ZWO ASI294MC Pro Color

The ZWO ASI294MC Pro is an astrophotography camera using a 23.2mm backside-illuminated sensor that will allow you to take breathtaking pictures of the night sky. It is ideal for imaging galaxies and nebulae, but you can also use it to capture images from the planets, the Moon, the Sun and even more!

Features

• 11.71Mpx 4/3 format
• 2-stage thermoelectric cooling system allowing down to -35°C below ambient temperature.
• Minimized amp glow and improved data transfer reliability with 256MB DDR3 memory buffer
• Exceptional low-illumination performance, making it ideal for astrophotography
• Low noise and high sensitivity to capture high signal to noise ratio images.
• Connect your guide camera and other accessories in the USB2.0 hub at the rear of the camera.
• 14bit ADC with 13 stops dynamic range

Remarkable low-illumination performance

The IMX294CJQ uses a Quad Bayer structure, which expands the area per pixel to 4.63μm. This allow the ASI294MC Pro to have an exceptionally low-illumination performance, which is exactly what is required for astrophotography. With its backside illuminated sensor, the camera also have a high quantum efficiency, which ZWO estimate is over 75% at its peak.

HCG Mode

Reduce the read noise of your ASI294MC Pro at higher gain without losing dynamic range with the HCG mode (High Conversion Gain). This mode is automatically activated when the gain is set at 120 or higher. The read noise will drop under 2 electrons and the dynamic range will remain at 13 stops! If you do not know which gain to use, we recommend you use a gain setting of 120 as a starting point.

63700e- Full Well Capacity

A large full well depth of 63700e- at gain 0 will allow you to take long exposures without saturating the bright stars. With this large full well capacity, you will be able to capture more signal in one given exposure, resulting in images with a higher signal to noise ratio.

Low Dark Current

Compared to the ASI1600, the dark current of the ASI294 is slightly lower at same temperature. We invite you to check the following 300s dark frame, taken at -10°C and bin 1: ASI294MC-Pro Dark Frame

USB 3.0 Port & USB2.0 HUB

To help you manage all your cables, we can find, at the back of the ASI294MC-P, a USB2.0 hub and one USB3.0 Fast Port. The USB hub will allow you to connect your imaging accessories, such as a filter wheel, a guide camera, a motorized focuser. The hub is powered by the 12V DC power port. The USB3.0 power provides a 5Gb bandwith allowing to run the camera at 16FPS (14bit) or 19FPS (10bit) at full resolution.

2-Stage TEC Cooling System

The ASI294MC Pro uses a 2-stage TEC cooling system, allowing the sensor to achieve 35 to 40°C below the ambiant temperature. The cooler needs to be powered by an external power supply that is not included with the camera. We recommend the AC/DC adapter from ZWO or a 9-15V DC battery.

Mechanical Diagram

55mm Back Focus Solution