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Cooled Deep-Sky Cameras

A cooled astronomy camera holds its sensor at a set temperature, often 30 to 40 degrees below ambient. That keeps thermal noise low and constant, so dark frames match the light frames from night to night and faint nebulosity separates cleanly from the background. It is the single biggest step up from a DSLR for deep-sky imaging.

We carry cooled cameras from ZWO (ASI Pro), QHYCCD, Player One (Uranus, Ares, Artemis, Poseidon and ZEUS), SBIG and SVBONY, in colour and monochrome, from 1-inch sensors to full frame and scientific medium-format models.

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$799.00 USD - $799.00 USD
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Player One Ares-C Pro Color Cooled Astrophotography Camera

Features the 1-inch square format Sony IMX533 color sensor 9MP resolution (3008x3008) with 3.76µm pixels 73k e- full well capacity 2-stage TEC coo...

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$799.00 USD - $799.00 USD
$799.00 USD
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$999.00 USD - $999.00 USD
$999.00 USD
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$999.00 USD

Player One Ares-M Pro Mono IMX533 Cooled Astrophotography Camera

Features Sony's IMX533 1" square monochrome CMOS sensor 9 Megapixel resolution (3008x3008) with 3.76μm pixels 73k e- full well capacity High quant...

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$999.00 USD - $999.00 USD
$999.00 USD
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$999.00 USD
$899.00 USD - $899.00 USD
$899.00 USD
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$899.00 USD

Player One Artemis-C Pro Color IMX294 Cooled Astrophotography Camera

11.7 Megapixel Sony IMX294 Color CMOS Sensor 4/3" Format with 23.2mm Diagonal 4.63µm Pixel Size 2-Stage TEC Cooling with 40°C Delta-T 14-bit ADC a...

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$899.00 USD - $899.00 USD
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$1,180.00 USD - $1,180.00 USD
$1,180.00 USD
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$1,180.00 USD

Player One Artemis-M Pro Mono IMX492 Cooled Astrophotography Camera

Features the 4/3" Sony IMX492 monochrome CMOS sensor with a 23.2mm diagonal Native 47 MP resolution (8288x5648) with 2.315μm pixels in 12-bit BIN1...

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$1,180.00 USD - $1,180.00 USD
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$1,399.00 USD - $1,399.00 USD
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$1,399.00 USD

Player One Poseidon-C Pro Color Cooled Astrophotography Camera

26 Megapixel Sony IMX571 APS-C Color Sensor 71.7k e- Full Well Capacity Native 16-bit Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) 2-Stage TEC Cooling with 4...

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$1,399.00 USD - $1,399.00 USD
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$1,899.00 USD - $1,899.00 USD
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$1,899.00 USD

Player One Poseidon-M Pro Mono IMX571 Cooled Astrophotography Camera

Sony IMX571 APS-C Monochrome Sensor 26 Megapixel Resolution (6252×4176) 3.76µm Pixel Size 71.7k e- Full Well Capacity 16-bit ADC 2-Stage TEC Cooli...

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$1,899.00 USD - $1,899.00 USD
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$569.00 USD - $569.00 USD
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$569.00 USD

Player One Uranus-C Pro Color IMX585 Cooled Astrophotography Camera

Features Sony's IMX585 1/1.2" color CMOS sensor 8.3 Megapixel resolution (3856x2180) with 2.9μm pixels 47k e- full well, almost 3.6 times the IMX4...

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$569.00 USD - $569.00 USD
$569.00 USD
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$649.00 USD - $649.00 USD
$649.00 USD
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$649.00 USD

Player One Uranus-M Pro Mono IMX585 Cooled Astrophotography Camera

Sony IMX585 Monochrome CMOS Sensor 8.3 Megapixel Resolution (3856 x 2180) High-Speed Capture up to 46 FPS at Full Resolution 12-bit Analog-to-Digi...

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$649.00 USD - $649.00 USD
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$3,599.00 USD - $3,599.00 USD
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Player One ZEUS 455C Pro Color Cooled Astrophotography Camera

61 Megapixel full-frame (36mm x 24mm) color CMOS sensor 3.76μm pixel size for high-resolution deep-sky imaging Native 16-bit ADC (65,536 levels) 2...

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$3,599.00 USD - $3,599.00 USD
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$3,699.00 USD - $3,699.00 USD
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$3,699.00 USD

Player One ZEUS 455M Pro Mono Cooled Astrophotography Camera

61 Megapixel Full-Frame Sony IMX455 mono sensor 3.76µm pixel size and 71.6k e- full well capacity Native 16-bit ADC (65,536 levels) 2-stage TEC co...

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$3,699.00 USD - $3,699.00 USD
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$728.22 USD - $728.22 USD
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$728.22 USD

QHYCCD miniCAM8 Color Camera

Sony IMX585 Color CMOS Sensor 3856 x 2180 Resolution 2.9 µm Pixel Size Two-Stage TEC Cooling to 45°C Below Ambient 512 MB DDR3 Buffer Memory 41.5 ...

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$728.22 USD - $728.22 USD
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$599.00 USD - $899.00 USD
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$599.00 USD

QHYCCD miniCAM8 Mono Camera

Monochrome Sony IMX585 Sensor 3856 x 2180 (8 MP) Resolution 2.9 µm Pixel Size Built-in 8-Position Filter Wheel -45°C Thermoelectric Cooling 512 MB...

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$599.00 USD - $899.00 USD
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QHYCCD QHY1253P Polarized Camera
$7,800.00 USD - $7,800.00 USD
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QHYCCD QHY1253P Polarized Camera

12 Megapixel Sony IMX253 Polarized Sensor 3.45μm Pixel Size Electronic Global Shutter -35°C Below Ambient Two-Stage TEC Cooling 27.2 FPS at Full R...

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$7,800.00 USD - $7,800.00 USD
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$2,695.00 USD - $2,695.00 USD
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QHYCCD QHY128PRO-C Color

QHYCCD is proud to announce the release of two exciting new 35mm format color cameras.The QHY128C uses a 24 Megapixel sensor with 5.97u pixels and ...

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$2,695.00 USD - $2,695.00 USD
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$4,399.00 USD - $4,839.00 USD
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QHYCCD QHY16200A Mono

The QHY16200A uses a unique APS-H size CCD sensor, a product of close collaboration between QHYCCD and the sensor supplier.This sensor is specially...

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$4,399.00 USD - $4,839.00 USD
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$1,199.00 USD - $1,199.00 USD
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QHYCCD QHY163M Mono

The QHYCCD medium size COLDMOS camera series includes all of our cooled cameras with CMOS sensor sizes from 1 inch to Full Frame (35mm Format) and ...

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$1,199.00 USD - $1,199.00 USD
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$10,890.00 USD - $10,890.00 USD
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QHYCCD QHY16803A Mono

The QHY16803A camera is a large format astronomical CCD camera using the well-known 16 Megapixel KAF-16803 CCD, popular with both advanced amateurs...

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$10,890.00 USD - $10,890.00 USD
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QHYCCD QHY174GPS Scientific CMOS Camera
$1,239.00 USD - $1,239.00 USD
$1,239.00 USD
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$1,239.00 USD

QHYCCD QHY174GPS Scientific CMOS Camera

Onboard GPS module with 1 micro-second UTC time-stamping precision Sony IMX174 2 Megapixel monochrome sensor High-speed Electronic Global Shutter ...

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$1,239.00 USD - $1,239.00 USD
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QHYCCD QHY174M-GPS

2 Megapixel Sony IMX174 Mono Sensor Electronic Global Shutter Eliminates Motion Artifacts Integrated GPS Module with 1 Microsecond UTC Time-Stamp ...

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$1,239.00 USD - $1,239.00 USD
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$699.00 USD - $699.00 USD
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QHYCCD QHY183C Color

20 Megapixel Sony IMX183 back-illuminated color sensor 2.4μm pixels for high-resolution imaging Dual-stage TEC cooling to -40°C below ambient Read...

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$699.00 USD - $699.00 USD
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QHYCCD QHY183M Mono

20 Megapixel Sony IMX183 Back-Side Illuminated Mono Sensor High resolution 2.4µm pixels Dual-stage TEC cooling to -40°C below ambient Extremely lo...

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$999.00 USD - $999.00 USD
$999.00 USD
$999.00 USD - $999.00 USD
$999.00 USD
QHYCCD QHY1920 Cooled BSI Scientific Camera
$9,800.00 USD - $9,800.00 USD
$9,800.00 USD
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$9,800.00 USD

QHYCCD QHY1920 Cooled BSI Scientific Camera

2.3 Megapixel Back-Side Illuminated (BSI) Sensor Large 12µm x 12µm Pixels 58 FPS at Full 1920x1200 Resolution 0.74e- Minimum Read Noise Dual-Stage...

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$9,800.00 USD - $9,800.00 USD
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$6,000.00 USD - $8,000.00 USD
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$6,000.00 USD

QHYCCD QHY2020 BSI Scientific CMOS Camera

4 Megapixel (2048x2048) BSI Monochrome CMOS Sensor 6.5μm pixels and 56ke- full well capacity Ultra-low 1.7e- read noise in High Gain Mode Dual 12-...

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$6,000.00 USD - $8,000.00 USD
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$6,000.00 USD
$1,699.00 USD - $1,699.00 USD
$1,699.00 USD
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$1,699.00 USD

QHYCCD QHY247C Color

QHYCCD is proud to announce the release of an exciting new APS-C format color camera.The QHY247C uses a 24 Megapixel sensor with 3.91um pixels and ...

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$1,699.00 USD - $1,699.00 USD
$1,699.00 USD
$1,699.00 USD - $1,699.00 USD
$1,699.00 USD

Choosing a Cooled Camera

  • Colour (OSC) or mono: Colour cameras give a full image in one exposure. Mono cameras with filters and a filter wheel collect more signal per hour and excel at narrowband.
  • Sensor size: Larger sensors cover more sky but need a corrector that illuminates them. An APS-C sensor needs a corrected circle of about 28 mm, full frame about 44 mm.
  • Pixel size: Match pixel size to focal length. Small pixels (2.4 to 3.76 µm) suit short focal lengths. Larger pixels or binning suit long focal lengths.
  • Back-focus: Most cooled cameras have 6.5 to 17.5 mm of internal back-focus. We use this number to plan spacers.
  • Amp glow and read noise: Modern back-illuminated sensors such as the IMX571 and IMX455 have very low read noise and zero amp glow, ideal for short sub-exposures.

Popular Sensors

  • IMX533 (1-inch square): Compact square field, no amp glow, easy to illuminate. A favourite first cooled camera.
  • IMX571 (APS-C): 26 megapixels, 3.76 µm pixels. Excellent all-rounder for refractors from 250 to 800 mm.
  • IMX455 (full frame): 61 megapixels for large fields with premium optics.
  • IMX585 and IMX294: Smaller, sensitive sensors well suited to fast optics and lower budgets.

What We Calculate Before Recommending One

  • Pixel scale: We aim for about 1 to 2 arcseconds per pixel for most Canadian backyards.
  • Corrector coverage: We check that your flattener or reducer illuminates the sensor without vignetting.
  • Filter size: Sensor size and filter distance decide whether 1.25-inch, 36 mm or 2-inch filters are needed.
  • Power and data: Cooling draws up to 3 A at 12 V. We check your power supply and USB setup.

Cooled Deep-Sky Cameras: Frequently Asked Questions

How cold should I run the sensor?

Pick a temperature you can reach every night of the season, often minus 10 °C in summer and minus 20 °C in winter, and keep your darks at that temperature.

Is a cooled camera worth it over a DSLR?

For deep-sky, yes. Lower noise, consistent calibration, better red sensitivity for hydrogen-alpha and no infrared filter to remove.

Do I need a mono camera for narrowband?

No. A colour camera with a dual-band filter does very well. Mono is more efficient and gives full control over each channel.

Choosing your cooled camera?

Send us your telescope, reducer and main targets. We will match the sensor, pixel size and filter size.