ZWO ASI585MC Pro Discovery Astrophotography Instruction Manual

ZWO ASI585MC Pro Discovery Astrophotography

Product Information

• Specifications:
  • Model: ASI585MC Pro
  • Sensor: 4k SONY CMOS sensor
  • Format: 1/1.2
  • Pixel Size: 2.9μm
  • Resolution: 3840 x 2160 (8.29MP)
  • Frame Rate: Up to 47fps at full resolution
  • Full Well Capacity: 40ke-
  • The ASI585MC Pro is a new deep sky camera by ZWO with high sensitivity.
  • It features a 4k SONY CMOS sensor, high resolution, and high transmission speeds.
  • The STARVIS 2 technology enhances imaging performance for DSO and planetary photography.
• STARVIS 2 Technology:
  • Developed by SONY, the STARVIS 2 technology offers a wider dynamic range and super-high sensitivity, improving the camera’s signal-to-noise ratio.
• Full Well Capacity:
  • The back-illuminated structure provides a large full well capacity of 40ke-, enhancing light collection efficiency and improving the signal-to-noise ratio.
• No Amp Glow:
  • The ASI585MC Pro produces clean dark frames with zero amp glow, ensuring smooth Astro images even with long exposures.

Product Usage Instructions

• Power Supply:
  • Use a 12V@3A~5A DC adapter or a lithium battery with 11-14V to power the camera. Using power supplies outside this range may damage the camera.
• Storage and Usage Conditions:
  • Storage Temperature: Follow specified limits
  • Storage Humidity: Follow specified limits
  • Working Temperature: Follow specified limits
  • Working Humidity: Follow specified limits
• Maintenance:
  • Avoid using corrosive solutions to clean the camera to prevent damage to the oxide layer. Do not expose the camera to direct sunlight for extended periods to prevent discolouration of the surface.

FAQs

Q: What is the recommended power supply for the ASI585MC Pro?

A: We recommend using a 12V@3A~5A DC adapter or a lithium battery with 11-14V to power the camera.

Q: Does the ASI585MC Pro exhibit amp glow during long exposures?

A: No, the ASI585MC Pro has zero amp glow, ensuring clean dark frames even with extended exposure times.

Q: Can the ASI585MC Pro be used for solar and planetary photography?

A: Yes, the ASI585MC Pro is suitable for solar, lunar, and planetary photography in addition to DSO imaging.

Product Introduction

New DSO Camera with High Sensitivity

• ASI585MC Pro is a new ZWO deep sky camera based on the 4k SONY CMOS sensor with a 1/1.2″ format and 2.9μm pixels.
• It has a super high sensitivity and large resolution of 3840*2160 (8.29MP in total). It also features high transmission speeds – In high-speed mode, the fast frame rate can reach 47fps at full resolution! Being an entry-level DSO camera, it offers great advantages of high cost-effectiveness.

DSO & Planetary Imaging

• The STARVIS 2 technology brings ASI585MC Pro more advanced imaging performance compared to other cooled cameras.
• Its high frame rate makes it not only suitable for DSO photography but also solar/lunar/planetary photography.

STARVIS 2

• STARVIS 2 was developed by SONY and evolved from STARVIS. It is the latest technology with a wider dynamic range and super-high sensitivity beyond the human eye.
• Benefiting from it, ASI585MC Pro’s sensitivity and signal-to-noise ratio is greatly improved.

Large Full Well Capacity

• The back-illuminated structure improves the camera’s full well capacity.
• Even with unbinned 2.9μm pixels, ASI585MC Pro has a full well capacity of 40ke-, 3 times that of the last-generation sensor IMX485.
• A larger full well capacity gets the camera higher efficiency in collecting light, can effectively restrain the highlight area from being overexposed, and also can improve the signal-to-noise ratio.

No Amp Glow

• ASI585MC Pro exhibits extremely clean dark frames with zero amp glow!
• No matter how long the exposure and how high the gain value is, you can easily get clean and smooth astro images!

Notice for Use

• Before using the camera, please read this manual carefully.
• External power supplies are needed for all ASl-cooled cameras. We recommend you use a 12V@3A~5A DC adapter (D5.5×2.1mm, centre pole positive) or a lithium battery with 11-14V to power the camera.
• You can also use ASIAlR to power the cameras. Be aware that using a power supply out of this voltage range will probably lead to irreparable damage to the camera.
• Note that the camera can only be used and stored under the following conditions. Usage out of the environment limits might lead to damage to the camera.

• Please do not use corrosive solutions to clean the camera to avoid corroding the oxide layer on the surface and damaging the camera.
• Meanwhile, please do not keep the camera exposed to the sun for a long time to avoid discoloration of the oxide layer on the camera surface.

Getting to Know Your Camera

External View

1. Heat sink
2. M42 11mm ring: Can be screwed off if needed.
3. AR protective window (D32*2mm)
4. USB 2.0 Hub
5. USB 3.0/USB 2.0 data transmission port
6. LED indicator
7. DC power port: D5.5×2.1mm, centre pole positive. 12V@3A power supply is recommended to use.
8. Ultra-quiet magnetic levitation fan: Only runs when cooling is turned on.

The camera can be supported by the ZWO holder ring. There is a 1/4” screw interface at the base of the ring.

Camera Specifications

Quantum Efficiency & Read Noise 

• Quantum Efficiency
  • According to our test results, the QE peak value of ASI585MC Pro is 91%.

Read Noise

• The camera has a built-in HCG mode, which can effectively reduce read noise at high gain and keep the dynamic range at the same level as it does at low gain.
• At gain 252 and above, the HCG mode is automatically turned on; the dynamic range is close to 11 stops; the read noise can be lower than 0.9e.

Analog to Digital Converter (ADC)

• ASI585MC Pro records in 12-bit ADC and 10-bit ADC. You can image at a faster frame rate if you use 10-bit ADC (high-speed mode).
• You may also set an ROI if you want even faster frame rates.
• Below are the maximum speeds of ASI585MC Pro running at different USB transmission modes.

High-speed Mode： 10BIT ADC
RAW16| RAW8| RAW8| RAW16| RAW8| RAW8
38402160| 23.7fps| 46.9fps| 46.9fps| 2.61fps| 5.2fps| 5.2fps
19201080| 91.4fps| 91.4fps| 91.4fps| 10.4fps| 20.8fps| 20.8fps
1280720| 133.5fps| 133.5fps| 133.5fps| 23.5fps| 47fps| 47fps
640480| 192.9fps| 192.9fps| 192.9fps| 70.5fps| 141.3fps| 141.3fps
320*240| 347.3fps| 347.3fps| 347.3fps| 283.1fps| 347.3fps| 347.3fps

Two-stage TEC Cooling

• Thanks to the two-stage TEC cooling, ASI585MC Pro can lower the CMOS sensor temperature to more than 35 degrees Celsius below ambient temperature, which can greatly reduce dark current generation and sensor noise even during extended exposure times.
• The Delta T 35℃ is tested at 30℃ ambient temperature. It might get down when the cooling system is working for a long time. Also, as the ambient temperature falls, the Delta T would decrease.
• Below is the dark current curve of ASI585MC Pro at the temperature from -20℃ to 30℃.

Power Consumption

• All ASI cameras have low power consumption.
• ASI585MC Pro is no exception.
• When it’s at cooling status, the max power consumption is only 2.865W.

High Transmission Speed

• 512M DDR3 buffer: This can ensure a stable data transmission in long exposure conditions, minimizing frame drops and also reducing the requirements for the computer hardware.
• USB 3.0 Port: Provides 5Gb bandwidth to allow ASI585MC Pro to run at 47fps at 8.29MP full resolution (10bit, high speed mode).
• USB 2.0 HUB: Can be used to connect various kinds of USB devices such as EFW, guide camera and EAF.

What’s in the Box?

• The 2m USB 3.0 cable and two 0.5m USB 2.0 cables can meet multiple requirements in different usage scenarios.
• For example, the 2m long cable can be used for guiding a PC. The 0.5m short cables can be used to connect
• ASIAIR to the guide camera or EAF.
• Spacers x4: 0.1mm 1; 0.2mm 2; 0.5mm *1

Dimension Diagram

Structural Dimension Diagram

Connection Methods

Connecting to Nikon/Canon Lens

1. M43-T2 adapter (optional)
2. EOS-T2 adapter (optional)
3. 2” filter (optional)
4. 1.25” T-mount
5. 1.25” filter (optional)
6. M42-1.25” adapter
7. 11mm T2 extender
8. 16.5mm M42-M48 extender
9. T2-T2 adapter
10. EFW mini
11. EOS lens adapter for EFW

Solutions for 55mm best back focus distance

Connecting to external devices

Warranty

1. ZWO provides Users with a warranty period of 2 years for ZWO-branded products. The warranty starts on the second day when the customer gets the product.
2. If a User encounters the following Dead on Arrival (DOA) and contacts ZWO within the corresponding time limit to issue the Product purchase invoice and relevant evidence, ZWO will provide door-to-door pick-up service and, as appropriate, after-sale replacement (or partial replacement), repair or return (or partial return) service for the following Products:

Product quality problem

• Provided that a User detects a quality problem and contacts ZWO within 30 days after receipt of the Products, and the ZWO support team confirms that the Products indeed have a quality problem or defect after their inspection, ZWO will provide free replacement service towards such Products;

Product transportation problem

• Provided that a User finds obvious signs of bubbling, serious overstocking, or deformation on the outer package of the Products upon receipt of the Products, and provides ZWO with pictures of the outer package and proof of receipt within 3 days after receipt of such Products, ZWO support team will verify the actual shipper and determine the responsible party for such transportation problem.
• If ZWO is the actual shipper, ZWO will be responsible for providing the relevant return or replacement service, however, if the Products are directly sold or transported to the User by an agent of ZWO, the agent will be responsible for providing the relevant return or replacement service.

If the Products are under the following circumstances, they are not within the scope of warranty service, ZWO may provide maintenance services to the Users:

1. The Warranty Period of the Products has expired; or
2. The Products are injected into liquid or affected by moisture corrosion; or
3. The Products are damaged by an external force (such as the broken camera protection window glass, the deformation of the product shell, the broken USB port, etc.); or
4. Disassembling, repairing by a third party, refurbishment of the Products (such as downloading erroneous firmware) without the written authorization of ZWO; or
5. The product system is modified, or the maintenance notice is lost or changed; or
6. Product quality problems caused by installation not following the requirements or instructions for the Products; or
7. Physical damage or failure of the Products caused by the force majeure (such as strong vibration or extrusion such as flood, fire, earthquake, or thunderstroke); or
8. Damage caused by improper Customer operation during the period of shooting or use, such as using without the equipment protection or direct shooting in the sun; or
9. No valid purchase invoice warranty certificate; or
10. The Products are second-hand products.

Servicing

• For software upgrades, please refer to “Guide & Manuals” on our official website.
• https://www.zwoastro.com/guides-and-manuals/.
• For repairs and consultation, you can visit here:
• https://support.astronomy-imaging-camera.com/.
• Email: info@zwoptical.com.
• Phone: 0512-65923102

1. For the normal repair or replacement of the Products during the Warranty Period, the User will bear the return cost. When returning the Products, Users shall specify the actual reasons for the damage to the Products and shall provide the corresponding valid certificates, such as pictures or videos, etc. For the Products that need to be replaced after being confirmed by ZWO in writing, the User shall return the Products with the complete package, together with all accessories, manuals, etc., to the address designated by ZWO. By sending back the product to ZWO, the User agrees to pay out-of-warranty fees that may arise during the repair process of the product. ZWO will send back the product after charging.
2. For the Products that need to be returned for after-sales service, ZWO will provide the corresponding RMA code for reference. ZWO will not accept any products having no RMA code that have been returned privately without ZWO’s written confirmation.
3. If a User purchases the ZWO Products from a ZWO agent, the User may contact the ZWO agent directly for the relevant after-sales service.

Thank you so much for purchasing the ZWO ASI camera! Before using the product, please read this manual carefully. All materials related to this publication are subject to change without notice and its copyright belongs to Suzhou ZWO CO., LTD.

References

• ZWO ASI | Support

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