ZWO ASI290MM USB 3.0 Monochrome CMOS Camera

The ZWO ASI290MM comes with a back-illuminated, 6.46mm diagonal size (type 1/2.8") Square Pixel Array Monochrome CMOS Image Sensor with IMPROVED VISIBLE LIGHT and NEAR INFRARED SENSITIVITY that supports 1080p.

Sony has developed the approx. 2.13M effective pixel back-illuminated CMOS image sensors IMX290LQR and IMX291LQR with improved sensitivity in the visible-light and near infrared light regions for industrial applications.
A new 2.9 µm-square unit pixel has been developed that combines a back-illuminated structure with technology for improving near infrared sensitivity to further enhance picture quality at low illumination while at the same time realizing Full HD cameras for industrial applications. This realizes two or more times the sensitivity in the visible-light region and three or more times the sensitivity in the near infrared light region than that of the existing Sony product (IMX236LQJ).

The result is extremely low read noise, an amazing 1e at 30dB gain and high sensitivity especially in the near IR range.

The characteristics of this camera suggest that with its very high sensitivity, low noise, small pixel sizes, comparatively high resolution and very high framerate this camera might become our lead planetary imager.

It is not meant to compete with an ASI174, ASI178 or ASI185 as those are more suited for a more versatile task when imaging larger objects; i.e. the ASI174 is excellent for imaging the Sun, the Moon and other larger objects or well suited for planets when used with very large telescopes, however the ASI290 will work very well with smaller telescopes when imaging really tiny objects like Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, Venus, etc or maybe even small DSOs.

The ASI290MM camera comes with USB3.0 connection that gives you the opportunity to use it with newer laptops and is backward compatible with USB2.0. High framerates are not a guarantee for excellent images, but certainly helpful if other circumstances are given and especially helpful for the weather conditions of the average UK sky. There is no USB 2.0 version of this camera as that simply won't be enough to use the camera's possible high framerate, plus, for the same reason, we would really recommend to use it with USB3.0 compatible hardware as that's the only way to achieve very high framerates...Never-the-less it is backward compatible with USB2.0 computers where a lower framerate can be achieved.

Due to the high IR sensitivity and the various ways that this camera can be used, IR cut-off fiter is not built in so we would also recommend to buy it separately as well.

It comes with an AUTOGUIDER PORT just as many other ZWO cameras, so when you don't use it for imaging, you may use it for guiding in combination with another deep sky imaging camera!

This camera will mostly be used for imaging planets, but it can also be used for imaging small deep sky objects up to a certain level as it supports up to 2000 seconds exposure time.

Due to the fact that in a monochrome camera photons of the full spectrum hit each pixel, these produce more date for the same overall resolution, however you'll have to do a little bit of extra work with post processing. 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 astro photography...)

Features of the ZWO ASI290MM Camera
Recommended for the planets and some small deep sky objects
Resolution: 1936×1096 at up 82fps (at 12bit ADC) or 170fps (at 10 bit ADC)
Long time exposure up to 2000s!
Autoguider Port
Very low read noise (1e)
High Sensitivity, especially in IR range
Full aluminum housing with standard 2" interface
M42X0.75 internal thread.
T-thread to C-mount adapter included

Specification of ZWO ASI290MC USB3.0

Sensor: 1/2.8″ CMOS IMX290/IMX291
Resolution: 2.1Mega Pixels 1936×1096
Pixel Size: 2.9µm
Exposure Range: 32µs-2000s
ROI: Supported
ST4 Guider Port: Yes
Focus Distance to Sensor: 12.5mm
Shutter Type: Rolling Shutter
Protect window: AR coated window
Operating System Compatibility: Mac, Windows, Linux
Interface: USB3.0/USB2.0
Bit rate: 12bit output(12bit ADC)
Adaptor: 2″ / 1.25″ / M42X0.75
Dimension: φ62mm X 36mm
Weight: 120g or 4.2 ounces (without lens)
Working Temperature: -5°C—45°C
Storage Temperature: -20°C—60°C
Working Relative Humidity: 20%—80%
Storage Relative Humidity: 20%—95%

Supported resolution

USB2.0 MAX FPS
1936×1096: 20.4
1280×960: 35.3
640×480: 141.5
320×240: 355.9
2X2Bin :968×548: 20.4

USB3.0 MAX FPS(12bit/10bit)
1936×1096: 82.2/170
1280×960: 93.6/193.9
640×480: 184/381.2
320×240: 355.9/737.5
2X2Bin :968×548: 82.2/170

More resolutions can be 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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