ZWO ASI294MC PRO USB3.0 Colour Cooled DSO Camera

The ASI294MC Pro is the first camera in the world equipped with the latest Sony sensor IMX294CJK. This is one of the top-selling cameras from ZWO. Looking at the specifications and comparing it to the relatively low price, it is easy to see why. Some of the highlights include:

back-illuminated sensor - improving sensitivity and reducing noise

4/3” format with 4.63 um pixel size - ideal for many types of telescopes

14-bit ADC - giving high dynamic range of 13 stops

An impressive 7ke- full well capacity - helping to reduce the issue of, for example, saturated stars.

On top of this, it also has a very high QE-value with a peak of over 75%. If you are looking for a small-format OSC camera for astrophotography, you can’t go wrong with the ASI294MC Pro.

Sony 10.71M-Effective Pixel Color CMOS Image Sensor (official description from Sony site), with a diagonal of 21.63mm (4/3 format). ZWO has refined the sensor and remolded it to increase the diagonal to 23.2mm with approximately 11.71M-Effective pixels (4/3 format).

The IMX294CJK sensor is the first in-house image sensor for astronomic cameras to adopt the 4/3 format and provides the necessary number of pixels for true 4k output at 120 frames per second (w/ ADC 10-bit output mode, the ASI294MC can run up to 25fps at 4k format when used with USB 3.0). In addition, the use of larger-sized pixels achieves SNR1s of 0.14 lx* which is very close to the value of the ASI224 (0.13 lx*).

Exceptional low-illumination performance of SNR1s: 0.14 lx is realized by use of a large-size optical system and by expanding the area per pixel to 4.63 µm. This makes the IMX294CJK ideal for astronomic camera market applications that require low-illumination performance.

The ASI294MC Pro camera includes a 256MB DDR3 memory buffer to help improve data transfer reliability. Additionally, the use of a memory buffer minimizes amp-glow, which is caused by the slow transfer speeds when the camera is used with a USB 2.0 port.

The ASI294MC Pro has a 14bit ADC unit, allowing it to achieve 13 stops of dynamic range. This is an excellent characteristic for deep sky imaging, which inherently needs high dynamic range. At 13 stops, the ASI294MC has even more dynamic range than the ASI1600.

HCG (high conversion gain) mode, which reduces read noise to even lower levels at higher gain without loss to dynamic range, is automatically enabled when the gain setting is 120 or higher. Read noise will drop under 2e-, while dynamic range will remain at 13 stops.

The ASI294MC provides a great full well capacity of 63700e-, which is 3 times higher than the capacity of the highly regarded ASI1600. Even bright stars won’t saturate under long exposures. This also means that this camera can achieve higher SNR (signal to noise ratio) with just one single exposure.

ASI294MC Pro has the same mechanics as ASI1600 Pro. There are four screws that seal the sensor chamber. Our camera design has been extensively tested and is very stable. Even when used in higher humidity environments, ASI294MC Pro will still work well without dew problems.

The dark current of the ASI294 is a bit lower than the ASI1600 at same temperature, based on our test results. Dark frame sample @ Highest dynamic range settings, 300s, -10°C, bin1. Please check the dark frame to make sure you fully know the performance.

USB 3.0 Port: Provide 5Gb bandwidth to make it possible for ASI294 Pro to run at 16 fps (14bit, normal mode) or 19 fps (12bit, high speed mode) at full resolution(11.7Mega).

USB 2.0 HUB: can connect with various accessories, such as filter wheel, guide camera and electronic focuser, so you can better manage your cables. The ASI294 Pro includes two short 0.5m USB 2.0 cables. The integrated USB 2.0 hub is powered by the external power source if you connect one.

Thanks to the two-stage TEC cooling, ASI294MC Pro can lower the CMOS sensor temperature to 35-40 degrees Celsius below ambient temperature, which can greatly reduce dark current generation and sensor noise even during extended exposure times.

*The Delta T 35-40℃ is tested at 30℃ ambient temperature. It might get down when the cooling system is working for a long time. Also, as the ambient temperature falls, the Delta T would also decrease.

Please notice that the camera needs to be connected to an external 11-15v power supply to implement the cooling function. We recommend you use 12V@3A DC adapter (5.5*2.1mm, center pole positive) or lithium battery with 11-15V to power the camera. If you don’t have one, please click here to buy a 12V power adapter. There are 4 different standards for different countries, please make sure you selected the correct adapter when placing the order.

Specifications

Sensor: 4/3″ SONY IMX294 CMOS

Diagonal: 23.2mm

Resolution: 11.7Mega Pixels 4144X2822

Pixel Size: 4.63µm

Bayer Pattern: RGGB

Shutter:Rolling shutter

Exposure Range: 32µs-2000s

ROI: Supported

Read Noise: 1.2-7.3e

QE peak: TBD

Full well: 63.7ke

ADC:14bit

DDRIII Buffer: 256MB

Non-volatile memory/On camera storage: Build-in total 192K byte user-accessible space(image size up to 480X320)

Interface: USB3.0/USB2.0

Adaptor: M42X0.75

Protect window: AR

Dimensions: 78mm Diameter

Weight: 410g

Back Focus Distance: 6.5mm

Cooling: Regulated Two Stage TEC

Delta T: 35°C-40°C below ambient

Camera Power consumption: 650mA at 5V

Cooler Power consumption: 12V at 3A Max

Working Temperature: -5°C - 45°C

Storage Temperature: -20°C - 60°C

Working Relative Humidity: 20% - 80%

Storage Relative Humidity: 20% - 95%

Max FPS at full resolution:

10Bit ADC

4144×2822 19fps

14bit ADC

4144×2822 16fps

Resolution USB 3.0 Raw16

4144×2822 16.3fps

4096×2160 21.1fps

3840×2160 21.1fps

1920×1080 40.9fps

1280×720 59.7fps

640×480 85.9fps

320×240 153.4fps

Resolution USB 3.0 Raw8& HighSpeed

4144×2822 19.0fps

4096×2160 24.7fps

3840×2160 24.7fps

1920×1080 47.9fps

1280×720 69.8fps

640×480 100.5fps

320×240 179.3fps

more resolutions are in software, support customize resolution.

In The Box

Camera Body

Cover

M42 - M48 Adapter

T2 - 1.25" Adapter

1.25" Nose Piece

T2 - M48 Extender (16.5mm)

T2 Extender (21mm)

Spacers x 4

USB2.0 Cable (0.5m x 2)

USB3.0 Cable (2m)

Camera bag

Quick Guide