Camera Sensor
ASI120MM Mini camera integrates AR0130CS 1/3″ sensor (4.8 mm x 3.6 mm). It is ZWO new mini camera. This camera has 1280 x 960 pixels. The pixel size is 3.75 μm x 3.75 μm. This camera provides 12bit ADC and its QE peak is almost 80%.
Astrophotography Performance
ASI120 mini camera offers you very good performance for planetary imaging and guiding. Low read noise, high dynamic range, AR protective window and much more.
High QE
Absolute QE Curve, we estimate the Peak Value is almost 80%.
120Mini VS 120MM-S
Compared with ASI120MM-S camera, 120mini have smaller outlook, lighter weight, and it can reach focus at same position with eyepiece.
USB2.0Port & ST4 Port
USB 2.0 Port: Mini camera has one USB2.0 type C port. Type C port is very popular in mobile phones, it will not care about positive side and negetive side of the adapter.
ST4 Port: Can connect mini camera direct connect to auto guide port of mount.
Connecting Drawing
- M28.5-CS adapter
- CS-C adapter
- 1.25″ extender
- 1.25″ filter
Mechanical Drawing
What is in the box?
ASI mini camera box includes all necessary cables, adapters, and manuals.
Drivers and Softwares:
Our website has newest camera drivers and many DSO and Planetary capture softwares. Please make sure the newest driver and software has been installed before you start shooting:
https://astronomy-imaging-camera.com/software/
ASI120, ASI174 and ASI290 mini camera have very beautiful outlooks, small size, light weight, this is not a big deal.
We should consider much more…
How to choose a good guide camera?
Many people may say : must be small, suitable for different equipments(guide scope, OAG), stable working.
Yes, I think thoes are basic demands for a good guide camera, and ASI mini camera can do them well.
So, what else we do care in the deep of our mind?
I think there will be three potential requests: high sensitivity, precisely guiding, big FOV.
High Sensitivity
Sensitivity is the first thing we considered. It is very important to look for a guide star. So, at beginning, we were considering to use mono sensor to design our guide camera only. Because mono sensors have much higher sensitivity than color ones. Luckily the ASI120MM Mini, ASI290MM Mini and ASI174MM Mini all have very high QE peak value – about 80%, which can detect more stars in view and shorten the exposure time in guiding.
Entry Level
ASI120MM Mini is designed for newcomers, which is more affordable than ASI290MM Mini and ASI174MM Mini. You can easily get the well-sampled stars with the help of ASI120MM Mini. It’s light, compact and robust. If you are still wondering which one you should choose as your first guide camera, the ASI120MM Mini can always be a good choice.
Precisely Guiding
ASI290MM Mini is designed for precisely guiding. The 2.9um pixel size can give you a higher arcsec/pixel than 224 or 120 camera. Which means in same guide scope, 290mini can detective slighter movement of stars. ASI290 mini can improve about 30% guide precision than 120mm.
Big FOV
ASI174MM mini is designed for Big FOV guiding. This is very useful in OAG to looking for a guide star. When you use OAG guider working with Ritchey-Chretien or Schmit-Cassegrain telescope, the hardest part is to looking for a guide star. ASI174 mini have 1/1.2″ big sensor which means you can have a 4 times bigger Fov than 120mm.
Smiling Face
The back of ASI mini camera is like a smiling face, its mouth is Type C USB port, which is widely used in mobile phones. And its nose is the ST4 port, for guiding. Every time, you use mini camera, there always will be a smiley face stay with you in the dark nights.
Focus like a eyepiece
ASI mini camera can focus at same position as eyepiece. You can focus with a eyepiece, and put ASI mini camera into 1.25″ holder.
Work with OAG
Mini camera is very suitable for OAG, it has much biger focus range than normal ASI cameras. Never to worry about that guide camera can not focus with main camera at same time.
ASI 120mini camera is available now! You can buy it form us or our dealers! Wish you all have clear skies!
Review：
https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/589232-zwo-290mm-mini-guidecam-beta-test-thread/
Specifications
Sensor: 1/3″ CMOS AR0130CS(Mono)
Resolution: 1.2Mega Pixels 1280×960
Pixel Size: 3.75µm
Exposure Range: 64µs-2000s
ROI: Supported
Non-volatile memory/On camera storage: Build-in total 192K byte user-accessible space(image size up to 480X320)
Interface: USB3.0/USB2.0
ST4 Guider Port: Yes
Focus Distance to Sensor: 8.5mm
Shutter Type: Rolling Shutter
Protect window: AR coated window
Operating System Compatibility: Mac, Windows, Linux
Interface: USB2.0
Bit rate: 12bit output
Adaptor:1.25″ / M28.5X0.6
Dimension: φ36mm X 61mm
Weight: 60g or 3.1 ounces (without lens)
Working Temperature: -5°C—45°C
Storage Temperature: -20°C—60°C
Working Relative Humidity: 20%—80%
Storage Relative Humidity: 20%—95%
Supported resolution
Binning 1×1:
1280X960@35FPS
1280X720@46FPS
1024X768@54FPS
800X600@90FPS
640X480@118FPS
320X240@224FPS
Binning 2×2:
640X480@35FP
More resolutions can be user defined
