ZWO ASI1600MM Monochrome 4/3" CMOS USB 3.0 Deep Sky Imaging Camera

This is an exciting moment as with this NEW ZWO ASI1600MM camera ZWO made its debut into the DSO imager camera market.

The ZWO ASI1600MC camera is an excellent choice for imaging deep sky objects, however it can do much more than that. With a max framerate of 23 FPS this camera can also be used as an extremely high resolution planetary imager. If you cannot decide if your thing is deep sky or planetary imaging, go for this camera. It is also a much more affordable alternative to converting a dSLR.

You can even use it for guiding, although we understand that it is somewhat a waste of a talent to use it for guiding, but there might be special circumstances or setups when you would want to use it for guiding, so the opportunity is given.

There are four versions with the same large 4/3" sensor (21.9mm diagonal):

Colour or monochrome and cooled or uncooled.

Now you will have to decide whether you want a simple solution and go for a one shot COLOUR CAMERA or would like to get more data out your camera and go for the MONOCHROME version. If you would mainly use it as a deep sky imager camera, we'd also recommend to go for the COOLED version, but if you cannot afford or you'd be mainly using it as a very high resolution planetary imager, then go for the UNCOOLED version.

This product listing is for the UNCOOLED MONOCHROME version of the ASI1600.

Why not to try L-RGB or narrow band photography with the monochrome version of this camera, the ZWO ASI1600MM or ZWO ASI1600MM-COOL.
If you are not in rush, but you'd like to get out the best result from your camera, this monochrome version is the right choce for you, although if you can raise your budget a little bit, you could also consider the COOOLED version instead.

Consider that with this monochrome version you'll also need a filter wheel and a set of L-RGB filters or H-alpha and OIII filters, and maybe even H-beta and SII filters as well for narrow band photography...

To choose the right bundle with the right sized filters and filter wheel, please read the following section...

LIMITING FOCAL RATIO

Please note that the sensor diagonal size is very close to the internal clear aperture of a 1.25" filter, therefore with very fast telescopes or if you will use the camera with a fast photographic lens, telephoto lens etc. there might be vignetting. (lens with small f-ratio: photographers call it a fast lens because it takes less time to achieve the same brightness of the image)

The limiting focal ratio with the ZWO manual filter wheel depends on the thickness of the filter glass and its clear aperture. The latter is usually 24 or 26mm for 1.25" filters. The cheaper ZWO LRGB filters that were developed for planetary imaging have 24mm clear aperture, but fortunately, the new LRGB filter that were developed for the ASI1600MM and ASI1600MM-COOLED cameras have 26mm clear aperture...

Earlier calculations were approximate figures as those were based on assumptions rather that precise measurements as at that time we did not yet have the new filters and electronic filter wheels in stock.

We have now took some measurements and recalculated the limiting f-ratio and to our surprise the results are much better, there will be much less vignetting...

limiting focal ratio= (filter to sensor distance + thickness of filter) / (filter clear aperture - sensor diagonal size)

Calculation for a 1.25" filter with 2mm glass (EFWMini or EFW 8*1.25"/31mm)

(8.4mm + 6.5mm + 2mm + maybe 2mm more due to the cell) / (26mm - 21.9mm) = f/4.6

(f/4.85 with 3mm glass and f/5.1 with 4mm glass)

good for a fast newtonian at f/5 or SCT at f/6.3

Calculation for a 31mm filter with 2mm glass (EFWMini or EFW 8*1.25"/31mm):

(8.4mm + 6.5mm + 2mm) / (28mm - 21.9mm) = f/2.8

(f/2.94 with 3mm glass and f/3.1 with 4mm glass)

this would be good for a fast Newtonian or APO at f/4 or even faster...or to be used with a telephoto lens at f/2.8 or slower

Calculation for a 36mm filter with 2mm glass (EFW 7*36mm):

(8.5mm + 6.5mm +2mm) / (35mm - 21.9mm) = f/1.3

(f/1.38 with 3mm glass and f/1.45 with 4mm filter glass)

so this would be good for imaging with a really fast dSLR camera lens at f/1.4 (or slower) or maybe even with a really large SCT with a Hyperstar at f/2 (wouldn't make sense for a 8", 9.25" or maybe not even for 11" SCT to use a filter wheel in front position with a Hyperstar, but I could imagine a 14" SCT with a Hyperstar in that sort of configuration...although for any Hyperstar we would usually recommend Starizona's own filter drawer instead of a filter wheel...

Features of the NEW ZWO ASI1600MM Monochrome Camera
Recommended for Deep Sky Imaging as well as the Sun, Moon and planets at very high resolution (this monochrome version is also an excellent choice for Solar imaging)
(To image the Sun you'll have to use a proper front solar filter or Herschel wedge depending on your telescope. Please contact us if not sure!)
Resolution: 16MPixel 4656X3520 at up to 23fps
Pixel Size: 3.8µm
Exposure range: 32µs - 2000s!
Read Noise: 1.2e @ 30dB gain
Full Well: 20ke
ADC: 12 bit
Cooling: 40 - 45 degrees below ambient (obviously, only on cooled versions)
Standard Autoguider Port
Built-in RAW mode and Grey mode output support. Only about 30% storage space required compared to the Color data format!
Peak Quantum Efficiency: TBC
Full aluminum housing with standard 2" interface
M42X0.75 internal thread.

Specification of ZWO ASI1600MM

Camera technical details

Sensor: 4/3″ CMOS
Diagonal: 21.9mm
Resolution: 16Mega Pixels 4656×3520
Pixel Size: 3.8µm
Max FPS at full resolution :23FPS
Exposure Range: 32µs-2000s
Read Noise: 1.2e @30db gain
QE peak: TBD
Full well: 20ke
ADC:12bit
Interface: USB3.0/USB2.0
Adaptor: 2″ / 1.25″ / M42X0.75
Protect window: AR window
Dimensions: φ62mm X 41mm
Weight: 140g
Back Focus Distance: 6.5mm
Working Temperature: -5°C—45°C
Storage Temperature: -20°C—60°C
Working Relative Humidity: 20%—80%
Storage Relative Humidity: 20%—95%

Supported resolution

12Bit ADC
4656×3520 14.7fps
3840×2160 23.1fps
1920×1680 32.9fps
1280×960 47.1fps
640×480 80.4fps
320×240 124.4fps

10Bit ADC
4656×3520 23fps
3840×2160 36.2fps
1920×1680 57.7fps
1280×960 73.6fps
640×480 125.7fps
320×240 192.4fps

More resolutions are user defined

Some items that are showing as in stock are in stock at our holding warehouses, not at the shop. To double check the stock levels at the shop, please contact us on 01909774369 or sales@rothervalleyoptics.co.uk.

The delivery times for most items is 1 - 2 days but again, please double check stock levels on important orders before placing an order via the website.

The delivery costs for courier next day are for mainland UK only. If you live in the Scottish Highlands/Islands, Channel Islands or Northern Ireland, then a shipping surchage will apply. please contact us for prices. Smaller items can still go 1st class via Royal Mail.

Please note that if you are wanting to take advantage of our Saturday and Sunday timed services or next day pre 12 or pre 10:30 services, you MUST check that the stock is here at the shop before placing orders. Also, orders using the Saturday and Sunday services must be placed before 1pm the previous working day. Also, please remember to check that the stock is here at the shop before placing orders. If the stock is not at the shop, we won't be able to ship on any of the timed services. 

Please note International customers will need to contact us for a shipping price prior to ordering via the website. We don't ship all items internationally. It is at our discretion what we ship outside of the UK. This all depends on the size and weight of the items. Please get in touch with us for any postage costs. Please note we do NOT ship telescopes or heavy items outside of the UK. This is due to massive postage costs and problems regarding returns.

If you have any questions regarding stock levels or delivery, please get in touch.

Zygo Interferometer Testing For ED Refractor Telescopes!

We are extremely pleased to announce our Zygo Interferometer is now installed and ready for use! Our experienced staff can test refractor lenses up to 120mm aperture and provide a comprehensive 2 page report showing the optical quality and Strehl ratio, plus much more information. We are using the very latest Zygo MX software to provide a more detailed report compared to other standard reports.

The interferometer is essentially a measuring instrument. Within the interferometer is a calibrated laser that is pointed through the optical test surface, then onto a high quality reference sphere, then back through the test subject then to an internal camera which gives us the measurement on the screen. From this, we can adjust the position of the test optic and the reference sphere to obtain a perfectly calibrated system. The more central the laser to the test optic and then on return, the better and more accurate reading and measurement we can take. This takes a lot of adjustment to get the best results from the optical surface. Once the measurement has been taken, we are provided with a series of results that show the optical quality of the surface plus other information. Continue reading for an explanation of the individual values and you can also see a test report that was done on one of our RVO Horizon 60 OTAs. 

We are offering certain telescopes with a Zygo test at an extra cost. Mainly ED doublets and triplets. All available telescopes with a Zygo test report are listed here. Just select Zygo Test Report from the drop down box at the top of the listing and we will test the optics in house and provide a full 2 page report with your scope. This will show you the optical quality of your telescope optics. We can also offer this service on your refractor telescope. Please get in touch for more details about this. 

At Rother Valley Optics, one thing we pride ourselves on is customer service and quality of our equipment. When we test your telescope, we will ensure that it is of the highest quality otherwise, we will reject the scope under our strict quality control and test another model for your peace of mind. One of the main values to look at when testing a refractor is the Strehl ratio. The higher this number, the higher quality lens you have. At Rother Valley Optics, we will guarantee the highest possible Strehl ratio for your telescope.  We will aim to provide 0.95 Strehl or higher on Takahashi, RVO Horizon, William Optics and many more! Generally, the higher the Strehl ratio, the lower the Astigmatism and Coma meaning a better image quality from your instrument. 

Other measurements such as the PV and RMS are important too. With these measurements, the lower the number the better as it shows less curvature on the lens. The flatter an optical lens, the better it will perform. The PV rating (Peak To Valley) is a measurement from the highest point (Peak) to the lowest point (Valley). From this we get the RMS (Root, Mean, Square). This is a similar figure to the PV and measured exactly the same way. The RMS is basically an average height difference from the PV so again, the lower the better. As you can see form the example below, we measured an RMS of just 0.027 wave which is a very good value.

We also measure the Power with our systems which is essentially the error from the reference sphere to the test optic. The reference sphere we use on our system is a very high quality sphere so the closer to zero the Power, the less error between the 2 elements thus ensuring a higher quality optical surface. 

You will also see some more values such as Astigmatism and Coma. Again, these are measured by the interferometer when we take measurements of the optical surface after adjustment. These are values which ideally would be at 0 but as our test optics are all curved lenses, there will always be astigmatism and coma present. The lower the number, the less of these aberations you will effectively see but with most refractors, you can buy field flatteners which will compensate for the coma anyway. The astigmatisms value is explaining the error between the symmetrical curvature of the lens. Basically, no lens will be perfectly symmetrical, the lower the astigmatism, the more symmetrical the lens surface is. 

Once the Zygo test report has been completed, the optical alignment is thoroughly tested and tuned to ensure they are spot on before they leave us. 

All available telescopes are on the website at the link below and ones we've tested already that are available straight away are also listed.

https://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/zygo-tested-refractors.html

Here is an example of the test what we provide. This was a test on one of our Horizon 60 ED OTA's.

For any questions about this amazing new service, please either call 01909774369 or email sales@rothervalleyoptics.co.uk.

Are you interested in this product but would like to speak to someone with some more information? Simply fill in the form below and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

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