB3.0 cable is connected to your computer. You can use ZWO’s 12V DC power supply, the DC Out port on an ASIAir or an external battery. These are not included with the camera.
ZWO ASI2600MM Duo APS-C Cooled Monochrome Astronomy Camera with Built-In Guide Sensor