Orion USA StarShoot Pro V2.0 Deep Space CCD Colour Imaging Camera

• High-resolution 6.1-megapixel CCD colour astro camera offered at unprecedented low price!
• Sony 1.8" format (23.4mm x 15.6mm) CCD chip features 3032 x 2016 pixel array.
• Thermoelectric cooling plus rear fan dramatically minimize thermal noise for smoother images.
• 16-bit dynamic range yields better image depth than all but the priciest DSLRs.
• Over four times more pixels than like-priced astro cams; <1/3 the price of other 6MP astro cams.
• Optional ASCOM drivers available, allowing use with many other types of imaging software. 

The Orion USA StarShoot Pro V2.0 brings cooled, multi-megapixel high-resolution colour imaging performance into the realm of never-before-seen affordability.

This latest addition to the StarShoot line features a big 1.8" format (23.4mm x 15.6mm) Sony 6.1-megapixel colour CCD chip with a 3032 x 2016 pixel array. That gives the Pro more than 6.5 times the light collecting area and over four times as many pixels as similarly priced astronomical CCD cameras. In fact, it uses the same chip found in competitors' cameras costing over $4,000! The Pro's 7.8µ x 7.8µ pixel size provides an excellent balance between high resolution and sensitivity. You'll get beautiful, detail-rich shots with enough resolution to make large-format colour prints suitable for framing!

Like all StarShoot cameras, the Pro is thermoelectrically cooled (TEC) to dramatically reduce thermal noise in your images. There's even a small fan on the rear housing to enhance cooling efficiency even more. Compare that to the competition's similarly priced imager, which has neither TEC nor a fan. The Pro renders full 16-bit dynamic range -- better than most DSLRs, which offer only 10- to 14-bit A/D conversion. Also unlike DSLRs, the Pro has no mechanical shutter or mirror to cause vibration problems and eventually wear out.

The StarShoot Pro incorporates many other desirable features, including a 2x2 binning option, subframe downloading, internal IR-cut filter, exposure range from 0.002 seconds to 9.3 hours, and high-speed USB 2.0 connectivity for speedy image downloading. Power to the camera, TEC, and fan is supplied by a single 12-volt DC cigarette-lighter plug on a 10' cable, which you connect to your 12-volt field battery. No other batteries are needed. Also included is a custom hard carrying case.

Just because the StarShoot Pro is advanced doesn't mean it's complicated. It is just as user friendly as our lower-resolution StarShoot colour cameras. It comes with the highly-rated MaxIm DL Essentials Edition software, which provides real-time focusing assistance, easy image capture, and powerful image combining and processing tools. But the easy-to-use Pro, with its huge increase in pixel count and chip size, will give intermediate and advanced users truly formidable imaging capability, and beginning astrophotographers a high-quality camera that they won't soon outgrow.

Just compare the features and specs of the Orion StarShoot Pro with any competitor's similarly priced CCD astro camera. Or compare the price of the StarShoot Pro with that of other 6-megapixel CCD astro cameras. Either way, you will realize just how revolutionary the StarShoot Pro really is. Order yours today!

Additional Specifications:

• Power requirements: 12 volts DC, 1 ampere
• TEC performance: 30°C below ambient
• Full frame download time: 5 seconds minimum (depending on user's CPU speed)
• Inward focus requirement: 18mm
• Dimensions: 6.44" wide x 2.34" long (with nosepiece)