Opinions on SXVH9C
Started by jimwayda, 08/16/2003 08:14AM
Posted 08/16/2003 08:14AM
Opening Post
Posted 08/16/2003 06:17PM
#2
if your main goal is planetary imaging, I'd suggest something else, most likely the video route. Personally I would avoid one shot color cameras at all costs. the monochrome sxv9 is not a bad camera, but there are better values out there I believe...This is an excerpt from an email I wrote to a buddy of mine who was comparing starlight express cameras to my st-2000xm...
if i'm going for nice images, I want proper dark frame calibration. SX claims 5 times less dark current than kaf series chips (st-7/8) which equals about maybe half that of the st-2k (which has lower dark current than the KAF chips) . Even if the dark current is half of what the st-2k has, over a long exposure time, that's a lot. The SX star-2000 self guiding routine is IMHO a piece of junk that doubles exposure times. Using a seperate guiding camera is also not a good option most times (see http://www.sbig.com/sbwhtmls/why%20self%20guiding%20article.htm)
their new camera with the largest FOV yields a whopping 1392x1040 array with pixels 15% smaller than the st-2k. The chip dimensions are 8.9x6.7mm compared to 11.8x8.9mm for the st-2k. Of course, the st-2k is one of the 'smaller' sbig cams. This is also taken from the SX promo for this new camera (sxv-9)of theirs:
what you don't get!
NO problems finding and tracking guide stars through dense colour filters with the external guider! --Like I said before, I wouldn't really want an external guider, and also, I haven't seen any integrated color filter wheels for the SX cam...
NO third party guide cameras needed! --with self guiding, you don't need one anyway. I guess they're referring to the external guide camera they're selling for it. I guess an external guide camera is ok, if it's made by the same company? will their guide camera work with say a film camera?
NO fans, water pipes, pumps, buckets or mess! --if you don't want to use the fan on the st2k, you can turn it off. At least I have the option if I want it. I can water cool the st2k as well if I like. A 90 degree summer night makes this an option I may definately take advantage of sometime. Even without the the fan and liquid cooling, I'll out-cool the SX, and I can pick the exact same temperature everytime so I don't need to take new darks.
if i'm going for nice images, I want proper dark frame calibration. SX claims 5 times less dark current than kaf series chips (st-7/8) which equals about maybe half that of the st-2k (which has lower dark current than the KAF chips) . Even if the dark current is half of what the st-2k has, over a long exposure time, that's a lot. The SX star-2000 self guiding routine is IMHO a piece of junk that doubles exposure times. Using a seperate guiding camera is also not a good option most times (see http://www.sbig.com/sbwhtmls/why%20self%20guiding%20article.htm)
their new camera with the largest FOV yields a whopping 1392x1040 array with pixels 15% smaller than the st-2k. The chip dimensions are 8.9x6.7mm compared to 11.8x8.9mm for the st-2k. Of course, the st-2k is one of the 'smaller' sbig cams. This is also taken from the SX promo for this new camera (sxv-9)of theirs:
what you don't get!
NO problems finding and tracking guide stars through dense colour filters with the external guider! --Like I said before, I wouldn't really want an external guider, and also, I haven't seen any integrated color filter wheels for the SX cam...
NO third party guide cameras needed! --with self guiding, you don't need one anyway. I guess they're referring to the external guide camera they're selling for it. I guess an external guide camera is ok, if it's made by the same company? will their guide camera work with say a film camera?
NO fans, water pipes, pumps, buckets or mess! --if you don't want to use the fan on the st2k, you can turn it off. At least I have the option if I want it. I can water cool the st2k as well if I like. A 90 degree summer night makes this an option I may definately take advantage of sometime. Even without the the fan and liquid cooling, I'll out-cool the SX, and I can pick the exact same temperature everytime so I don't need to take new darks.
Posted 08/18/2003 12:49AM
#3
Alen Chen (http://www.heavenlyview.com/newh9cimages.htm) has one and has been doing great stuff with it! I have the non-color version of the SXV-H9 and am a true believer of the Sony chips...I haven't taken a dark frame since getting one...not even close to a need for one. And extremely low read noise allowing shorter exposures.
Rick Krejci
http://www.ricksastro.com/
Rick Krejci
http://www.ricksastro.com/
Funding Member
