ZWO ASI2600MC Air Review - The Most Advanced Astro Camera Ever?! - But You Need To Know Something

[@docsdayoffvideos1103]

I agree with your comment that ZWO is going in the direction of improved portability of the astrophotography set up. And that’s a great idea! I have several ZWO products and love them all. I prefer the individual 2600, guide scope and the ASI air because it just gives me more options for whatever set up I’m going to build for the night. Keep up the great work.

[@the_space_koala]

I have the 2600 color duo, I switched to that because 95% I use the color camera on my RASA so it was just simple. I absolutely despise guide scopes so on all other scopes i use an OAG. Thank you for your kind words

[@tomdaigon8707]

Nicely done detective work! One of the features I like about the ASI air is the power and data connectivity points on it. I would see the lack of those connections on this device as another shortcoming.

[@the_space_koala]

Yes just 2 power ports instead of 4 is way too few!

[@earlteigrob9211]

Luca, you give the best presentations!!! Your knowledge is amazing and cover very practical areas that are hard to find on other sites. Your going to grow a very large following with time. Keep up the good work.

[@the_space_koala]

Thank you for saying that, I'm happy if you think they're useful and may your words be prophecy :P

[@aw7425]

Very helpful in understanding the pros and cons. Appreciate your candor and honesty and insight. Thank you fron Colorado and clear skies

[@the_space_koala]

Thanks, glad it’s useful!

[@barrymunro6861]

Thank you, for both the review & the self-scrutiny you went through. I've had ZWO stuff in shopping carts twice now, but abandoned the sale each time. My club has so many horror stories over warranty/ repair, shipping / customs drama - that I cannot pull the trigger. I like your work. Cheers.

[@the_space_koala]

thank you! I have a lot of ZWO stuff and I like it but I remain realistic and this one is just not it for me! I have also had issues with 2 different ZWO cameras already but the local retailer took care of it for me. I would never order one of these expensive cameras from overseas because I'm just not prepared to deal with any potential issues even if covered by warranty!

[@gsevere2073]

I think you hit it on the head for people wanting to move on to a more traditional setup from their Seestar. Even though I'm considering a color cam to compliment my ASI2600mm and narrowband, I like having an option which hardware and software I can use. Not a fan of proprietary setups. I do own an ASIair pro, but most of my DSO acquisition is with N.I.N.A.. That said I won't be considering this canera as I like the modularity of what I'm working with now.

[@the_space_koala]

that sounds entirely reasonable! I understand not wanting to lock yourself down once you're used to the freedom of choice Nina provides :D

[@Birko64]

Thanks Luca. That's a great summary of the pros and cons. I think I would only buy this if I had lots of spare money and wanted a super quick and easy travel setup. I already have an imx571 colour camera so probably wouldn't bother for regular use. However ZWO know that many Astrophotographers are suckers for novel kit,, so it may still sell well.

[@DirtyBird]

Excellent review. Hopefully they optimize the interoperability with other software.

[@the_space_koala]

I agree but I really wish they would’ve gone with a different design. Like a regular camera with an ASIAIR inside rather than basically an ASIAIR with a sensor! This way you’ll never be able to use the camera via cable which is a blocker for many users

[@Tanglebones.]

Great review, thank you. The only thing holding me back is how it performs with 3nm filters like the L-Ultimate.

[@the_space_koala]

@@Tanglebones. I have had the duo for over a year so I can tell you - it will do just fine on small refractors with short focal lengths. You may have issues with longer focal lengths (1000+) especially if imaging outside of the galactic plane (much fewer stars)

[@michaelwood9212]

Hi Luca problem with the duo is the guide camera struggles with narrowband filters I don’t use mine for guiding it drops stars.

[@the_space_koala]

it's definitely a problem above a certain focal length and especially outside of the Milky Way where there are way fewer stars. This is the reason I am not switching my mono camera to the Duo version - just to guide through filters. It is still a convenient feature for a lot of use cases and I use it on my RASA all the time (the Duo that is, not the Air)

[@Thomas_J_Giraffamann]

Good review. Thank you!

[@the_space_koala]

happy it's useful!

[@TL1000S97]

Impatient, count me in. 🤪 I think this device is no-brainer for those that do not want to fiddle with various software (and devices), for taking imaging. There are enough "barriers" in the post-process anyway. 😒 For travel I think a decent small refractor and this ASI2600MC Air, AM3 w/tripod is a very good "all-in-one" solution.

[@the_space_koala]

that's exactly what I think. It literally all fits into a backpack, too!

[@gghana]

Nice work. A weird camera. Not for me - something I knew. But thanks for a good review and for confirming my thoughts Luca.

[@the_space_koala]

I agree - this is for a very specific demographic only!

[@blueocean9305]

You did a lot of work for this video. Does the guide camera meet the rule of 5 for resolution with the camera? Rhetorical question. Thanks

[@the_space_koala]

Do you mean rule of 5 as in f/ratio 5x the pixel size? It's the only thing I can think of and I guess it depends on what telescope you put it on :) But I don't think it would be relevant as you wouldn't really use the guide sensor for lucky imaging

[@on_wheels_80]

Really interested into the MC Air. Only thing is that as long as cables remain (which will be as least long as there are no battery packs directly attachable to it, the mount, EAF, filter wheel) and everything communicates wirelessly, it kind of defeats the purpose. Regarding smart telescopes, I don't quite get why there are none with a built in rotator. Vespera could be so great, but that walking pattern noise is hideous.

[@the_space_koala]

I was actually thinking the same, you could easily have a tiny battery pack in the EFW it would last forever, not sure about the focuser, definitely not in the mount and the cooled camera :D The way wireless is useful for the mount is that if you power the mount separately, you truly have nothing between the end of the scope and the mount so you can avoid cables hanging down. I guess baby steps, ZWO has to save something for next year to make us upgrade :P As for the smart scope, the very first one (Stellina) has it. Though they don't use it to do longer exposures, the just rotate the sensor between shots to avoid field rotation on the stack. It was implemented extremely poorly though, because after a few hours of rotation somehow the sensor flipped upside down, they read it out the opposite way and the bayer pattern changed mid-stack... I think they just removed it from the smaller ones for cost cutting. Oh and if you have like 50K for it, the Hyperia has one too :D

[@wesleydonnelly2141]

Great video, very informative thanks! I was just wondering...with all that extra electronic hardware crammed into the camera, could there be any cooling issues during summer months?? As you know electronics generate heat, and there's A LOT of hardware crammed into that camera...??

[@the_space_koala]

Time will tell, however, I don't believe it will make that much of a difference, if not for the smaller vents present on the side. As far as I can tell the asiair part are somehow fixed to the side of the camera from the inside and as such they are not going to heat the sensor at all.

[@wesleydonnelly2141]

@@the_space_koala Oh right ok, well hopefully the smaller vents are adequate for cooling, and in fairness I'm sure ZWO engineers would have factored the potential heat issues into their design. What a long way our beloved hobby has come in recent years!

[@fmsilva11]

how do you calculate back focus when you install the asi2600mc ?

[@the_space_koala]

the back focus is the property of the optics, nothing to do with the camera. So you'll have to check the specifications of whatever reducer/coma corrector you use and add the adapters necessary to arrive at that number. The depth of the sensor on this camera is 17.5mm so you'll have to subtract this and add spacers for the rest

[@johndaley9188]

Before I purchased my S50 the 2600 duo was on my HW list. The 2 in one seemed to make sense. No OAG needed. This new one with built-in asiair, to me, works. The problem with any system that has multiple functions is integration. So, with ZWO being the HW provider and integrator, problem solved. I did notice you have some Askar scopes. Do you recommend?

[@the_space_koala]

I'm happy with most of the askar scopes I have - from the tiny lenses like the FMA135, to the Askar V and my FRA600 they all provide perfectly corrected images up to the declared FOV. In the background you see my gigantic apo185 but I can't really say much about that as I haven't used it for deep sky a lot, it is a very inconvenient tube haha. If I wanna lug around 18kg I'll bring my 250 newton

[@SAKinDXB]

What about the amp glow on this camera?

[@the_space_koala]

there is no amp glow on this camera

[@SAKinDXB]

@@the_space_koala Thanks - it definitely helps my buying decision.

[@arthurwiegman5512]

Does the 2600MC Air connect with a Skywatcher Wave mount which has wifi and Bluetooth?

[@the_space_koala]

I believe it only connects to ZWO mounts wirelessly. My other mounts also have WiFi but the ASIAIR doesn’t support the wireless connection

[@otrondal]

Very nice presentation. I have 10 inch meade SC and an SBIG ST7 CCD Camera with parallell port. I run Windows 98, CCDSoft 5 and TheSky6. Do you think I should upgrade or wait 5 more years ?

[@the_space_koala]

hehehe that is impressive, I would wait a few more years just for fun to see how long the win98 system keeps working :P But if you're seriously asking, then of course you'd have a lot of benefit from a modern low-noise, ultra sensitive CMOS sensor (be it ZWO or not)

[@WilliFromEarth]

I have a MacBookPro with Apple Silicon (M1Pro), which natively runs the mobile ASIAIR app on macOS! I only use my MacBookPro for all of my imaging with the ASIAIR app. I always connect to the ASIAIR mini 5GHz WiFi hotspot, which allows for very fast download to the MacBook. In general I connect a 2TB SSD to the ASIAIR, which works flawlessly.

[@the_space_koala]

I used to do the same on my Mac, but now I am a beta tester for the ASIAIR and I wouldn’t know how to download the test version for the Mac so I gave up on that 😁

[@leftoff3rd]

Does ZWO's "ASI2600MC AIR" only have USB 2.0, which makes the transfer speed to external devices very slow? Or can it connect to Type-C and quickly transfer data to memory?

[@the_space_koala]

You can use the USB2.0 ports to transfer data to an external storage device. Alternatively, you can use the USB Type-C to connect the ASIAIR to a computer and access the internal SSD directly.

[@fmsilva11]

do you try to connect over usb ?

[@the_space_koala]

if you connect over USB you don't get anything (if not powered), you access the storage on the ASIAIR (if powered)

[@SAKinDXB]

Is it not the idea of using the Air to get rid of computers for the astro sessions. What is the downside of using this smart camera if i only want to use it with the Air?

[@the_space_koala]

the downside would be if you want to buy another camera to use with the ASIAIR - you couldn't because it's inside this one

[@SAKinDXB]

@@the_space_koala True...and if one of the three devices fails, the other two are useless. I already have an ASIAir Plus. The price of the Duo and Air cameras is the same, so i won't mind buying the Air version.

[@the_space_koala]

yes also where I live they cost the same. The reason I kept my duo is because I mostly use it on my RASA and I didn't want even more cables in front of the optics :) I also use it for the Moon sometimes and then I absolutely need to connect it to my computer

[@WilliFromEarth]

WiFi station mode might only allow for the 2.4Ghz WiFi, which is much slower than the 5GHz ASIAIR hotspot.

[@the_space_koala]

I use multiple ASIAIRs so it’s very convenient to be able to switch between them in station mode. I don’t mind that much about the download speed. I have a VPN so this way I can also start them and check on them remotely

[@WilliFromEarth]

@@the_space_koala Good point!

[@abisography]

Waiting for Mono for this.

[@the_space_koala]

I wonder if they will do it, and if so, if they would somehow make the filter wheel wireless as well! I'm not a fan of the 2600MM Duo as an idea, guiding through a filter should be the exception not the default, plus you're forced to use 2" filters instead of the 36mm that would be enough for an APSC. They should make a different filter wheel with a gap for the guider!

[@SonnyPruitt-q1s]

I about fell over when I seen the price!

[@the_space_koala]

It’s a painful hobby when you see the prices 😄 What do you think would be a reasonable price?

[@SonnyPruitt-q1s]

@@the_space_koala More like $2800

[@the_space_koala]

they keep adding more features to the 2600MC and they keep the same price everytime! It is a nice change of pace in a world where everything is getting more expensive :D

[@michael.a.covington]

There are systems made entirely of separate components -- such as most of us use; there are systems that are basically all-in-one, such as the SeeStar; and now this is starting to bridge the gap.

[@the_space_koala]

I think so, too. At this point, with just a tiny bit more effort, one can take astronomically (ha) better images than with the Seestar.

[@jimwaters304]

This is an interesting combination but for me this doesn’t make sense and may be risky. There are too many things in the same package that can have problems, go wrong. Including the ASCOM Driver running the entire setup. An Auto-Guider that requires almost a full-frame FOV to work correctly. An ASIAIR Plus that runs 'hot' and the core camera and TEC that’s trying to cool the sensor and A/D converter. Can the sensor really cool to -30 or -35C? Does the package require more airflow, a bigger fan to cool the camera and other components? As I said this is interesting but there are too many things that can have problems. Also, this further locks users into the ZWO ecosystem. I will pass. ZWO - where's my rotator???

[@marvinwhisman3333]

Well said. I am a huge ZWO fan but don't intend to continue to be pulled into the ZWO trap that has no exit. When ZWO lags behind competitors you are stuck waiting for them to produce the product you need (rotator). And there are companies like ToupTek that are making quality products that are much cheaper than ZWO. The next time ZWO makes a new version of the asiair (they have already made 3?), you are stuck with an expensive camera with an old model asiair.

[@the_space_koala]

the only reasonable conclusion to any new ZWO product review - "where's the rotator?!" - I fully agree it's been almost 2 years!

[@Эль-Цзи]

I didn't understand. And why the rotator? It's an equatorial mount.

[@jacobgerritsenfilms3559]

@@Эль-Цзи rotator helps finding appropriate guide stars

[@davidemancini7853]

Io aspetto sempre foto con il 181 rifrattore😊

[@the_space_koala]

eheheh è scomodissimo portarlo in giro in realtà quindi non l'ho utilizzato tanto! Ho fatto una luna piena con l'apone, la elaborerò uno di questi giorni.

[@davidemancini7853]

@@the_space_koala 😊👍

[@woody5109]

I think ZWO targets the entry level market, by the time you understand what’s going on, it’s to late, your financially committed to ZWO.

[@the_space_koala]

I think they're trying to get into *all* markets not just entry level :D Like when they came out with the medium format mono camera or the IR cameras, surely those are not aimed at beginners, though of course all the "innovative" stuff is meant for new users. I do not see the lock-in as strictly bad from the point of view of the end users - they are committing to a brand in exchange for guaranteed simple use. I hope grown adults have the capability to understand what they're signing up for prior to lashing out $2000. Now the use of open source software is a whole different topic and that's where I cannot give them any excuses.

[@huf67]

Is that a problem ?? Does ZWO not have good products ??

[@nikaxstrophotography]

Wonderful concept but with a massive caveat, it's lack of upgradeability, its reliability over the years, what if it breaks down after the warranty expires? You are left with an expensive paperweight. Perfect for portable setups for sure but personally I can't see myself tied down this much to a system.

[@the_space_koala]

It's a good point, though I think the only main difference between this and a modular setup is if the asiair part breaks. If the guider breaks you can still use an external camera, if the main camera breaks you can't do much either way. However if the asiair breaks, it bricks your otherwise functional main camera, which is a shame!

[@nikaxstrophotography]

@@the_space_koala hence the expensive paperweight :)