Refrigerated Monochrome Camera ZWO ASI585MM-P

Key Features

• Sony IMX585 1/1.2" black-and-white CMOS sensor with 8.3 million pixels (2.9µ)
• Up to 46 fps at full resolution
• Built-in cooling for long exposure images
• For deep sky, solar and lunar images
• This camera requires an 11-15v power supply to operate

The ZWO ASI585MM-PRO camera is equipped with an 8.29 million pixel (3840 x 2160 px), 12.84 mm diagonal color CMOS sensor. At full resolution, the maximum frame rate is 46 fps, with a dynamic range of 12 bits. Three outstanding features are its total absence of electroluminescence, very high near-infrared sensitivity and very low readout noise. Cooling below an ambient temperature of 35 °C is available in this version thanks to the action of a Peltier module and a silent fan that considerably reduce thermal noise.

Main features of the camera ZWO ASI585MM-Pro

With its 1/1.2" sensor format, the ZWO ASI585MM-PRO camera is suitable for lunar and solar imaging. It can also be used as an all-sky camera (observatory cloud cover monitoring), to capture meteors or to monitor meteorological phenomena. Thanks to its cooling system, it can take images of the deep sky (nebulae/galaxies) at long exposures.

Sensor performance

Designed by Sony for surveillance and security applications, the IMX585 sensor is based on the STARVIS 2 architecture. It incorporates powerful functions that produce bright, high-contrast images with high dynamic range, even in extremely limited lighting conditions. It incorporates powerful functions to produce bright, high-contrast images with high dynamic range, even in extremely limited lighting conditions. The main technology consists of illuminating the photosites from behind; the sensor is called "backside illuminated" (or BSI, Backside Illumination sensor). This technique reduces the distance light has to travel through the sensor and reduces photon blocking by non-photosensitive electronics. Sensitivity increases considerably, even in very low light conditions. The sensor is also extremely efficient in the near infrared (NIR), a spectral band preferred by planetary astrophotographers because it is less sensitive to atmospheric turbulence.

Equivalent quantum efficiency of the ASI585MM-PRO color camera sensor as a function of wavelength

The camera incorporates a HCG (high conversion gain) function that can reduce reproduction noise at high gain while retaining the high dynamic range that would be obtained at low gain. This HCG mode is automatically activated as soon as the gain reaches 252.

Pixel capacity, gain, dynamic range and readout noise of ZWO camera ASI585MC-PRO

Comparison between ASI585MM/MC and ASI485MM/MC

The ZWO ASI585 cameras are considered an evolution of the ASI485 model. There are many improvements: no electroluminescence, lower dark current and 3 times higher pixel capacity. It also has higher sensitivity in the green, red and near infrared than the ASI485; it is even 1.5 times more sensitive at wavelengths above 850 nm.

Comparison of the main features of the cameras ZWO ASI585MM/MC and ASI485MM/MC

Dark current

Dark current as a function of temperature for the camera ZWO ASI585MM-Pro

Mounting Mechanics

The ASI585MM-PRO has an M42 female inlet thread, which provides a 17.5 mm back focus. If you remove the female adapter, you will have access to an M42x0.75 male thread. In this case, the back focus is 6.5 mm. In this case, the back focus is 6.5 mm. The female adapter is preferable if you want to integrate other accessories ZWO (filter wheel or optical splitter) into the instrument's focuser.

A mechanical M42 to 31.75 mm male converter is supplied, together with a 2 m USB cable and an ST4 autoguider cable.

Software

As with all cameras ZWO, the primary and most comprehensive camera control software is ASIStudio, downloadable free from the manufacturer's website ZWO. The brand also offers a free SDK (Software Development Kit) for many free or paid software packages to natively support ZWO cameras: Prism, NINA, FireCapture, MaximDL, SharpCap, PHD2, AllSkEye, etc. We invite you to consult the specific documentation of these softwares for their compatibility level or visit the ZWO website for an exhaustive list.

ZWO also offers a unified ASCOM driver to control all your accessories through the ASCOM/Alpaca platform. This driver can be downloaded free of charge from the ZWO website.

For Linux and Mac users, the Indi or Indigo drivers are free and available on the websites of these platforms. Control is via KStars/Ekos (for Linux) and AstroImager/AstroTelescope software from CloudMakers (for Mac).

Finally, the cameras ZWO can be accessed through video drivers such as DirectShow or TWAIN. For more details, visit the ZWO website.

Images

Thor's Helmet, Dean Linic

NGC3372, Simon Lewis

Jupiter, Jim Rivera

Moon, Christopher Schementi

WHAT'S INCLUDED