Muamar Khadapi
Per DC Watch, Sightron Japan Co., Ltd. has announced it will release Player One Astronomy’s CMOS camera for astrophotography next week. Player One Astronomy is an astrophotography equipment manufacturer based in Suzhou, China. The Chinese firm develops sophisticated astronomical observation equipment, including cameras and additional equipment and accessories.
Player One Astronomy’s cameras are designed to photograph specific planets and accordingly have different image sensors. There are five Player One Astronomy planetary cameras: Neptune-C II, Neptune-C, Mars-C, Neptune-M and Mars-M. ‘C’ means color, and ‘M’ means monochrome. In addition to availability through Sightron Japan, the Player One Astronomy cameras are also available in the US through Agena AstroProducts.
All Player One Astronomy planetary cameras can be attached to a telescope with a 1.25″ T-mount or using a Barlow lens between the camera and telescope. Likewise, with all the cameras, the user can adjust the sensor tilt plate to reduce Newton’s rings, which is an interference pattern created by light reflection between two surfaces. Newton’s rings are most often an issue when photographing the sun. All the planetary cameras include a 256MB DDR3 cache, which Player One Astronomy states helps stabilized data transmission, effectively eliminating frame dropping and reducing overall read noise.
The Neptune-C and Neptune-M cameras are equipped with 6.4MP 1/1.8″ IMX178 image sensors. The Neptune-C is currently on sale for $319, and the monochrome Neptune-M is also on sale for $329.
With an improved 1/1.8″ Sony IMX464 image sensor, the Neptune-C II promises higher sensitivity in the near-infrared region, reduced read noise and a higher frame rate. The image sensor has slightly fewer megapixels, however, at 4.2MP. The Neptune-C II can be used as a monochrome camera with an IR850 filter. For infrared photography, a CH4 filter can be attached. The Neptune-C II can record at 93fps at full-resolution, compared to the 60fps maximum speed of the IMX178 sensor in the Neptune-C and Neptune-M cameras. The Neptune-C II costs $329.
The Player One Mars-C and Mars-M cameras utilize different sensors. The color camera uses a Sony IMX462 image sensor. It’s a 1/2.8″ image sensor with 2.1MP. The monochrome camera’s sensor is the same size and resolution, although it’s an IMX290 sensor. Player One writes that the IMX290 sensor is ideal for the use of various filters. Each sensor includes dead pixel suppression (DSP) to remove hot and cold pixels from the image automatically. The Mars-C costs $269, and the Mars-M is available for $329.
Solopos Institute
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