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IMPORTANT: Our store is located in Canada. All orders that include products manufactured outside of Canada or USA will be subject to tariffs and duties, regardless of the order value. US customers are responsible for all applicable duties and tariffs, and those will be billed by the carrier, except for the Lacerta upgrade kit, for which we collect them at checkout.
QHYCCD QHY5III568M Mono

QHYCCD QHY5III568M Mono

by QHYCCD
SKU QHY-110185
$399.00 - $399.00
$399.00
$399.00 - $399.00
$399.00
Price Match Policy!
  • Monochrome Planetary & Guide Camera
  • High-Sensitivity for Short Exposures
  • Compact 1.25" Form Factor
  • Ideal for "Lucky Imaging" and Autoguiding
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  • Description
  • FAQ
  • Specifications
  • In the Box
  • Downloads
  • Warranty

  • QHYCCD QHY5III568M Monochrome CMOS Camera

    The QHYCCD QHY5III568M is a dedicated monochrome CMOS camera engineered for two critical astronomical tasks: high-resolution planetary imaging and precision autoguiding. Its design focuses on delivering the sensitivity required to capture fleeting moments of excellent seeing on planets like Jupiter and Saturn, while also serving as a reliable eye for your mount to ensure sharp, round stars during long deep-sky exposures. The monochrome sensor provides maximum detail and sensitivity, making it a workhorse for the serious imager.

    Dual-Role Design: A High-Sensitivity Planetary and Guiding Camera

    The QHY5III568M is built around a monochrome sensor, which offers a significant sensitivity advantage over color counterparts. For planetary imagers, this means you can use shorter exposures and higher frame rates, increasing your chances of capturing sharp frames through atmospheric turbulence—a technique known as "lucky imaging." The monochrome output allows you to capture luminance data for maximum sharpness or use LRGB filters to create full-color planetary portraits with more detail than a one-shot-color camera can typically resolve.

    As an autoguider, that same sensitivity allows the camera to detect fainter guide stars, giving you more options for finding a suitable star anywhere in the sky. This is a critical advantage when imaging in star-poor regions or when using an off-axis guider. The camera's compact, lightweight body fits a standard 1.25" focuser or guider port, adding minimal weight and complexity to your imaging setup.

  • What are the main uses for the QHY5III568M camera?

    The QHY5III568M is a specialized dual-purpose camera. Its primary functions are high-frame-rate planetary imaging of objects like Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars, and high-sensitivity autoguiding for long-exposure deep-sky astrophotography.

    Why choose a monochrome camera like the QHY5III568M for planets?

    A monochrome sensor is inherently more sensitive and captures finer detail than a color sensor because every pixel is used to detect light, rather than being filtered for red, green, or blue. For planetary imaging, this allows you to shoot through separate L, R, G, and B filters to create a final color image that is significantly sharper and more detailed than what a comparable one-shot-color camera could produce.

    How does the QHY5III568M perform as an autoguider?

    Its high sensitivity makes it an excellent autoguider. It can detect faint guide stars, which is crucial when your target is in a part of the sky with few bright stars. The camera connects to your mount via an ST-4 cable or pulse guiding and works with software like PHD2 to send tiny corrections to the mount, ensuring your main imaging camera captures sharp, pinpoint stars.

    Can I use the QHY5III568M for deep-sky photos of nebulae like the Orion Nebula (M42)?

    No, this camera is not designed for long-exposure deep-sky imaging. While it is excellent for guiding those exposures, its sensor is optimized for the very short exposures (fractions of a second) used in planetary imaging. It lacks the cooling and low-noise architecture needed to take multi-minute exposures of faint deep-sky objects without being overwhelmed by thermal noise.

    What telescope is a good match for the QHY5III568M to image Saturn's rings?

    To resolve details like the Cassini Division in Saturn's rings, you need high magnification. The QHY5III568M pairs best with long focal-length telescopes such as a Schmidt-Cassegrain (SCT), Maksutov-Cassegrain, or a refractor with a Barlow lens. These systems provide the image scale necessary to make the planet large enough on the sensor for detailed capture.

    What software is required to operate the QHY5III568M?

    You will need to install the QHYCCD drivers for your operating system. For capturing video, popular software choices include SharpCap or FireCapture. For autoguiding, the standard software is PHD2 Guiding. These programs recognize the camera once the drivers are installed.

  • QHYCCD Warranty