Small Sensor - Small Price - BIG Gains | ZWO ASI 585mc Review

[@AstroFarsography]

Thanks for all the love this video is getting! I appreciate you all.

[@ferenc-x7p]

Owning 4-5 cameras, I can say that these smaller sensors have other advantages people may not consider. I own the 533mm pro, which is so much more easy to use than my 071mc pro (apsc) despite being a mono. - What most people tend to forget = smaller file sizes and faster processing. Just the other day I processed a 900 sub image from the 071 and I had to restart Pixinsight, because I had the error of "ran out of memory". It turns out, it wanted over 600 gigabyte (!!!!) extra space just stack my subs. Meanwhile my 533mm pro mono subs can be. 300 subs each filter (LRGB) and since they are only 9megabytes each, it's done within 30 minutes and only wants like 50 gigabyte space for processing. People who just start to do this hobby: No, you don't need an APSC or full frame sensor for $2000. Get the 585 or the 533.

[@AstroFarsography]

@ferenc-x7p this is an excellent point. File sizes making them much more manageable with the smaller cameras for sure. That's astounding that it wanted 600gb scratch disc space!

[@simonthorp8565]

Superb video. I’ve owned this camera for about a year now and use it exactly as portrayed. It is great short cropped! I also bought the Rouz Astro cooler for it and it always stays within 5 degrees of ambient and I don’t use more than a three minute exposure. As I’m in Canada it can be a low temperature and works very well. I have never felt the need for darks. I’ve been watching your videos for years and am a fan. Keep on going! Cheers, Simon

[@AstroFarsography]

Thanks Simon. I've seen that Rouz Astro cropping up a bit more actually. I looked at their store the other day. They're Canadian also I believe? Yeah the small crop sensor and the fact it's already a 16x9 aspect ratio makes it quite fun to use and for use on computers. Thanks for your support over the years mate! Clear skies

[@KevinRudd-w8s]

Good description. I bought the cooled version which I use mainly with my Red Cat 51 and occasionally with my GT81. I'm very happy with it. I use mainly an L- Pro or an L - eNhance filter or sometimes just an IR/UV cut filter and can take exposures as long as five minutes. I would definitely recommend someone who wants to get into astro photography consider this camera, it gives good results and doesn't break the bank.

[@AstroFarsography]

Thanks Kevin and good to hear about the performance you get out of it. Agreed, it could be a very good introduction into dedicated cameras. Seriously tempted by the cooled version myself

[@jmm3194]

2 years late but still ok. This camera is a beast, I do planetary and deepsky with it. Thanks for the video !

[@AstroFarsography]

Haha maybe. Just doing what I can when I can. Hopefully a bit more prompt with the next one

[@miketronix]

@@AstroFarsography Never too late. We like your videos and simply want to see more whenever you are able! Respect!

[@raypace6981]

That's a really good overview Ruz! I have the cooled version but still the same sensor and so your review was still interesting and relevant to me. Thanks for sharing and for providing the zipped folder!

[@AstroFarsography]

Glad it was helpful! Yeah hopefully that zipped data helped as well

[@jpastroguy]

That is a good assessment. I have the 585MC and think it is a great value. But your point about the relationship between full-well depth and unity gain was something I never considered. Thanks for sharing that bit of knowledge. The higher full-well depth statistic of the 585MC looks very appealing, but is actually rather deceiving!

[@AstroFarsography]

@jpastroguy yeah I get why manufacturers lead with the 47k full well because yes they do have it but you have to be at the lowest of gain. It'll certainly be best for the really long exposures but I still probably wouldn't use the 585mc for long exposure

[@barnaclewatcher4060]

Thanks for the good review. I own the un-cooled version as well and paired it up with the Askar FRA400. with what I consider to be great results. Love that little camera!

[@AstroFarsography]

Thanks for sharing mate. Yeah it's a good.combintion for sure. Enjoying your uncooled one then I take it?

[@alexandresantana7105]

Great review, thanks. I am about to get the cooled version and this review was very helpful.

[@AstroFarsography]

Glad it was helpful! Enjoy your new camera

[@cityspaceastro]

Great review. I bought one of these and have had some great DSO images both at 300mm and 1100mm focal lengths and also planetary

[@AstroFarsography]

@cityspaceastro thanks mate. Yeah I'm tempted to get the cooled version actually. Those are some good focal lengths

[@JoseNavarroCo]

Thanks for the video! It came at the right time since I just purchased the QHY version 71CIII 585MC during Aliexpress Black Friday deal. Its good to know what this sensor can do. The QHY had an update a few months back that made the full capacity to 52ke-.

[@AstroFarsography]

Was not aware QHY had a version and less aware AliExpress were selling them 😂 52kV Wells is absurd! Wonder how deep they are at unity

[@dumpydalekobservatory]

Nice review Ruzz I've bought the Altair cooled version but sadly I haven't had the chance to use it yet, but I did buy it to do dso & planetary so hopefully I'll get to use it one day.

[@AstroFarsography]

Cheers mate. Yeah I'm sure the UK has to get a clear night... at some point 😂

[@karlhopwell]

Small sensors do not collect less light just a smaller area of the image circle , same amount of photons hit the small sensor as full frame sensor in the same area the small sensor takes up

[@AstroFarsography]

@karlhopwell when compared to full frame. I must have forgot that caveat. Same why APSC sensors are generally more noisy than full frame. But I agree the light hits it just a smaller section of the image circle

[@henrikkkk]

A smaller area will most obviously be hit by a smaller amount of overall light - therefore more noise on a smaller sensor. It's true however that a larger sensor provides no less noise IF you crop to that same small area.

[@TheZeutau]

It’s the pixel size that determines how much light you get, not the overall sensor size. A 2mb image has the same amount of noise as a 24mb picture. It’s just that the bigger image has more detail.

[@karlhopwell]

In the context of the larger imaging area, yes, the larger sensor does collect more light -- by recording light from peripheral stars, etc. that were outside the smaller field of view of a smaller sensor -- but the brightness of the imaged objects (stars, planets, DSOs, etc.) remains unchanged. @@henrikkkk

[@xe1zlgg]

Small pixels high resolution cameras are noisier than very large pixel low resolution cameras... is all about SNR.

[@stilianoskalatzis7491]

Great review, Ruz. I would be very curious to see how it does on lunar imaging. That being said, thanks for the review.

[@AstroFarsography]

I would have loved to get some lunar in there for the test but I only had one night of limited imaging to get the sample.size during the super moon and the moon was behind the house. So I just couldn't get the opportunity to do lunar with it 😞

[@nikaxstrophotography]

FIRST! Glad to see you back doing regular content. Would love this with the cooler version as a second cam for my smaller setup but is it wide enough?

[@AstroFarsography]

Thanks mate it's nice being back. A wide scope would suit it well but the field of view will be cropped down a lot which is something to be mindful of

[@DrNat1]

Love my 585 👍🏼

[@AstroFarsography]

@@DrNat1 I definitely can see why. I may buy the cooled version myself

[@boaty1968]

I bought this a while ago ruz it’s a great camera and I seriously need to put it on my redcat 51 , i bought a 12v peltier cooler which drops it approximately 10 degrees below ambient for about £18

[@AstroFarsography]

I've noticed some aftermarket coolers cropping up here and there. Did it make a difference in your images?

[@boaty1968]

@@AstroFarsography not had time to test as I moved on to mono but I will test it.

[@wesleyjohnson597]

That's the one i use, its great. i got it because the price and the specs seemed to be quite respectable. the only thing I'm disappointed with is the FOV. Its pretty hard to find objects that fit in the frame.

[@AstroFarsography]

Yeah I got stung by small chip FoV when I bought a 183 years ago. Since then I always bang on about sensor size for that reason

[@KevinRudd-w8s]

What focal length scope are you using? I use a Red Cat 51 with a focal length of 250mm and I can frame loads of targets with this camera, though obviously large ones like the entire Cygnus Loop, North America, Heart Nebula etc won't fit.

[@wesleyjohnson597]

575mm

[@stevekaiser4959]

A small correction. The spec says 46.9 fps at 12 bits, full resolution. So even faster at reduced ROI

[@eMPHA5ER]

Love your video, very informative, but also frustrating: I use my 585MC on an 80/480 Apo, and looking at your example at 4:44 … I cant wrap my head around these precise needle-alike stars. And 5 minute exposure 🤯 How did you do that? My stars are huge as hayballs, fuzzy, like tennis balls, and you get these crisp lil stars 😢 What gain did you use, what is your trick?

[@ArdsleyAstro]

You should check the SVBONY IMX585 based camera. I picked one up for £230 ish including shipping.

[@AstroFarsography]

@ArdsleyAstro that would be interesting to look into for sure. Same sensor so I'd expect similar performance

[@blobrana8515]

£350 is a bit too expensive for most hobbyists. I would probably recommend a secondhand DSLR, webcam or even a smartphone. Stacking images, software processing and time/effort can capture images that could rival this astrocamera. Though having said that, the easy of use and having a dedicated astrocamera will make image capture a pleasure.

[@AstroFarsography]

It is a bit expensive if it's the first camera and I would never recommend someone dive straight into a dedicated astronomy camera. But I think, when you look at the market for dedicated cameras, £350 is on the lower end. You make valid points though, it's what you find more important. This camera will still probably outperform a lot of DSLRs at that price range and the DSLR still needs modifications also. It'll be what the individual finds important

[@efx245precor3]

This has been out for quite a while, why reviewing now. Btw, I love this camera, the uncooled version.

[@AstroFarsography]

@efx245precor3 i had it quite a while but due to personal reasons I wasn't doing any filming earlier on in the year. Also, not everyone buys a camera on release and people are always entering and joining the hobby at different stages 🙂

[@Ben_Stewart]

It's too bad Celestron handicapped their Origin Scope with the 174 rather than going with the 585.

[@AstroFarsography]

I didn't know they put a 174 in it. Was the 585 even an option for them to use when they made it i wonder

[@Ben_Stewart]

@@AstroFarsography Sorry 178. IMAGING SENSOR INFO: CMOS Image Sensor: Sony IMX178LQJ, color, back-illuminated Sensor Size: 8.92mm (0.35") diagonal Pixel Size: 2.4μm x 2.4μm Number of Effective Pixels: 6.44M (3096 x 2080) Field of View: 1.27° x 0.85°

[@stephenksmith7574]

What a good cheap beast telescope for this beast camera?)

[@AstroFarsography]

Oh man, that's a can of worms question that is. The problem about cheaping on the telescope is it's like buying the most expensive camera you can, and putting a cheap kit lens on it. The telescope is arguably just as important if not more important than the camera. If you're looking for best aperture for price, then focus on a Newtonian telescope. You may get better image quality out of a refractor, but you begin paying for aperture a lot. It also depends on what you'd like to image. So, a bit more information would be needed before any suggestion can be made. I used it with a Sky-Watcher Evostar 80ED doublet Apochromatic refractor and it performed really well.

[@stephenksmith7574]

@@AstroFarsography > It also depends on what you'd like to image. So, a bit more information would be needed before any suggestion can be made. Although I only had a child's telescope and took shots with a Canon PowerShot A610, I am not far from astronomy. I think all the available objects in the sky are static and become boring after some time since the best images of them have already been taken. So, I would like to capture images of comets with their beautiful tails. Edited later: Randomly, I saw Dwarf 3 in a KZbin recommendation. It seems interesting...

[@kevinashley478]

6:25 You found some little WHAT??? Sir, you cant say that on youtube...lmao

[@AstroFarsography]

Hah! I am surprised the video scraper didn't flag that up as a curse word if I'm honest!

[@kevinashley478]

@@AstroFarsography lol, yeah, as an american there are some words from across the pond that definitely need context. I was training to go to Iraq, and 2 of my instructors were from england/UKOne was british and one was scottish. At break time one day, the brit said, "alright, grab a drink and a fag and be back in 15".... We all were like "whoa whoa whoa. We know what you mean, but you cant just throw that word out there, especially here in America." Then we spent like an hour talking linguistics