Offering two critical functions in one camera, the ASI2600 Pro Duo Cooled Color Astronomy Camera from ZWO comes with two sensors, a 26MP imager and a 2.1MP guider. The APS-C Sony IMX571 color CMOS imaging sensor boasts low read noise, no amp glow, and low dark current noise, thanks to the camera's 95°F two-stage thermoelectric cooler. The polyimide heater prevents condensation from interrupting your imaging. The guide sensor, in communication with your mount, will keep the camera locked onto your target during long exposures. The ASI2600 Pro Duo runs on a user-supplied 12V, 3-5A power supply.
26MP Imaging Sensor
The ASI2600 Pro Duo is equipped with a back-illuminated 23.5 x 15.7mm Sony sensor with a resolution of 6248 x 4176. The 3.76µ pixel accommodates an impressive full well capacity of 73ke. The sensor boasts a quantum efficiency of 80%.
2.1MP Guide Sensor
The SC2210 sensor, taken from the ZWO ASI220MM Mini camera, features very high sensitivity. The QE peak value reaches 92% at 500nm. The readout noise is as low as 0.6e. As a new generation of guide sensors, it has been adopted by many photographers with excellent results.
Native 16-Bit Analog to Digital Converter
ASI2600 Pro Duo's imager features true 16-bit ADC, delivering a dynamic range output of 14 stops. This significantly improves the image sharpness and contrast, and the contrast gradients are smoother and more natural-looking.
Two-Stage TEC Cooling
The imaging sensor can be cooled to 95°F below the ambient temperature, holding down dark current noise. When the sensor is cooled to 32°F, a 300-second exposure would cause only 0.7e dark current noise in total, even lower than the camera's readout noise.
High Conversion Gain Mode
HCG mode comes on automatically when gain is set to 100 and keeps readout noise very low while maintaining the 14-stop dynamic range.
USB 3.0 & 512M DDR3 Memory
The ASI2600 Pro Duo is equipped with a USB 3.0 transmission interface and a built-in 512MB DDR3 cache to ensure stable and secure data transmission. Under long exposure, it effectively avoids frame dropping and greatly reduces the glow effect caused by slow reading speed.
No Amp Glow
Using zero-glow amp circuitry, the ASI2600 Pro Duo eliminates amp glow—a weak infrared light source often created by traditional CMOS sensors, sometimes seen in the corners of uncalibrated images. You won't have to worry about it, even during high-gain, long-exposure imaging.
Anti-Dew Heater
A polyimide heater sits on the top of the protective window, preventing condensation that could disrupt your imaging. It consumes about 5 watts and can be disabled to conserve power.