294MM Pro Review, it’s not the same camera as the 294MC

[@JR-ey3oo]

Hadn't seen any videos from you in a couple of weeks I was getting worried. Glad to see you are still continuing to stay strong and do what you love. Clear skies!

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Fatigue has been catching up to me with chemo but I am close to the end.

[@paulholdsworth2502]

Ben, really good to see you looking better in yourself and hope you're doing okay with your treatment. It's almost like 2 cameras in one and given setting up a darks library takes only an afternoon when you get the camera is no big deal. Very best wishes

[@tomhoskins4913]

Great job and very informative as usual, Prayers from my wife and I for your continued recovery.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Much appreciated

[@WilliFromEarth]

Great review. Love all the technical background and insight. Thank you! I have started with the ASI294MC and are still pretty happy with it. BTW, you are looking good!

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Planetreefastro]

Glad to see you looking well. Was wondering if you were ok but I didn’t want to bother you at home. Great review. I want the 2600 Duo for my RASA but still on the fence about using it with the RASA 8. Also saving for that Svbony 122. Looking forward to your next video. Luis Mercado

[@joakimastro]

The way you explain these very technical things for something a even a beginner could understand in my oppinion is midboggling! Well done.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Thank you

[@snoopy4ever]

Finally .. !!! Was expecting you to review that camera!!! .. thanks a lot!!!

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

My pleasure!

[@AstroSoundscape]

Very comprehensive overview Ben, enjoyed. I haven't used the 294 but own a used 1600mm which like you say great as a second hand beginner buy. I also find my 533mc outperforms my mono 1600mm so also have been considering selling my 1600. Hope you're treatment is going well. Clear skies.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Thanks. Ya treatment has been a bear but it's almost over. I'll be able to make more content then.

[@abhijitjuvekar]

I have been using 1600MMP for more than 5 years now.... Still working without any issues. Had in mind for upgrade to OSC like 533MCP due to less imaging time I get from tall buildings obstructed sky in city. But recently I bought 585MC (uncooled) and took it to dark sky site. Results were pretty nice and so decided to keep both those cameras for another season and see anything new comes up. There is new 585MCP announced recently but I don't think quick enough to shift to it.

[@qx3V45p]

From what I've seen, past several months, there's been a decent amount of used 294mm on the used market in the 900-1000 range. I started out with the 2600MC pro and under a year later moved to the 294MM. 1.25in. 3nm filters. Used on 3 different OTA's. Currently running a 10 inch f4 Newt. which is a baaad to the bone camera/OTA combo. Amp glow is utterly non issue. I'm using 2 yr old darks ATM LOL :P. Nice vid my friend.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Thats sounds like a nice setup with the newt

[@Robin-Visser]

Bruh, good to see you again

[@Ben_Stewart]

I went from the 1600 to the 294MM and found it to be a very interesting camera. One issue I ran into was the varible readout when doing flats that only require a short exposures. I ended up selling it because I also sold my RASA 8 which was going to be a good pair but I found it to be more greif than it was worth. Probably end up going 2600MM or 6200MM. That 3.74um pixel size is great.

[@samh4232]

I’ve been waiting for this vid. Holy wow, didn’t know that about the 294mc…but I plan on pairing the 294mc with the mm with a two OTA setup to double my data over a single night. I have heard that shooing luminance in 8k would give more detail without having to shoot all of frames at 8k. Thanks and hope you’re still kicking that cancers ass!!!

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Yes a dual camera setup would be awesome

[@samh4232]

@@TheNarrowbandChannel yea I think if I do two of my current OTAs I will still be under the mount payload.

[@777themoose]

Just recently ordered the 294MM pro. I spent the summer shooting OSC with a 178MC, so I've got plenty of experience taking dark frames 😁

[@meibergstrmandersen9181]

Really good way to explain the differences. Much appreciated. Ben, the new versions of the Sony semiconductors use a Starivs2 technology. Allegedly the Starvis2 should be quite more sensitive in the IR band. Do you have or have plans to comment / review this ? Stay strong 💪

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

When those kinds of sensors start appearing i will

[@elbagre71]

Hi! Thank you very much for this excellent video. I have the ASI1600 but I was extremely disappointed to see the "square stars" problem, the one you mention when there are large stars in the image. I want to jump to the 2600 mm but that means I have to spend on a new filter wheel and 36mm filters since the current 31mm ones are not going to work for me, the above greatly increases the investment I have to make. The truth is, I am happy with the size of the sensor of the 1600 and I think it would be better to change it for the 294mm since it would eliminate the annoying detail of square stars, in addition to new features that my 1600 does not have (I'm not worried about the amp glow problem). Thank you very much again for this video and you you have gained a new subscriber. Clear skies.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Thank you. There was not much out there about this camera so I made the video. Probably won't be popular but it needed to be made.

[@elbagre71]

@@TheNarrowbandChannel I appreciate your response. One question: in Skye Bortle 2, what gain do you recommend setting the 294mm pro? And in Bortle 7? for both broadband and narrowband, please. Thank you very much and clear skies.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

I do not alter gain based on the sky background. @@elbagre71

[@Swaggerlot]

Looking well.

[@nikivan]

I was thinking about getting rid from my 1600MM, but now I am occasionally using it for solar.

[@southbronxny5727]

You lookin great👌. What does 'industrial' sensor mean? Also, why are the stars smaller on the 294? Are they smaller in both bin modes?

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

They are smaller because of the deep wells of the pixels. Mainly. Industrial means it is designed for industrial use. Not consumer cameras.

[@ferdigrafie]

I have the 294MM as my first dedicated astronomy camera and i love it. I totally agree your thoughts. I think it´s the absolute sweetspot in the whole ZWO lineup. Here in germany the 2600MM is 1,7x more expensive for 1,5x more sensor area. I even think about getting a second one for a dual setup, but since the asiair doesn´t support that i will just wait until that happens.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

I hope they support dual setups soon.

[@Peter.A-A]

Very much appriciated 😀

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Glad to help

[@davidschaeffer5322]

I love my 294mm Pro. Don't mind taking darks which you should always do regardless because all sensor will have hot or cold pixels which darks calibrate out as well.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Agreed

[@daveng4698]

Great video! Thanks for putting that out there. I'm currently using the 294MC pro and thinking of moving into mono. The 2600mm is too pricey for me, the CFO (aka my wife) will not approve. So I've been looking at the 533mm Pro and the 294mm Pro. I cannot find any comparisons. I get that the 533mm is a "beginner" camera but other than amp glow, which I'm used to with my 294MC, are there any reasons why I might consider the 533mm over the 294mm ?

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Only the amp glow. Other then that the 294 has a lot to offer.

[@carvrodrigo]

One more point here is that bin1 have a very shallow fullwell and extreme large files 105mb+

[@stxe34]

i love my 294mm pro

[@Neanderthal75]

I keep telling people to stay away from the 1600 series, whether ZWO or other brand. The only 60% really shows up, especially if someone already used a more modern camera like the 533. Assume someone is at a high-Bortle area and uses 3nm filters, because too much light pollution. He might ends up taking like 10 minute subs with that, because the camera just isn't capturing enough details at 5 minutes, while either the 533 or 2600 or even the 294, the captured data (details) are totally obvious. And the microlensing effect is an issue for sure. Aim at Alnitak or any of the bright stars and they start to looke like "digitized".

[@KJRitch]

I'm looking for my first DSO cooled camera and after reading all the issues with calibration on the ASI294MC/MM I'm kinda put off. What calibration procedure do you use on your ASI294MM?

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

I take sky flats and have never had an issue.

[@KJRitch]

What camera would you think maybe a good choice for a C8 SCT. 533MC Pro, 294MCPro or 071MC Pro. I’m a beginner and don’t want to get into MM right now. Thanks. Hope all is well.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

533 Would be my advice. Or a 269@@KJRitch

[@nikaxstrophotography]

The darks don't worry me it's the sensor pattern when using narrowband, Does the mm version have the same issue as the mc version?

[@ScottSollars]

If I'm understanding your question correctly, yes. The flats for the red end of the spectrum (Ha, S2 and even broadband Red) on my 294MM Pro definitely exhibit some striking unevenness (when stretched), especially around the edges of the sensor. Taking good flats and darks is a must for the 294MM Pro! It's my most used camera and would buy again, especially with the recent price drop.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

I don’t use flats. Had good results so far. Darks are a must. The flat thing seams to he a color issue.

[@anthony-qm3pn]

Any possibility of singing all new 24 megapixel BSI stacked sensor brought out by Sony that could be used all new OM-2 professional camera.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

I have not seen anything like it yet on the charts.

[@guyjordan8201]

Your reviews are so authoritative… but your closings make me feel like we all fell off a cliff together. 🙏

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Sometimes and ending is hard to do.

[@MyMrAnimal]

Small spelling error in the title, "it's not the SAME camera as the 294MC"

[@k-d-n]

0:18 * you mean the 294 right?

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

yes

[@shauntung3735]

533 all the way!!😂

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

That is a great camera.

[@carole9387]

For someone as intellect as you seem.. you posted a few bad comments on another channel to discredit them. Not good !

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Where was this? Perhaps it was someone using my name.

[@carole9387]

@@TheNarrowbandChannel perhaps.. was on Tim Boyer's photography .. your comments were quite condescending on one of the best photographer.

[@carole9387]

And perhaps you should make an apology to the comments on his channel. Be the right thing to do

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

I said nothing condescending there. @@carole9387

[@gazza9839]

Seemed like a genuine question, especially during Covid