Atik Horizon II mono CCD camera.
Atik Horizon II is the first Atik CMOS camera. It houses a 16MP sensor with exceptionally low read noise and incredibly fast readout speeds. With Atik's traditionally fantastic combination of design and functionality, the new Atik Horizon II features a high-resolution 16 megapixel sensor at a very competitive price. This makes it an excellent choice if you are looking to upgrade your DSLR, or have an optical system that would benefit from shorter exposure times.
With extensive experience in hardware and software design, Atik Horizon II is a new step forward in optimized deep-sky CMOS cameras. Atik is known for its low-noise electronics, and Horizon has the lowest read noise yet, only ~ 1e, at high gain settings. This is the first Atik camera to offer adjustable gain. The 3.8 μm pixel size is an excellent match for shorter focal lengths; good news if you're looking for a wide field of view.
Mechanically, the Horizon is based on the Atik 4-series cameras, known for their power and adaptability. With a cylindrical housing measuring 74 mm in diameter and 130 mm in length, it is compatible with 8" HyperStar systems. The slight increase in size in the 4 series is to provide a large cooling delta of -40°C below ambient temperature. This keeps thermal noise under control, wherever in the world you look from.
The Atik Horizon II is natively compatible with Atik's Infinity live-stacking software to give you incredible views of the night sky in a near real-time environment. This is not only great for video astronomers and astronomical outreach, but also makes accessing astrophotography a breeze. Thus, an initial processing of the images is done on the fly quickly, minimizing the learning curve that many people experience when starting out in astrophotography.
Key features:
- Continuous live stacking
- Flexible histogram control, including auto-stretch functions
- YouTube live streaming integration
- Interactive session replay
- Focus monitoring and assistance tools
- Saves in FIT, PNG, JPG and TIFF formats
The Horizon II is also fully compatible with Atik's famous Artemis Capture image capture software that gives you full control over your images. A full ASCOM driver is also provided so you can use it with your preferred control software.
From the outset, the Atik Horizon II offered to you at Telescopiomania has benefited from a built-in 256mb DDR3 image buffer to eliminate amplifier glare and other artifacts caused by data transfer via USB2, all while avoiding problems with dropped frames. This allows for a flawless and fast imaging experience, whether you are taking advantage of the flexibility and low weight of the USB2 cable, or the fast data transfer speeds of USB3.
Atik's experience working with demanding scientific applications has provided an advanced understanding and improved design of sealing techniques. These new designs allow you to create a condensation-free environment, which means your desiccant lasts much longer between recharges. The same fused quartz cover glass as the Atik 383L+ is also used to prevent condensation from forming on the outside of the glass when the chamber has cooled. This additional level of performance and reliability means you can spend less time maintaining your equipment and more time observing.
what's in the box?
- Camera body with 2" adapter
- USB 3.0 cable
- USB 2.0 cable
- 1.8 meter battery power connector
- CD-ROM with drivers, software and user manual (PDF)
- Quick Start Guide (paper)
- Desiccant compartment tool
- A universal power adapter (110-230 V) is optional
Technical specifications:
- Sensor type: Panasonic MN34230 4/3 "CMOS
- Horizontal resolution: 4644 pixels
- Vertical resolution: 3506 pixels
- Pixel size: 3.8 μm x 3.8 μm
- ADC: 12 bit
- Read noise: ~ 1e- at x30 gain
- Gain factor: Variable 1 - x60
- Full well: ~ 20,000e-
- Dark current: 0.016 e- / pix / s at -10 ° C
- DDR3 256 mb image buffer
- Interface: USB 2.0 or USB 3.0
- Power: 12v DC 2A
- Maximum exposure length: unlimited
- Minimum exposure length: 18μs
- Cooling: thermoelectric set point with max ΔT => - 40°C
- Approximate weight: 525g
- Backfocus: 13mm ± 0.5
- Front thread: M42x0.75
- Available as mono or color
- System requirements: Windows 10 / Vista / Win7 / Win8 (no RT)
The new Horizon II offers two additional capture modes:
- Power Saving Mode: enables the highest quality images to be taken.
- Fast mode: increases the frame rate to 8 fps (or 100 fps with subframing). The Horizon II can now be used for planetary photography.
Atik Horizon II mono CCD camera.
