ZWO Camera ASI 294 MM Pro Mono

ZWO ASI 294MM Pro Cooled Mono Astrophotography Camera is a micro four-thirds camera packed with features that help you produce world-class images. It is the monochrome version of ASI294MC Pro.

The ASI 294MM Pro features a 14-bit ADC with 4.63 um pixels, and 13 stops dynamic range. It has an impressive 66ke- full well capacity and a big 4144*2822 resolution. A very high QE value with a peak at around 90% and an ultra-low readout noise of 1.2e. If you are looking for a small-format monochrome camera for astrophotography, then the ASI294MM Pro will be your ideal choice.

Compare: This ASI294MM Pro has very similar parameters as its color version. Both have the 14-bit ADC and a high dynamic range of 13 stops, which is even higher than that of ASI1600MM Pro camera.

Back-illuminated Sensor

The back-illuminated CMOS sensor improves sensitivity and noise reduction; the key factors to enhancing image quality, while radically realigning their fundamental pixel structure from front-illumination to back-illumination. It has retained the advantages of CMOS image sensors such as low power consumption and high-speed operation.

ZWO ASI 294 Pro Cooled Monochrome CMOS Astrophotography Camera-sensorThis back-illuminated structure minimizes the degradation of sensitivity to optical angle response, while also increasing the amount of light that enters each pixel due to the lack of obstacles such as metal wiring and transistors that have been moved to the reverse of the silicon substrate. (Unlike with a conventional front-illumination structure, where the metal wiring and transistors on the surface of the silicon substrate that form the sensor”s light-sensitive area (photo-diode) and impede photon gathering carried out by the on-chip lens.)

Camera Performance

Large well depth capacity, low read-out noise and high dynamic range.

The full well capacity of 66387e of ASI294MM Pro is near the top of all ASI DSO cameras. It ensures a very high dynamic range up to 13 stops that will greatly reduce overexposure probability and help gain richer color gradation.

When the gain value is 120, the magical HCG high gain mode is turned on, the readout noise will be largely decreased (as low as 1.2e), and the dynamic range is basically unchanged.

Reliable Mechanics

There are four screws on the camera that seal the sensor chamber. This kind of design has been extensively tested and is very stable. Even when used in higher humidity environments, this camera will still work fine without dew problems.

Unlocked Bin1 Mode

Yet another perk of the ASI294MM Pro is that the pixel size is switchable – the default setting is Bin2, but you can switch to Bin1 anytime in your astrophotography software. This changes the pixel size to 2.3um and increases resolution to 8288×5644. This is what we called “Unlocked Bin1 Mode”. The ability to unlock bin1-mode was a popular request from our customers. Of course, we listened to you and worked quickly to make it possible.

Remember that using Bin1mode will decrease the full well capacity compared to the standard bin2-mode.

Unlocked Bin1: 12bit ADC, 2.3um pixel size, 47 megapixels, 8288*5644 resolution, 14k full well capacity.

Bin2 (The default mode): 14bit ADC, 4.6um pixel size, 11.7 megapixels, 4144*2822 resolution, 66k full well capacity.