This is by no means an extensive review, but here are a few words on my initial experiences with the Celestron Nightscape CCD camera and its associated software. Nightscape is a color, one-shot camera likely intended for folks who are considering a DSLR for astro imaging. The camera is made in Canada, probably by the same company that manufactures similar products for the big astro resellers. Build quality appears good and the unit has a solid feel with no unfinished edges or cheap hardware. It does not include an AC power adapter and instead has a standard 12V "cigarette lighter" plug and cord. I kluged an adapter and used a 12V power supply to run the camera. Cooling for the sensor is set-point regulated, as much as 20C below ambient.
The sensor is a KAI-10100, ~ ten megapixels, and at 4.75 microns, the small pixels are probably best suited for use at shorter focal lengths (color binning is supported 2x2 and 4x4 for longer FLs). This sensor has the same linear measurements as the KAF-8300 (22 mm diagonal), and the same well depth and dynamic range. Even though it uses an interline transfer chip capable of electronic exposures, the Nightscape has a built-in mechanical shutter that sets exposures from one millisecond to 24 hours. The chamber window is AR coated and unlike typical DSLRs, includes an IR block that doesn't attenuate red emission lines. Celestron states the camera has a "full frame buffer", and some discussions I've seen on the web imply that this memory buffer allows imaging to continue during downloads. If this feature exists, it is not supported in the current AFX software, and I noted a roughly seven-second delay between subs while the camera downloaded data. Perhaps the frame buffer is used to facilitate readout/binning of color data, but I saw no evidence that it speeds up acquisition.
A key selling point emphasized by Celestron is ease of use, and in that regard this product stands out from the crowd. Most low-end cameras ship with "lite" versions of MaximDL and have a steep learning curve when it comes to calibration and processing. For the Nightscape, Celestron commissioned a custom app from Diffraction Limited called AstroFX to run the camera and process images. IMO this software will make a big difference to the typical customer because it assumes the user is not a border-line-OCD astro-geek (cough, PI, cough, Maxim). The software emphasizes results over arrays of obscure functions and a litany of open windows and menus. Some bugs are there -- the software is V1.x and it crashed several times during image acquisition over the two nights I used it. Processing the resulting image and calibration files was simple and straightforward, and I encountered no glitches on that end. Compared to high-end programs, the tools and adjustments are rudimentary, and many processing settings have an "auto" option.
Here is my initial image, M45 taken from a suburban site (SQM 20.4) with a TV85 refractor at f/5.6 and a IDAS LPS-2 filter. The exposure was 20 x 3 min, unguided, and only darks were used for calibration. All data were captured and processed in AstroFX, and the "auto" settings were used for everything except the initial stretch. No, it won't cut it as an APOD submission, but the overall experience was far less involved and time consuming than a similar project using a DSLR and third-party software.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/44791121/Nightscape_M45.jpg
The sensor is a KAI-10100, ~ ten megapixels, and at 4.75 microns, the small pixels are probably best suited for use at shorter focal lengths (color binning is supported 2x2 and 4x4 for longer FLs). This sensor has the same linear measurements as the KAF-8300 (22 mm diagonal), and the same well depth and dynamic range. Even though it uses an interline transfer chip capable of electronic exposures, the Nightscape has a built-in mechanical shutter that sets exposures from one millisecond to 24 hours. The chamber window is AR coated and unlike typical DSLRs, includes an IR block that doesn't attenuate red emission lines. Celestron states the camera has a "full frame buffer", and some discussions I've seen on the web imply that this memory buffer allows imaging to continue during downloads. If this feature exists, it is not supported in the current AFX software, and I noted a roughly seven-second delay between subs while the camera downloaded data. Perhaps the frame buffer is used to facilitate readout/binning of color data, but I saw no evidence that it speeds up acquisition.
A key selling point emphasized by Celestron is ease of use, and in that regard this product stands out from the crowd. Most low-end cameras ship with "lite" versions of MaximDL and have a steep learning curve when it comes to calibration and processing. For the Nightscape, Celestron commissioned a custom app from Diffraction Limited called AstroFX to run the camera and process images. IMO this software will make a big difference to the typical customer because it assumes the user is not a border-line-OCD astro-geek (cough, PI, cough, Maxim). The software emphasizes results over arrays of obscure functions and a litany of open windows and menus. Some bugs are there -- the software is V1.x and it crashed several times during image acquisition over the two nights I used it. Processing the resulting image and calibration files was simple and straightforward, and I encountered no glitches on that end. Compared to high-end programs, the tools and adjustments are rudimentary, and many processing settings have an "auto" option.
Here is my initial image, M45 taken from a suburban site (SQM 20.4) with a TV85 refractor at f/5.6 and a IDAS LPS-2 filter. The exposure was 20 x 3 min, unguided, and only darks were used for calibration. All data were captured and processed in AstroFX, and the "auto" settings were used for everything except the initial stretch. No, it won't cut it as an APOD submission, but the overall experience was far less involved and time consuming than a similar project using a DSLR and third-party software.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/44791121/Nightscape_M45.jpg
Jim McSheehy
