ZWO ASI676MC - Color All-Sky Camera

All-sky Camera

Introducing the ASI676MC, the all-sky camera featuring a unique square 1/1.6-inch image sensor and a super high resolution of 12MP! It is perfectly suited for meteor recording and full sky surveillance. The square format facilitates easier composition, making mosaic stitch simpler and more efficient, and the high resolution brings you clear details of the Sun and our Moon. With this camera, you may start your marvelous journey to explore the boundless night sky.

Specifications

• Sensor: IMX676
• Sensor size: 1/1.6" 7.1*7.1mm
• Resolution: 3552*3552
• ADC: 12bit
• QE: 83%
• Read Noise: 0.56e
• FPS: 31.2
• Full Well: 10.55Ke
• USB: 3.0
• Pixel Size: 2µm

Why Square Format?

One of the biggest benefits of ASI676MC's square format is it makes the whole mosaic construction process much easier by eliminating the need to consider the difference between the long and wide sides of the format during mosaic stitching.

Not only that, the square format also makes the ASI676MC more compatible with various types of lenses such as fisheye lenses and wide-angle lenses. Thus, ASI676MC is more suitable for tasks such as meteor recording and full sky surveillance.

STARVIS 2

STARVIS is a sensor technology developed by Sony that surpasses the sensitivity of the human eye. STARVIS 2 is an advancement of STARVIS technology, supporting an even higher dynamic range.

With this technology, ASI676MC exhibits lower readout noise and dark current, along with significantly enhanced sensitivity in the near-infrared spectrum.

No Amp Glow

ASI676MC does not have any amp glow, no matter how long the exposure and how high the gain value you set. 

Note: This technology is implemented directly at the hardware level, it does not require software control.

256MB DDR3

The camera is equipped with a USB 3.0 transmission interface and a built-in 256MB DDR3 cache to ensure stable and secure data transmission.

HCG Mode

The camera has a built-in HCG mode, which can effectively reduce readout noise at high gain. This allows the camera to maintain the same high dynamic range as it does at low gain. When the gain is 180, the HCG mode is automatically turned on. The readout noise is as low as 0.56e, and the dynamic range can still reach a level close to 11 stops.

Quantum Efficiency

The QE curve and readout noise are very important parameters to measure the camera's performance. Higher OE and lower readout noise are necessary to improve the image signal-to-noise ratio.

Dark Current Noise

The ASI676MC's lower dark current noise means that the image signal-to-noise ratio is also higher, especially when photographing dark objects, it produces images with better sharpness.

UV/IR-cut Coated Window

ASI676MC is equipped with an UV/IR-cut coated window in front of the sensor, with a diameter of 21mm and a thickness of 1.1mm. It effectively reduces infrared interference and improves image quality.