ZWO ASI 533MC-Pro Cooled Colour Camera
Astrophotography Camera
A definite shift from the Nikon D5300, or DSLRs in general. With the dedicated cooling component, it almost entirely eradicates the thermal noise from the DSLR. If you want to chase every level of detail gathered on the sensor through your scope, worth exploring the mono range of cameras.
Also worth checking eBay, or even some local astronomy Facebook groups - that's where I picked mine up from at almost half the price if new
Pros
- + Cooled camera, meaning far less thermal noise than you'd get with an uncooled DSLR. The cooling is very efficient and reliable, rated to cool around 35°C below ambient — properly effective at keeping thermal noise down on long exposures.
- + No amp glow, meaning you can produce very clean dark frames crucial for calibration.
- + Low read noise and high efficiency, resulting in very clean output shots.
Cons
- − The square sensor shape is a big shift from a DSLR.
- − As with the ASIAIR Plus, no power supply is provided — a minor con, since you need one to power the ASIAIR anyway.
- − You'll likely want to add a luminance filter too — an extra cost, though how much it matters depends on your setup and main targets.
- − Costly, these dedicated cameras can get quite expensive
After a few shots with my DSLR, I was hungry for the next level. The next layer of detail and colour that was beyond the limits of my current setup. I was doom scrolling through Facebook and spotted a post from an Astro group that I am a member of. Someone had listed the ASI533MC Pro for a little over half of the retail price and it looked in fantastic condition. On an impulse, I sent across a message to ask for details and was fully prepared to make the 4 hour one way trip by car to collect the camera, as I was super excited to start using it. The seller very sensibly suggested tracked postage instead and organised the whole thing, including adding in a luminance filter, so I could hit the ground running.
When the camera arrived, the skies for the following few days were forecast to be heavily clouded, which is just typical in this domain. Anyway, a few days later, the skies cleared and I got my first light with this new tech, focused on the Eastern Veil nebula, one of my favourite deep sky objects. The inner child in me rushed to get the shots out of the Asiair Plus and into Siril to process.I was blown away by the amount of colour and detail captured in only a short space of time (again, the inner child took over).
I’ve added a few of my shots from this camera to the Gallery, and plan to add more when available. My most recent shot of the Iris Nebula had a total integration time of more than 2 hours, but I’m hoping to add more subs over more clear nights, so stay tuned.
Recommended Accessories
Worth pairing with these if you're buying it.
Asiair Series of Controllers
You'll need some form of controller to operate the camera, and best to pair with ZWO's own product, the Asiair. Other controllers are available on the market such as the StellarMate Pro or even a Raspberry Pi.
ZWO Dual Narrowband Filter
ZWO's own dual narrowband filter — worth shopping around before you commit, prices vary a fair bit between retailers.
ZWO UV/IR Cut Filter
Blocks the UV and IR light a one-shot colour sensor otherwise picks up, which would skew your colours — pretty much essential for accurate colour on the 533MC Pro rather than an optional extra.
3D-Printable Accessories
If you've got access to a 3D printer, these are worth printing instead of buying.
Cable Organiser
Great for organising all the cables that power your rig, it can get quite messy when you start adding a dew shield etc.
Design by svenk123 on Thingiverse, CC A
Photos