The Orion StarShoot G24 is the first full format (35mm film size) CMOS camera the company has offered. Built around the Sony IMX410 CMOS chip, the G24 offers a massive 43.3mm diagonal sensor with 5.94 micron pixels, over 80% QE, and a full resolution of 6064×4040 pixels.
The camera offers the full well capacity and dynamic range of the Sony IMX410 CMOS chip. The IMX410 is a 14-bit sensor with a full well capacity of 104,000e- (about twice the full well depth of Orion’s next closest camera!) which produces up to a 14-stop dynamic range in your image, with smooth transitions in brightness and color from the faintest wisps of nebulae to the brightest of stars. And equally important, the IMX410 chip is one of the new generation that produces ZERO amp glow.
With so much full well capacity available, you can boost the gain which shortens your exposures and actually lowers the read noise in the image, with the trade-off of also lowering the full well capacity and hence your dynamic range. But with such a large full well capacity to start with, that probably doesn’t matter. In fact, boosting the gain in HCG mode results in a small read noise of down to 0.3e-, while still providing a full well of 15,000e- and an 8-stop dynamic range.
The full format chip in the Orion StarShoot G24 provides a much larger field of view compared with even Orion’s relatively large APS-C format G26. In fact, it’s well over double the surface area of the G26 chip. And with 24 million pixels at 5.94 microns each, the sensitivity and resolution are exceptional. With long focal length telescopes, you can even take super high resolution images of the moon and planets.
The Orion StarShoot G24 features a two-stage regulated thermo-electric cooler with fan, capable of reaching ~30° C below ambient temperature. A dew heater built into the front window protects against dew forming at such low temperatures. The USB 3.0 interface provides exceptionally fast frame rates and download speeds. Power for the camera electronics comes from the USB 3.0 port, and the TE cooler is powered by an included AC adapter, though any 12v 3amp external battery source will work as well.
A large 54mm x 0.75mm threaded opening is cut into the front of the camera, and with an included 2″ nozzle, you can attach the G24 camera straight into any 2″ focuser.
It is important to note however, that such a large camera chip will show off any inherent imperfections in your telescope optics, so coma at the edges of a reflector or field curvature in a refractor become more prominent compared with a smaller chip camera. Orion recommends either using a corrected telescope design such as our 190mm Maksutov-Newtonian or any of the Ritchey-Chretien (RC) designs. They also include some common length spacer/adapters so you can use the G24 with a standard 55mm backfocus coma corrector, reducer, or field flattener as well. Other adapter rings may be required depending on your specific needs, and these adapters are widely available online.
With a built in two-port USB 2.0 hub, your guide camera and other USB accessories can be wired directly to the G24, which means you’ll only have the one USB cable running to your laptop, eliminating many extraneous wires draping from the telescope to the computer.
Compatible with Win 7/8/10, the camera includes a hard case, along with free control and image acquisition software. The Orion StarShoot G24 is ASCOM compatible, meaning you can use most dedicated astro-imaging software on the market to unlock the full potential of the new camera.
You can learn more here.
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