ZWO ASI 715MC color camera

The ZWO ASI 715MC colour camera is not only a great camera for the Sun, Moon and planets, but also for more compact depth-of-field objects due to its sensor size and resolution. Of course, it also makes a good driving camera. This model has also successfully eliminated the "amp glow" or "flare" effect that can occur when the signal is amplified.

Sony's backlight IMX715 sensor features higher sensitivity (80% QE) and lower readout noise than previous models.The 46 megapixel (3864x2192) sensor is passively cooled by a "heat pad", allowing it to operate at temperatures up to 15°C lower for long shutter speeds. In contrast to monochrome cameras, colour, so-called "single shot" cameras simplify the work of those who prefer not to shoot with L-RGB colour filtering. As the camera does not have a built-in UV/IR filter, it remains particularly sensitive to infrared.

The camera has a USB 3.0 connector, which allows for much higher image transfer speeds, meaning that more shots can be captured in a given amount of time at a larger image size, but is also compatible with the USB 2.0 standard. This is of most importance when shooting the Moon and Sun, but less so when capturing the planets. The ST4 port also allows it to be used as a guide camera. The camera can capture moving images at 45.1 fps, or frames per second, for planetary, lunar and solar imaging. It can even be used for EAA, or real-time digital astronomy, so you can observe objects in a group session.

The ASI 715MC also features a standard 1/4-inch photo mount on the back of the camera, which can be used to mount the camera on a tripod, for example, if you want to use it with the fisheye lens included in the basic package.

There are a number of free image capture software downloads available on the internet, and for Windows we particularly recommend SharpCap and FireCapture. The cameras require Windows XP or later, but can also be used under Linux and even Macintosh support (we recommend USB 3 versions)