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I'm considering using either the ASI2400MC or the ASI6200MC camera with my RC12 Truss for astrophotography, but I'm trying to weigh the pros and cons of each. Specifically, I'm interested in factors like sensor performance, dynamic range, resolution, and any practical differences when paired with my RC12 setup. My Bortle sky is rated at 7 to 8, so I'm dealing with significant light pollution. Additionally, I'm not ready to transition to a mono camera yet, so ease of use and performance in my current setup are important factors. For example, how do these cameras handle long exposures or faint details in deep-sky objects under these conditions? Are there any particular challenges or advantages I should be aware of? I'd love to hear from anyone who has experience with these cameras or similar setups. Your insights would be greatly appreciated!
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I use a 2400 with my AGO 12.5 IDK. I love it, at .58 arc sec per pixel it better match guide accuracy as well. Im in bortle 4/5 and I do 5 min rgb and 10 min using the 5 nm duoband filters. Take a look at my images id is menelmacar.
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I have used 6200MM and still using it, the same pixel size 2600MM on C11HD is perfect in my Bortle 6-7 balcony. The better thing is if I will use the camera on a smaller scope with shorter FL, 6200 is better, but if you only use on this long FL scope, budget is somehow limited, 2400MC should also work with larger pixels, I usually do binning on my C11HD too. Considering up to B8 light pollution, you may need narrowband filters often, you may consider mono setups again i guess.
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I have had the 2400MC for about 3 years now and is the camera I use for wide field astrophotography. It's compatible with my Fluorstar 120, SkyWatcher Esprit 150ED and Stellarvue SVX130T. I have no issues with ampglow and QE is very good for a color camera. I usually shoot with a gain of 120 which seems to work very well. I'd recommend it without reservation. The Astronomy Tools calculator will tell you if it's suitable for your set-up. Clear skies, Pat |
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Some basic feedback. I have both a 2400MC and 2600MM with filter wheel. The 2600 has the same pixel scale as the 6200, but at APS-C size frame instead of full frame. The 2400 is probably a better match for a longer focal length scope. If your RC is 2000-2500mm focal length, the 5.94um pixels of the 2400 will already be at 0.5-0.6 "/pixel (or less) which is probably oversampling for almost anywhere except a pristine mountaintop. The 6200 would be 0.3-0.4 "/pixel which is way oversampled and you would not be gaining anything at all. Both cameras are full frame so you get the same framing. The 2400 has DEEP wells (100k electrons) so you will be able to take longer exposures without saturating. Both cameras have produced great images for me. Low noise, easy to configure and use, and so on. The 2600MM with filters and filter wheel involves a bit more processing, plus the cost of the wheel and filters, of course. But it's a fun bit of learning. I would shy away from the ASI filter wheels. I had two issues that took some learning to get over. One is that the wheel needs to be balanced (full of filters or filters evenly spaced) or it will rotate under gravity depending on the scope position. The motor has no "hold" current and the wheel is free to rotate. The second issue is repositioning. The wheel will rotate in either direction, but where it stops can be different if it is rotating clockwise or anticlockwise. So when planning an imaging sequence, I just arrange so the wheel always approaches each filter position from the same direction. Maybe they have fixed the drivers so you can shut off the bidirectional feature, but that didn't work last time I checked. Best of luck. Wayne |
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I use a 2400 with my AGO 12.5 IDK. I love it, at .58 arc sec per pixel it better match guide accuracy as well. Im in bortle 4/5 and I do 5 min rgb and 10 min using the 5 nm duoband filters. Take a look at my images id is menelmacar. Wow, your images are incredible! The ASI2400MC seems like a perfect fit for your setup. I also have the 0.8x reducer, which brings my RC’s field of view close to that of the AGO IDK. It’s fascinating to see how different configurations influence the final results. Thanks for sharing your insights—I really appreciate it! |
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Wayne Malkin: Hi Wayne, Thank you for your insightful feedback! I really appreciate you sharing your experience with both the ASI2400MC and ASI2600MM. Your input about the ASI filter wheel was incredibly helpful. I wasn’t aware of the issue with the ZWO filter wheel, but I actually got mine about a month ago. I’ll definitely take your advice into account and work on adjusting the filter wheel configurations to ensure smooth operation. Thanks again for pointing out the potential challenges, it’s always great to learn from the experiences of others! It’s great to hear that both cameras have performed well for you, and I completely agree that the deep wells on the 2400MC make it an excellent choice for longer exposures. I’m looking forward to seeing how everything comes together in my setup. Clear skies, Fernando |
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Patrick Graham: Hi Patrick, Thank you for sharing your experience with the ASI2400MC! It’s great to hear that you’ve had success with it over the years, and I appreciate the details about the different scopes you’ve used it with. Amp glow issues can be a real concern, so it’s reassuring to know that the 2400MC handles it well. CS, Fernando |
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YingtianZZZ: Hi YingtianZZZ, Thank you for sharing your experience with the ASI6200MM! It’s great to hear that it has worked well for you, especially in a Bortle 6-7 environment. Your insights on pixel size and binning are really helpful, and I appreciate the perspective on using the 6200 for shorter focal length scopes. At this point, I’m still sticking with a color setup and not quite ready to transition to a mono camera yet. I know there are advantages, especially for narrowband imaging, but for now, I’m focusing on optimizing my current setup. Thanks again for your valuable input! CS, Fernando |
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Looking forward to seeing your images with it!! Pat |
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I pair an ASI2400MC pro with my RASA 11. I guess you'd have to have deep pockets to have both the 6200 and 2400… but as far as I can see, they are both cameras of high quality. The choice mostly comes down to pixel size and how that works with your set up. Although the 6200 would perhaps give me a more satisfactory resolution, the larger pixels of the 2400 help a bit with tilt management. NB HCG mode kicks in at gain 140 - this is the more normal choice for gain than the 120 mentioned above. And yes, the full well is 100,000 - but that is only available at Gain 0. With HCG mode, a similar DR is achieved. |
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Patrick Graham: When the gain is raised to 140, HCG mode is activated. The readout noise will be reduced from 5e- to 1.5e- and your picture will gain SNR. Full well asi2400 is actually 100ke- but taking into account readout noise, you are left with about 15300e-. This value is within 14 bits. The ASI6200 is not worse at all= 14600e- The 5% difference is completely negligible. |
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The 2400 is basically just the 6200 resampled. The only real reasons to go for the 2400 are the lower cost and the smaller file size. The 6200 also has slightly better QE.
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I can only speak from experience with the 2400 MC. I love it-it is a great little camera and fits my 13" 1600mm FL newt very well. I am coming form a FF modified DSLR so I have no other cameras to reference. But for OSC it really shines with the gain at 140 at -10C. Sensitivity is great and I am in B7 sky. Otherwise, shooting with it feels similar to my DSLR-just more DR, for sure. I'd recommend it. Tom |
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You didn't say what you are controlling the rig with, but if it is ASIair, stay away from the 6200. The AA can't handle the file sizes of the 6200. I migrated to NINA after trying the 6200MM on an AA. The AA would time out on PA and AF. Also, the AA would drop the network connection when processing and displaying the image due to the file size. The 120MB file sizes eat up some storage space, so there's that. Having said that, I prefer the 6200 where the image circle is sufficient to handle FF. I also have the 2600MC and the 294MC. I can't speak to the 2400. One other feature of the 6200 is ROI.
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Tom Marsala: Thanks for sharing your technique with the 2400MC. I'll try the 140 gain and -10. I've only used a gain of 120. |
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Tom Marsala: Hi Tom, thanks for sharing your experience with the ASI2400MC! I’m curious, how do you find it handles noise reduction in post-processing compared to your DSLR? Also, do you usually stick with gain 140 for all targets, or do you adjust it based on conditions? Appreciate your thoughts! |
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DavesView: Hi DavesView, thanks for sharing your experience with the ASI6200 and ASIair! I actually already have the ASI2600MC and use N.I.N.A. for my imaging sessions, so I’m glad to hear you migrated to it as well. Given your experience, do you think the 6200 would still be a worthwhile upgrade for me, or would the 2400 be the better choice considering file size and handling in N.I.N.A.? Appreciate your thoughts! |
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F. Londe:DavesView: I am unfamiliar with the 2400, but I really like the 6200MM. I prefer NINA over the AA+, but the AA+ is a nice set it and forget it compact rig when it comes to my ASI2600MC on my RedCat51. As far as my NINA setup, I have a Ryzen7 with 64GB of ram and 4TB of storage sitting on top of a UPBv3, and all of it riding on top of the scope, so data transfer is near instantaneous. A power cable and ethernet cable are the only hanging cables. The 6200 does require lots of power and I accomplish that with the Pegasus 20 amp brick and the UPBv3. When I migrated to NINA, I also moved to an OnStep WD-20 mount, so it was 2 months of disgust before I was back imaging. The learning curve and additional soft tools/settings were tremendous. You are using a whole different class of scope (size matters) than I am, so there are considerations that you might have that I am totally unaware of. |
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F. Londe:Tom Marsala: Noise handling is so much better, especially in the shadows. I will credit the Back-side-illuminated sensor and the cooling for that. Yes, I am using 140 for my gain for everything. I am only a year into using it and I have not experimented with 100 yet. But I can't wait to try the full well-depth that it offers. Any sub without a filter I try and keep the exposure at a minimum and I feel that 140 helps with that. But I speak from inexperience with it. I have used a DSLR for years and have always kept the ISO higher and constant at the cost of losing dynamic range. |
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Big thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and advice, it really helped me out! I’ve decided to go with the ASI2400MC, and I’m super excited to start using it. Looking forward to sharing my results with you all. Clear skies, Fernando |
