Player One Ares-C Pro Color Cooled Astrophotography Camera

The Sony IMX533: A 9MP, 1-inch Square Sensor

At the core of the Ares-C Pro is Sony's IMX533 1-inch square color sensor, with a 16mm diagonal, 3008x3008 resolution and an 11.31mm x 11.31mm chip. Player One notes that the 1-inch size is quite big for imaging and that the square sensor makes mosaic work more efficient.

This sensor utilizes Sony's STARVIS back-illuminated pixel technology, which places the sensor wiring behind the photodiodes.

73k Full Well & 1.0e Read Noise with LRN Mode

The full well is 73k e-, which Player One says is almost 1.5 times the 50k e- of the basic IMX533. A deeper well means bright stars take longer to saturate in each sub-exposure.

Player One has implemented a dual sampling mode to optimize performance for different targets. Normal mode has the faster frame rate and suits planetary imaging, while LRN (Low Readout Noise) mode has lower readout noise and higher dynamic range and suits deep-sky imaging. HCG switches on at gain 125, and readout noise ranges from 4.46e down to 1.0e.

14-bit ADC and ≈80% Peak Quantum Efficiency

To digitize the vast signal captured by its 73k full well, the Ares-C Pro uses a 14-bit Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC). This allows for 16,384 distinct tonal levels between pure black and pure white, ensuring smooth gradients and subtle details are preserved in your final images.

The camera's sensitivity is further enhanced by a peak Quantum Efficiency (QE) of approximately 80%. This means that for every 10 photons that hit the sensor at its most sensitive wavelength, 8 are converted into a recordable signal.

2-Stage TEC Cooling: 40°C Below Ambient

The Ares-C Pro has a 2-stage TEC system with a standard delta T of 35°C to 40°C below ambient (at 30°C ambient, fan 100%). Player One recommends 30°C to 35°C below ambient, fan 50 to 70% and dew heater 10%; the fan defaults to 50%. Dark current is 0.000044 e/s/pix at -20°C and 0.000996 e/s/pix at 0°C.

To combat condensation during humid nights, Player One has integrated an adjustable anti-dew heater into the front of the camera. It sits in front of the D32x2mm AR Plus multi-coated protective window, and its heat power is adjustable in the ASCOM window. Player One calls dew the biggest enemy in astro imaging.

43 FPS Capture Enabled by a 512MB DDR3 Buffer

Player One says the Ares-C Pro is also very good for solar, lunar and planetary imaging, and that its 1-inch square sensor easily captures the full disk of the Sun and Moon with short focal length refractors. It streams full-resolution frames at up to 43 FPS (RAW8) over USB 3.0, and up to 272 FPS (RAW8) at 640x480. Solar imaging needs a proper solar filter on the telescope.

To ensure this high volume of data is handled without interruption, Player One has integrated a 512MB DDR3 memory buffer. Player One says the cache stabilizes data transmission, effectively avoids frame dropping and greatly reduces readout noise, and that the camera still performs very well on a USB 2.0 port. Recording speed also depends on your disk; Player One recommends a good solid state drive.

Non-Amp-Glow

Player One says the Ares-C Pro dark frame is totally dark and calls it a Non-Amp-Glow camera; it publishes a 300s dark frame (gain 0, offset 10, -10°C) to show it. Player One says this gives a very clean background, which makes high-quality images easier to get.

Dual Tilt Plates and 17.5mm Back Focus at 420g

Constructed with a carbon fiber housing, the Ares-C Pro weighs only 420g, Player One says a sensor tilt plate adjusts the sensor angle so stars at the corners are rounder, and the camera comes with two. The front 3-point plate is fitted by default and works well in many basic setups. The rear 4-point plate is included; Player One says it is necessary when you use a filter wheel or filter drawer and an OAG at a fixed angle, and convenient for RASA users.

The camera has an M42x0.75 female thread and a back focus of 17.5mm, and the box includes extenders and adapters for building the spacing. Player One's BFL solution drawings show 55mm combinations (some use 56mm to make up for filters). The body also has 6x M2.5 holes on R27 for bolting directly to Player One filter wheels and OAGs.

The Ares-C Pro for One-Shot Color Imaging

The Ares-C Pro is a One-Shot Color (OSC) camera, meaning it uses a Bayer matrix (RGGB) filter permanently placed over the sensor to capture full-color images in a single exposure. This is simpler than monochrome imaging, as it needs no filter wheel or separate exposures through red, green and blue filters.

Its mono twin, the Ares-M Pro, records every pixel through the chosen filter and suits line-by-line narrowband imaging; the Ares-C Pro gives colour data from every exposure.

Flexible Power: 12V DC Cooling or USB-Only Operation

The back of the camera has two Type-C data ports (the main one supports USB 3.0) and a 12V DC 5.5x2.1mm power port. If you do not need cooling, connect only the main Type-C port and the camera works as an uncooled camera.

To engage the 2-stage TEC cooling system for deep-sky imaging, you must connect an external 12V DC power supply (not included) via the camera's 5.5x2.1mm port. Player One recommends a power adapter with a minimum rating of 5A. The camera is equipped with overvoltage and overcurrent protection to safeguard your equipment.

Drivers, ASCOM and Your First Night

Player One provides dedicated drivers and an ASCOM driver for the Ares-C Pro, on its software download page. The ASCOM window holds the target temperature, fan speed and anti-dew power. The manual also mentions SharpCap 4, whose Sensor Analysis function lets you test the readout noise yourself.

For your first night out, the process is straightforward. After installing the drivers, connect the camera to your computer and power supply. In your capture software, select the Player One ASCOM camera, set your cooling target (e.g., -10°C), and you are ready to start focusing and capturing images.