Gear Review - ZWO ASI533MC Pro in a White Zone!!

(timestamps below)
The ASI533MC Pro is one of ZWO's latest cooled astro cameras - in this video, I am putting it through its spaces, but with a twist: I am in a white zone! How will this little red camera perform on galaxies and clusters in such bad conditions? Watch to find out!
If you feel like buying this camera, this affiliate link is to OPT, and I would get a small commission - if you feel like supporting me!
bit.ly/3fKPmsv
00:00 Introduction
03:51 Comparison with ZWO lineup
06:20 Specs and Unity Gain
08:33 Cooling Performance
10:23 Dark Frame Analysis
11:42 Flat Frame Analysis
13:00 Single Light Frame Analysis
15:07 Stacks Analysis
16:48 Sample Final Results
17:23 Conclusion
My Instagram: / cuivlazygeek
My Facebook page: / cuivlazygeek
Music: www.purple-planet.com
#astrophotography

[@tobbler0ne]

Wow, great review, wonderful personality and awesome images! Its just not possible to not click subscribe after watching this!

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Thank you! That means a lot, and I'm glad you're liking the content :)

[@CosmuzzAstro]

I have just pushed the button on this camera. I was after the 183 MC Pro at first but it was out of stock but going off your video I am glad that happened, I think I could be in for a treat. Great video! Lots of information, many thanks!

[@steppen57]

Thank you for this detailed review. I live in a Bortle 8 - 9 zone, and I have been looking at this camera. I think I am going to get it.

[@sanjayajha362]

Thank you for your great and highly informative review of this camera! Very much appreciated!

[@andyweeks2216]

How encouraging this is for me! I'm shooting from Bortle 7 with very similar equipment. I was able to use 2 minute subs last night with good results. So thank you!

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Wow, two minute subs is nice! Good luck with your imaging, and clear skies!

[@captgbakos1291]

Great gear review. I have an 8" f/4 Newtonian on EQ6-R Pro and it was reassuring to hear that you found the 533MC to match so well with your similar setup. I'm lucky to live in Bortle CL-4 and am looking to upgrade from an old DSLR. The 533MC Pro appears to fall in a price performance sweet spot. Thanks again!

[@icespray247]

I bought the 533 when it was first launched. It was a revelation to me since I've been using a DSLR for a while

[@georgehall6423]

Great convincing review! I have enjoyed many of your videos. I just placed an order for an ASI533MC base on your enthusiastic review and other imaging results that I have seen form this camera. I live in the white zone in the city of Dallas, Texas USA. I hope to be able to reproduce results similar to what you have demonstrated. Thanks for your great videos, I look forward to reviewing them again and again to help me reach my goals.

[@AstroGuy99]

A wonderful review Cuiv. Very thorough, contains all the information a potential user could want, and well produced. Many thanks.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Thank you Richard!

[@samcmckee]

Thank you for your great review. Very much appreciated!

[@ScottDavies]

Many thanks for the great review Cuiv! Helped me decide which astro camera to buy 🙏👍😉 (533mc pro) of course!

[@patchnovae]

I'm a week into my 533 in Austin bortle 8 skies and i'm impressed. Amazing camera. Can't wait to get to dark skies to really see it shine

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Wow, I went through Austin a couple of years ago and yeah... I feel for you! I am sure it will be absolutely amazing under dark skies - it is a cracking camera!

[@srikanthmeg]

Daamn, that is amazing! Thanks for sharing and excellent review. I like the format

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

My pleasure! I really, really like this camera :)

[@zparagi]

I find this review more useful than some of the other popular channels.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Thanks Zsolt! I try to be fairly thorough in my reviews, although it's always hard...

[@hymanmj]

Great in-depth review and love your enthusiasm! :)

[@MrPedalpaddle]

I was tempted to “upgrade” my ASI533 to the ASI2600, but having watched your video again and read your very helpful comments, I think I will stick with the ASI533 - I don’t need a wider field that often and, as you say, the bigger camera and wider field brings its own challenges.

[@scidav87]

Bought one yesterday, I can't wait

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Awesome! You will love it!

[@salvadorjimenez1344]

Thank very much, now I have clear my decision.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

My pleasure! It is an amazing little camera! I wish Sony made a monochrome version of that sensor...

[@beatriceheinze2294]

Thank you for this great review! You're images are beautiful! I bought this camera but I'm waiting for clear skies to test it out :-).

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

The curse of new equipment :D I think you'll enjoy this camera a lot!

[@louisrosner7902]

Absolutely agree. I love my 533mc pro. Use it with my 102 as well, as my 8hd with reducer . A perfect match. I am in Bortle 5 and 6 and the signal to noise always blows me away. I usually shoot 2 min subs at unity. As soon as I learn to post some of my images I will send them along. Another great video.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Yep - I still can't get over how good of a camera it is...! Now if only we could get a 533MM or a 2600MM!! One can only dream...

[@physmc1]

Thanks for the great review! I've got this camera for my Hyperstar 8 based on your review and get great results from Bortle 8-9. You are right that the flat noise makes calibration much easier. Before, I always struggled with the background hue on the asi294mc. The asi2600mc also looked interesting, but larger FOV means lower threshold to tilt and collimation would probably drive me crazy on the hyperstar setup.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Exactly! Small sensor is cheaper, easier, less frustrating... it's just better and FOV be damned!

[@cucubits]

I was keeping my eye on this camera for a while now. This pushed me to actually get it now. Can't wait to try it out. I'm also in a white zone and shooting with an unmodded mirrorless is just not working.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Oh it's going to make a big difference! Enjoy it and I hope you'll get a lot of clear skies to test it!

[@jacquesbeauropert]

That's exactly right.👍

[@astrobri]

Thank you for the Info , I hope I get the same feelings when I use mine which should be turning up on Saturday .....

[@amp2amp800]

Nice. Thanks! That was on my shortlist. It just took a step to the top.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

It's a great camera!

[@ronlundgren4391]

Miss you Cuiv. Hope you are feeling good and having fun!🍻

[@deep_space_dave]

Thanks to your video, I may have a solution to being a little too close to Chicago :-) My new ASI533MC Pro is on it's way along. Thanks this video really helped.

[@jster91]

Looks like I found my next camera! I have an older Meade Schmidt Newtonian SN8 8" scope. I think it will be a good fit with this camera since it's f/4 and 812mm. Great Video!

[@JamesPetruzzi_MyHawaiianImages]

My ASI533MC-Pro is due to arrive tomorrow. Your review helped me make up my mind, thank you!

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Excellent! I hope you will enjoy it as much as I am!

[@randallpatrickc]

Thanks!

[@massimo541]

Great test!

[@jaimepacheco721]

Curve, thank you so much for all your collaboration in the hobby. You made me switch from observation to astrophotography. Now, can you help me find focus with the 8Se with and without the 6.3 Celestron reducer. Thank you in advance.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Without reducer, focus should be fairly easy (just search for it during the daytime on a far away target). Then add a Bahtinov mask for star focus. With reducer, you want to make sure that the correct reducer to sensor distance is respected (not sure what it is for yours). Then you can do the same as without reducer. Clear skies!

[@fazergazer]

Beautiful galaxies I have a used 533MC pro on order

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Awesome, I hope you enjoy it!

[@LaNa1174]

Gracias!!! Muy util para mi, mi asi553mc viene en camino para mi cumpleaños a fines de noviembre... 😁😁😁

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

I'm sure you'll enjoy it a lot!

[@hostesscupcakes8130]

Hey! I'm in Tokyo also looking to start astrophotography! Glad I found you on youtube. Subscribed!

[@astrophotonow8479]

Super impressive!

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Thank you!

[@cj-nj7vt]

Hi great review just ordered 1 for my Skywatcher 80ed esprit triple apo refractor sounds as if I have made a great choice.

[@robertcalise8634]

Amazing i cant believe how beautiful your images are from a white zone and no LPF. I image with the ZWO294MC Pro. from a bortel class 3 zone and cant get images like yours. Nice camera great images. Keep the videos coming. I check every day to see if you posted a new one

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

The 294MC does require quite some work to get proper calibration frames. Flats are particularly tricky. I found that being just above unity gain for flats and darks on the 294MC, and having the flat frames 2-3 seconds long helped a lot (and for that, an adjustable flat panel is a must). Otherwise, it was easier to just forego flats entirely!

[@robertcalise8634]

@@CuivTheLazyGeek Thank you i have read that thread in CN and started adjusting my flats and dark flats to longer exposures. I up to 6 sec on both and they do look better. Unfortunately i cant get to my dark site and equipment do to the lock down going on here. So i haven't been able to do any imaging for the last 21/2 months. Hopefully by the end of the month for the memorial day holiday ill get up there. Unless the clouds have something to say

[@VolklgirlKat]

This is Skye, those results are phenomenal!

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Thank you Skye!

[@livingstar1741]

nice review It was helpful to buy 533mc pro thanks

[@50sKid]

Ah, I wish I had seen this video before I bought the ASI294MC Pro. I'm also in a white zone: Los Angeles. I would love to see more videos about how you deal with this, why shooting shorter exposures, etc. Thanks for this video.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

I actually have a few of those videos already up :-) Los Angeles sounds horrible... Good luck!

[@Mara-xd7bg]

Get mono + NB filters, lel.

[@derekderek2570]

What did you end up doing? Highly recommend a narrowband filter like an LeXtreme for bortle 4 and higher. It's magic in light pollution.

[@AstroB7]

@@derekderek2570 I agree. I bought an L-Extreme to pair it with my 294mc Pro, and it's fabulous ! Big difference when doing 300s (5min) subs. I will also buy L-Pro for galaxies and reflective nebulaes such as Iris.

[@bluegrassmagee8697]

Hello, I also live in So Cal - Light Pollution City! Your 1294 is still a beautiful camera, & a narrow-band filter would help you big time. I also recommend talking to Mike @ OC Telescopes in Santa Ana, He's super helpful !

[@JaganathAchari]

Great video. I live in Bortle 8 area and I am able to get 5 minute exposures on a 533 with a cheap light pollution filter. I just got an IDAS LPS D2 and I am waiting for clear skies to try.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

I'm actually really interested in the IDAS LPS D2, so if you have any feedback on it, let me know! I hope you get clear skies soon!

[@maxru5591]

great result

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Thank you!

[@whenpigsflyobservatory]

I’ve been using my sample of the ASI533MC Pro since May 2021 from a Bortle 8 zone. It’s produced many amazing images and has quickly become my workhorse imager. The square form factor took some getting accustomed to but now I really like it. The lack of amp glow was and remains a strong plus in its favour. Appreciate your review style. Well laid out with lots of info and your sample shots are truly breathtaking. Cheers!

[@sebas_ruel]

Salut Cuiv, Very interresting video! I'm currently using a ASI294MC uncooled with a 80mm APO, in a white zone also. I've been checking all the pros and cons for upgrading to mono+narrowband (ex: ASI1600MM). The ASI533 seems to be a nice upgrade for me before diving into mono later...

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Salut Sebastien - au final, from a white zone, monochrome+narrowband (especially with the recent relatively cheap ultra-narrow filters from Antlia or Baader) really is king. If you go with the ASI533 (cooled!!) you can get great shots of galaxies (check my videos from April and May) without a Light Pollution filter, and nebulae work best with a filter like the Optolong L-Extreme (which I am currently testing on the Crescent Nebula, at this very moment!).

[@Robert08010]

Imagine if they made the debayering filter to match the narrow band filters commonly in use today

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

That would be neat :D HA OIII OIII SII would be nice as a Bayer pattern :)

[@GregShaw]

Thanks Cuiv, this was brilliant and thanks for comparing to the 294. I was planning to get the 294 but after hearing about the amp glow and other issues I now know this is not the camera for me. Not too sure about the size of the sensor as i live in a mortal 5 and use a 150PDS OTA. Reading through your comments it looks like the ASI2600MC Pro is the one to get.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

My pleasure Greg! Your scope has basically the same focal length as mine, so the FOV would be the same. The ASI2600MC Pro is indeed basically just a bigger version of that sensor and behaves basically in the same way, so that may be what you want (assuming OSC is what you want to go with)! If you end up buying something, please consider getting it from OPT using my affiliate link in the description :p

[@michael.a.covington]

Very good point that amp glow costs dynamic range. (Obvious once you think about it, but I hadn't thought much about it.)

[@flemminghansen7429]

Did you know, that you just dragged me further down the dark astro-gear hole. I just ordered the 533 (veTEC Omegon Pro) It will be glorious!

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Mwahaha, awesome! Enjoy the camera and the view of the astro-event horizon!

[@paulbarrett423]

cracking review

[@ACEOFSPACE2000]

Great review and nice final images well done.New subscriber

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Thank you! And welcome to the channel - tons of contents on here already, I hope you will enjoy! :)

[@ASTROPLANETES]

thanks a lot for sharing

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

My pleasure, glad it is useful! Always open to suggestions on what to do next as well :)

[@chrbecerra]

Estaba seguro de comprarme una 294 sobre todo por el tamaño de pixel 4.6um esto permite longitudes focales mayores.Después de tu vídeo cambié de opinión, voy por una 533 (vivo en Bortle 8). Espero disfrutarla. Gracias

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Excellent to hear! I think you made the right choice, and I'm very glad my video helped. I am sure you will very much enjoy the camera!

[@chrbecerra]

@@CuivTheLazyGeek Por favor solo una pregunta mas. Qué filtro usas? Gracias de nuevo.

[@alexandrosstogiannis9589]

Ok, I just ordered it.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

You won't regret it, that little thing is a blast!

[@MacGyverGTP]

Been looking at the ZWO Color Cooled cameras for a while now, trying to find a middle ground camera that would work for both my Redcat 51 and my LXD75 SN-10AT. This one seems to fit the bill. I just ordered one, make that backordered one... Thanks for the video!!

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

That will be an excellent match - Once it arrives, I'm sure you'll love it. Crossing fingers so the new equipment curse doesn't strike!

[@AstroQuest1]

Excellent images Cuiv. I am thinking on getting another color camera and this is high on my list. I am avoiding ASI2600 due to the price and larger files to deal with and not to mention oil/grease leaks. - Cheers Kurt

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Yeah I just bought an APS-C sensor camera (Touptek/Risingcam) the larger files are crazy :)

[@thepacketnarc7634]

Fantastic review. And a great choice for wide or ultra-wide field. I'm concerned the FoV is far too small for my large'ish 102-115-127 refractors.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Thank you! I think it all depends on what the imager is thinking about doing - for galaxy images, it was great when paired with my 760mm FL Newt. And I think that to image the heart of nebulae, it will be amazing as well. I personally like to go deep (mostly because there are fewer gradients to deal with during processing :D ) and so it works well for me at longer focal lengths!

[@AmatureAstronomer]

Nice.

[@JohnS916]

Very enjoyable and informative review. However, I get the impression a strong point of this camera is its performance in heavily light polluted skies, this is a good thing since human activity is overwhelming nature in so many ways. I should watch the video again to see any of his comments about how the camera does under dark skies. I can readily assume it likely performs very well as most cameras produce their best images under those circumstances. Near the end of the video, he did mention the ASI294MC Pro he used at dark sky sites in California and it performed well. I suppose the gist of this video is to highlight the ASI533 under max light pollution conditions and demonstrating with the right tools and processing, taking quality deep sky images in a white zone shouldn't be a major obstacle. At this time I have decided to move up from my wonderful Canon 60Da, if only I didn't have ongoing guiding issues with my mount (replaced by the mfg recently) I would have been further along in this hobby. I have no complaints about the camera, but I wanted to try a camera equipped with cooling. All the other positive features that go with it are a plus.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

So taking quality deep sky images in a white zone is always a major obstacle - tools, processing only take you so far. There's the unescapable reality of the light pollution shot noise that HAS to vanquished by the target signal, and that means much, much, much longer integration times... Cooled cameras will provide a massive gain on uncooled camera - and you can reuse darks!

[@adrienleone6829]

Wow. The galaxies shots are stupefying. Never got so much colours and definition with my ASI071 MC pro...

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Thanks Adrien! The ASI071 is a great camera as well though - could depend on your scope and conditions...

[@adrienleone6829]

You are welcome Cuiv. For me it was a ES102 F7, so focal length (or lack of ) probably has an effect. Larger pixels as well. And perhaps processing skills ! 😂

[@IcedReaver]

Great video Cuiv, thanks for sharing! I just received my ASI533 a couple of weeks ago, a step up from my Canon DSLR. A question. Did you peform a white balance of your stacks shown at 15:08? After debayering, I review the raw & stacked FIT images in Pixinsight and the histogram of the Green channel is always a bit further to the right of the Red & Blue channels. I am using the ASI default driver and an ASI Air Pro for image acquisition. I'm not sure whether this is normal or not and how I would correct it.

[@bluegrassmagee8697]

This is such a great video! I've been in the Astro world for over 30 years & just got this Camera. Your info to help me get started is fantastic! Really appreciate your knowledge & was wondering if you've tried the ZWO WiFi System & Focuser? Thank You!

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Oooh you will have a blast with the camera!! I haven't tried the ZWO ASIAir at this point - I think I'm too addicted to the free capture software I added features in called NINA!

[@astrodad656]

I really, really appreciate all of the detailed information that you have provided. I have been considering another backlit sensor zwo osc product that is double the price but I might go for this one. If anyone has any thoughts about the square sensor (which I initially found off putting) I would love to hear it.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

The 2600MC / 2600MM is basically the same sensor, but bigger. Of course much more expensive... In the end it's up to you, good luck!

[@AmatureAstronomer]

I had a ZWO asi294mc (imx294) and a SvBony 405cc cooled camera (imx294). My ZWO asi294mc died tonight. I may replace it with a SvBony 605cc cooled camera(imx533). Thanks for the recommendation.

[@behindthelens9554]

Hi cuiv, I loved your indepth review. I would like to ask something. I use astronomy tools CCD sustainability test to find out my pixel scale. I would like to ask if I should input my focal length on there multiplied with the crop factor of the sensor or should I just input the native focal length, this has been confusing me alot.

[@helgenordal3506]

Thank you Cuiv for your Great videos. You are not so lazy 😊 I bought Asi533MC because of you 😊 Have you, or will you ever test the ASIAIR?

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

I've never tested the ASIAIR, and I don't think I will in the near future!

[@Astrofrank]

Small correction: The diagonal is not one inch, it has the size of the diagonal of the light-sensitive area of a video camera tube with one inch outer diameter - roughly 2/3 of this diameter (16 mm).

[@andrekovacs7954]

Hello Cuiv, love your reviews and tips! With the most recent Sony sensors, like the IMX533, do you think it’s still worth the extra cost, size and weight of a TEC cooled version over a standard non-cooled one, under heavy light-polluted skies like in Tokio? Cheers

[@victorbasileastuto2007]

Fantastic man. What gain did you use?

[@sshashi67]

Great Review.. i was thinking between 294MCPro & 533MC.. Now leaning towards the 533. You spoke about the luminance filter. Which do you use? Thanks.

[@aww100100]

Another great review with passion! So do you suggest this camera over a monochrome like a 294MMP? Or buy both using 533 for galaxies and mono for SHO or Ha/Oiii targets?

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Both! :D OSC is always a compromise, but it's very convenient.

[@petetube111]

Hi Cuiv, another great vid. Debayering darks and flats? I’ve never done that, didn’t know I had to. Does it make much difference? Excellent pics also. Peter

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Just to be clear, you should never debayer darks in flats in your normal process - here I did it for analysis purposes! In a normal workflow, don't debayer them!

[@MaheshWalatara]

So is this better for deep sky imaging than a regular DSLR or Mirrorless Camera??

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Most definitely, by far (especially in summer). With the drawback of a smaller FOV.

[@mikehardy8247]

Catching up with old videos. I'm buying this camera! Bortle 9 Milwaukee Wisconsin USA. What light pollution, and as you mentioned luminance Filters do you recommend. I won't be using a filter wheel for foreseeable future. Your fricon' awsome, thanks!

[@molykote1271]

Looking for some advice I live in the north of the UK, Newcastle, Bortle 8, and I am new to astro imaging! From the research I have done everything seems to say mono camera with LRGB and or narrowband filters to overcome light pollution. But the sheer number of subs this requires, including dark, bias and flats! Is really daunting and we get lots of cloud here so very few good nights to obtain all these subs for 1 target. I don't like to spend money 3 times by starting low end and upgrading so tend to go for the best I can just about afford, so was looking at ZWO1600mm pro cooled +LRGB, O3, S2 and HA with filter wheel, really stretching the can afford bit here:). Then I see this video, excellent content and learned so much from you already by the way, and now not sure what to do 533 or 1600! If you were in my position what would you go for, just dont want to spend and regret it later, had too much practice at that ;) Thanks. Oh current gear is WO Zenithstar 81 with WO flattener, Celestron AVX (I know!), ASI air pro, ZWO EAF, ZWO 120mm mini guide, WO 50mm Guide scope, and imaging cameras ZWO 120MC-S with a Nikon Z7 DSLR.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

You've got excellent equipment already! If you want the most flexibility, the 1600MM (or the 294MM, which looks like it could be amazing on paper, I'm just wary of the sensor), LRGB, and something like the Baader ultra-narrowband HA, SII, OIII (or HA and OIII to start with) are your best bet. The 533MC + L-eXtreme works as well, it's just not as good or flexible as monochrome + LRGB+SHO. Of course, it gets very expensive very quickly, and the 533MC is definitely a great alternative!

[@molykote1271]

@@CuivTheLazyGeek Thanks Cuiv! You put a lot of work into this and I am really grateful for all of the videos, like I said I have learned so much from your channel, and you make it easy to understand +++++

[@aww100100]

@@molykote1271 Hi. At the end which camera did you choose? I am in the same situation. No time for monochrome but heavily affected by LP.

[@chrisoriordan6975]

Thanks Cuiv, am looking for my first Astrocam and for the price this sounds hard to beat. Your results in white zone were amazing, I am in Bortle 4 would this still be a great camera or is there something else I should consider .? Thanks for all your amazing content

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

It is still a great, great camera in Bortle 4!

[@georgehall6423]

I have a ASI533MC that I recently purchased. I have been attempting to do some dark frames with the camera and NINA. The dark frames saved to the disk always appear to be debayered. As I understand the OSC camera the procedure. should be to save bayered frames which can be stacked to form the master dark which is applied to bayered light frames before debayering. I can not get anything that resembles the bayered image that appears at minute 10:39 in the video above. Is there some setting in the NINA or driver software that will cause/prevent debayering of the saved dark frames?

[@juancarlosgarcia8403]

thanks for the video, would you recommend this jacket to use with a Meade lx90 10 "

[@matteodonega618]

Great review! Can I ask if you would still recommend the 533 over the 294 even from Bartley’s 5-6? I struggle to imagine why the 533 would not be still the best option also in that case. Am I wrong? Thanks

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

To be honest, unless you're looking for the larger field of view, I would pick the 533 over the 294 even in a Bortle 1. The 294 is just too temperamental to work with (at least for me!). BUT the drawbacks of the 294 become less and less visible as the SNR of the object increases with the lower Bortle zone, and its big pixels and high sensitivity can then be quite attractive!

[@ericmazaleyrat4559]

Thanks a lot for your bright and clear review! I own this camera but I am quite disapointed (first camera, previously APN) , but now I can understand partly why: I shoot with gain at 200 (wrong) and exposure at 180s (second error). BUt... May I ask why you shoot with only 30'' exposure? How did you choose?

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Gain 200 is possible if and only if you need to reduce your exposure time - but ideally you should avoid it, and yes 180s will likely saturate the sensor. I have a series of two videos coming up exactly on that subject: gain, offset, and exposure time - so look out for those!

[@astrogerard2022]

Nice video. I would like to know how you processed the final images to get the color out of them. I struggle with that part a lot.

[@bluegrassmagee8697]

Keep playing with Stacking & all the Resiprocity & Color Saturation Controls in Photoshop. :]

[@astrodiver8096]

beautiful review , questions, what is the optimal exposure for shooting galaxies with 533mcpro and did you used any filter to cut light pollution? thanks for this wonderful channel .

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Thank you! Optimal exposure depends on too many factors to detail - in effect you want to swamp the read noise. For me in Tokyoa few seconds is enough. For someone in a darker zone, they can expose far longer. On the galaxies I didn't use any light pollution filter, just a UV/IR filter.

[@astrodysseus]

It's true the results from a white zone without a light pollution filter are amazing.. I suppose you were still trying to shoot as close as possible to the Zenith, but still. My only worry is the limited resolution, 3k is really intermediate, especially if you have to crop, which we usually always have to do. It's ok to share on instagram but if you want to print larger than A4 it's complicated. Did you get your hands on a ZWO 2600MC ? Seems to be the same clean sensor but higher resolution.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

That's very true - 9 megapixels is limited. The 2600MC Pro is apparently basically the same camera, just bigger ( and the same can be said in turn of the 6200MC Pro). So they should perform exactly the same. The per pixel resolution will be the same, but the FOV would be larger!

[@edappi8172]

Hello Cuiz, Nice video, the images at the end are stunning. could you go into what luminance filter you used, thanks. Ed

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Well, I looked into my emails, and it's an Optolong L filter I bought back in 2017.

[@edappi8172]

Hello Cuiv, I have been following your NINA videos with interest, I have a ZWO 294MC colour camera and am having trouble getting colour images, they seemed to be saved as mono images. I am using Astro Pixel Processor mainly and get nice mono but not colour, I have also checked the files with DeepSkyStacker and it is showing them as mono files, If I load a colour image in DSS it shows it is a colour image in the thumbnail ( where it shows the other images as a mono thumbnail ) any ideas what I am doing wrong would be gratefully received. Best regards, Ed

[@TiagoRamos79]

Hello Cuiv, for someone who wants to switch from a DSLR to a refrigerated one, but doesn't have much time and money, what advice can you give me, Mono cheaper without being 1600 MM, or 533 MC?

[@astrobert1254]

Hi, great video. Im thinking about getting this camera but I am only mobile by foot so I have to carry my stuff. Mobile 12V batteries are either super heavy or only low in capacity and I wonder if you can confirm that the cooling at 20% produces already d-20C and only draws 0.5 A as it is shown in the graph in the manual? Since this would allow me to get a way smaller battery than one that can support the recommended 12V/3A! CS Robert

[@Vernoflyer]

Wow. I must be tired. I tried to scroll down the web page to see the rest of the cameras when you brought up the ZWO camera web site at 4:00-ish. Lol.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Happens to me all the time! :D

[@alegomanYTPs]

Is white zone bortle 9? i'm in an 8 and i think it's garbo, also I just got this camera before watching this vid, was concerned whether i made the right decision or not because I didn't check the framing, and my rct 8" f/l is too big, my ed80 is about the same framing on the triplet as your setup

[@Mainuh]

Thanks for a great video, Cuiv! I am looking for my first dedicated astro camera and planning to add a new scope for astrophotography. This looks like it might be a good prospect. I live about 20 miles north of Tucson AZ and Bortle class 4 but can get to class 2 within 1/2 hour. Do you think this camera would do well with a 72mm f/5?

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

It's still a great camera now - and yes it can give good results with that scope

[@BrokenPik]

Great info keep it up...im looking at the 533 ! Cuiv, can you post the mean ADU of a single sub of the triplets in Leo.. thanks.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

I don't have the individual subs for the Leo Triplet anymore, but in a recent M3 frame, I'm getting a Mean of 2434, and median of 2430 for a single, calibrated and debayered sub (on 16 bit 0,65535 scale).

[@BrokenPik]

@@CuivTheLazyGeek that's what i wanted to know , thanks, on a Gain of 101 and offset 20... i think...

[@donaldmeyer257]

Great video! Enjoying my ASI533MC Pro, but seeing little sets of red and green hot pixels in images. Is this common with the camera? I am able to remove most with dark frames and dithering, but curious as to whether these are always there in your experience. Thanks!

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Basically hot or hotter pixels, it's fairly normal indeed, but if you feel like there are too many you may want to check on the ZWO FB groups for instance!

[@darrenbuchan3957]

Great Video !! Do you think this camera would be great also using it with the WO Redcat 51 in bortle 8 skies here in the uk ? Thx !

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Definitely! You'll likely want to pair it with a filter like the L-eXtreme if you're imaging nebulae

[@StiffUpperLipsnusreviews]

Hi Cuiv! I live in Dubai (terrible light pollution). I have a Skywatcher 72ED. Would you recommend 533MC Pro or 294MC Pro? 533 sounds great, but my focal length is only 420mm

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

I'd go with the 533 every time! The 294 is great but has very demanding calibration processes and can be very frustrating until you get used to it

[@StiffUpperLipsnusreviews]

@@CuivTheLazyGeek 533 ordered with an ASIAir directly from ZWO. Thanks!

[@RobBatesPhotography]

Hey man, great vid. I keep looking at this camera, gonna finally switch from my dslr. Just a quick question, how do you think this will cope with prints? My dslr is 50mb and the 9mb on the asi is throwing me off a bit. And im in a bortle 5 zone, should I be looking at something else or would this cam be even better? Dont know if its aimed for more higher end of the bortle scale? Cheers, Rob

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Thanks for the feedback Rob! I personally don't do prints, so I can't really comment on that... In a Bortle 5 zone, this cam will be absolutely fantastic. Otherwise, the ASI2600MC Pro is basically the same camera, but with an APS-C sensor - that would alleviate your prints worries, I believe! It is of course more expensive... Good luck & clear skies!

[@RobBatesPhotography]

@@CuivTheLazyGeek cool, cheers. I have just read somewhere that you need to use a ir/uv filter with this camera for reflections or something like that, do you use one?

[@DeereX748]

I just ordered this camera and looking forward to learning how best to use it. How do you think it would do with a 8" SCT with a 0.7 reducer (f/7)? I'll use it mostly with a short refractor at f/4.7 (382mm f/l) or f/5.9 (478mm f/l). Great video, BTW

[@gunnarjensen5910]

What focal length is your telescope ? My William Optics (Z81) is 447mm with a reducer and I just ordered a Zwo533. Is that a mistake. Andromeda does not fit the frame. Orion barely ? Mistake ? Should I have got a APS-C sensor ? I already have a Canon 7D and a canon 5D MkII unmodified ? The Zwo2600 is twice the price of Zwo533 in Iceland.. I image in a Bordel 4 zone.. Ambient temperature from minus 4 to minus 17 degrees..celsius..

[@tameemy81]

Excellent review.. Really you made love this camera I live in Bortle 8/9 so i believe this will work well. I have a 152mm David H. Levy Comet Hunter with Focal length 731mm and Focal Ratio of f/4.8 Will it work fine with this Focal and the square size of the sensor?

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Cool, a fellow Bortle 8/9 astro-adventurer! Oh man, a Mak-Newt scope - those are excellent for astrophotography! I have a whole series coming up on my channel in the next week or so, about starting deep sky astrophotography, including a video about field of view and resolution which I think will be very useful to you, but yes indeed, I think it will be a very good match for your telescope. You will have a very similar FOV to me as well (this can help you get a better idea: astronomy.tools/calculators/field_of_view/), and you will likely need to take maybe 30s exposures in your light pollution. If you are interested in learning more about gain/offset and all the camera parameters, I have some videos on that as well. Good luck!

[@tameemy81]

@@CuivTheLazyGeek thank you so much 🌹 🌹.. Yes.. I'll subscribe to your channel for upcoming updates and will Learn more about these techniques.. 👍 Appreciate your prompt response.. 👍 Currently using Celestron CPC 800 and here some of my results instagram.com/tss.astro/ Thank you 🌹

[@valentinotera3244]

Fan vabriations, duew on the sensor problems?

[@alessandrofioretti2526]

great Video as usual, quick question: would you recommend this camera versus the 294MC pro, to be used with a redact 51 (controlled with Asiair?) thanks!!!!!!

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

The 294MC is more temperamental, needs to be babysitted more (especially when shooting narrowband), and has amp glow. Only advantage is the larger sensor. If go with the 533 personally

[@alessandrofioretti2526]

thanks a lot for your answer!!! Last one from me on this topic: in that target price would you recommend any other camera overall? Hope we can meet in Tokyo next time I'll be there. Take care and keep up with the great work!!!@@CuivTheLazyGeek

[@roymixon]

Hello Cuiv, I have been watching most of your videos, and this one comes to mind. I have a question. I 'm using the 533 mc pro with a Svbony 70mm refractor ED with a photo reducer/ field flattener that is x0.8 for an f/6, The actual FL for the Telescope is 420mm. however, with the field flattener /reducer the FL becomes 336 mm. f/4.8. that being said, When I go into NINA camera settings, should I put the actual FL of 420mm or should I indicate 336mm ? Appreciate your feedback on this. Thanks!

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

You should put 336mm! Basically the current focal length "experienced" by your sensor!

[@roymixon]

@@CuivTheLazyGeek Thank you ! That's what I thought. Your videos are such a great help for us newbies!! Thank you for your support sir !