With its back-illuminated 4K CMOS image sensor, the camera delivers outstanding sensitivity, particularly in the near-infrared range. When paired with an 850nm IR-Pass filter or an 890nm methane filter, it can record impressive infrared views of planets like Jupiter and Saturn.
STARVIS is Sony’s advanced sensor technology designed to exceed the sensitivity of the human eye. STARVIS 2 further improves upon it by offering an even wider dynamic range. Equipped with this enhanced technology, the ASI678MM camera features reduced readout noise, lower dark current, and a significant boost in near-infrared sensitivity.
The camera includes a USB 3.0 data interface along with a built-in 256MB DDR3 buffer, providing stable and reliable data transfer. During long-exposure imaging, this helps prevent dropped frames and greatly minimizes glow artifacts caused by slow readout speeds.
The ASI678MM represents a complete upgrade compared with the ASI178 series.
The ASI678MM produces zero amp glow regardless of exposure time or gain level.
Note: This is achieved through hardware-level design and requires no software compensation.
A built-in High Conversion Gain (HCG) mode effectively reduces readout noise at high gain. This enables the camera to preserve nearly the same high dynamic range it has at low gain. Once the gain reaches 182, HCG activates automatically. At this point, readout noise drops to just 0.8e, and the dynamic range remains close to 11 stops.
Quantum efficiency and readout noise are crucial factors in evaluating a camera’s performance. Higher QE and lower noise contribute directly to an improved signal-to-noise ratio.
The ASI678MM exhibits significantly lower dark current than the ASI178, resulting in better overall signal-to-noise performance. Comparing dark frames from both models easily shows that the ASI678MM frame appears much smoother and cleaner.
➤ 1× ZWO ASI678MM Camera Body
➤ 1× 1.25" Nosepiece
➤ 1× 1.25" Cover
➤ 1× USB 3.0 Cable (2m)
➤ 1× ST4 Guiding Cable
➤ 1× Quick Start Guide
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Sensor | Sony IMX678, 1/1.8" CMOS |
| Resolution | 3840 × 2160 (4K UHD) |
| Pixel Size | 2.0µm |
| Max Frame Rate | 47.5 FPS |
| Quantum Efficiency (QE) Peak | 83% |
| Read Noise | 0.6e – 3.5e |
| Full Well Capacity | 11.27Ke |
| Dynamic Range | ~11 stops |
| Back Focus | 12.5 mm |
| Shutter | Rolling |
| ADC | 12-bit |
| Sensor Diagonal | 8.86 mm |
