Entry Level Mono Imaging Just Got Cheaper: ToupTek ATR585M Bundle
I review and test the ToupTek camera for astrophotography. I walk through my full experience using it with Nina and Stellavita, from setup to capturing data, and share real results...
The Space Koala Astrophotography by Luca Bartek
Great video as always. But one correction - ZWO does not have a bundle, as far I know. They have zwo585MC air, but that is with ASIAIR, not filterwheel. BTW, which mount is that - it has a sticker REDCAT Edition, but I thought that was for William Optics?
It’s a rainbow astro rst 135 redcat edition. It’s the same exact mount but with the kitten engraved 😍 ZWO also did a series you can find it on William optics’ website.
👍👍👍
Hey Koala! Recently found your channel and I love your reviews. I have a question, would you buy ToUptek cam over its ZWO counterpart, given I do not use (or plan to use) ASIAIR? just based on the camera build alone. I am deciding between 2600MM and its touptek version, ZWO feels like more recognizable brand, but I have heard that ToUptek cams have better cooling. What do you think?
sorry I just saw this comment. If you know you're not going to use the ASIAIR you can go ahead with the Touptek camera, you'll save some $$ too. However, another thing to consider is after sales service. Be sure to purchase it from a local telescope store. While ZWO is known to have decent after sales service, I have no clue about how it is for Touptek. These things *can* break, unfortunately, so it's best to deal with a local store than the producer in China.
Excellent review and I was going to buy this on the spot but this is not available in the US, nowhere to be found. Even on Ali Express, you click to add to basket then when you go to the basket it is removed so you can't even get it from China.
that's frustrating! I couldn't find a reseller either hence no US-based link in the description.
What narrowband and LRGB filters you use in your own filter wheel Luca? And on what scope do you use them? There is such a big difference in price between those from Baader (narrowband) compared to those from Touptek for instance (36mm sized filters). Thank you,
I use different ones. I have the Antlia Edge line on one camera - I do not recommend it, the oxygen does a very ugly halo. I have ZWO ones in the other filter wheels. You get the halos too but at least they cost less! I most recently bought the Antlia ultra narrow band (2.5nm) line. The oxygen should be better in terms of halos but it leaks in infrared so I am waiting on a replacement camera window to filter out IR too :D it never ends. And I don't believe there is 1 right answer
@the_space_koala oh my dear, you had your fair share of filter issues so it seems. It becomes indeed more and more apparent that there is not 1 set to rule them all ;-). Choices choices. Will settle on the SHO fitlers from Baader (6,5nm) and see how these hold up. Clear skies Luca.
I don’t really like to throw “game changer” around. But. Yeh… NINA is a truly fantastic piece of software. Wouldn’t consider imaging with anything else tbh.
it's crazy that it's free :D
I am busy with my first mono project using the SHO filters. I had initial issues with walking noise, which completely disappeared once I swopped out the filterwheel for a filter drawer - problem solved. In terms of guiding and dithering, it worked beautifully. I am enjoying the Stellavita. I see there is a firmware upgrade available for the FW, intend to do it and maybe test it again after my current project. So far, my Ha and Sii data looks amazing.
I'm happy to hear you're enjoying the Stellavita! I struggle to understand how walking noise would relate to the filter wheel vs. a filter drawer.
… loving the Alpine setting! Hop Suisse!
Great and detailed review. Loving it that you mention the competition and trends! 6nm filters. That’s perfect. I will be at CIOE in Shenzhen in September and will try to see and talk to them. They are trying to catch up to the ASIAIR ecosystem but with a more open system. Clearly it’s not there yet. Thank you for confirming this in your review as a side project.
they will get there eventually but people just save the frustration until they get there :D
@the_space_koala true. Yes they will.
What a refreshing video. Always love your enthusiasm! It's been so great to see astro equipment improve over the years- including becoming more modular.
Try the HDR mode it works great. Just make sure it has the latest firmware installed on the camera.
I really want to get the set but I feel like waiting until Black Friday to see if there will be an even better deal on it. What do you think? It's 70$ more than the Early Bird price right now
I'm sure they'll be doing deals! (no I don't have any information this is just a guess)
A very interesting and helpful review of this capable, reasonably priced 585 sensor. I surely enjoyed it! Touptek seems to have designed it with modularity in mind, opening the door to more possibilities. I noticed Woodland Hills in USA carries other Touptek models, maybe they will carry this one too. As a side note . . . .every time time I start one of your new videos, it’s like a breath of fresh air. The feeling is like coming home after being away for a long time. So happy to hear you have plenty more to share!
thank you for the very kind message. Indeed I hope more retailers will carry this bundle
I hope you are getting your daily ration of dark Toblerone I keep telling myself dark chocolate is good for the heart 🙂 Loved Switzerland and strawberries and cream on top of Montreux hope ou have clear skies Thanks for video Regardsw Athol
thanks, too bad I'm a milk chocolate lover! Still looking for the medical explanation of why that is good for me
Beware: High Conversion Gain (HCG) mode (low-read noise mode) on the ASI585MC/MM cameras are enabled at gain 250 which has a full-well of only 2000e-. The PlayerOne version of this camera turns on HCG on at gain 125 which has a full-well of 4000e-. The camera has a 12-bit ADC so it can digitize 4096 unique values so the ASI version waste half the available dynamic range. The ToupTek and QHY versions have another 16-bit mode called HDR Mode (implemented by using a combination of LCG and HCG each with a 12-bit ADC) that provides a full well of nearly 50,000e-. PlayerOne has indicated their version of HDR Mode may be released this month. Don't buy the ASI version as their silly choice of where to enable HCG cripples it when compared to your other options.
With this camera you can choose where the HCG kicks in.
they should all just give us the option of controlling the HCG manually
Looks like a good set up but I already have 183 and 533 mono cameras with a filter wheel so don't really need this bundle but it certainly looks to be good value. I do have a cooled 585 OSC and also the ZWO Pro air version and I really like that sensor size, had I known that ZWO etc where going to be releasing the 585 mono camera when I bought the 533, I would have probably waited and bought that instead. Still I do like the 533 as well. I like the Touptek/Altair auto focusers as well, they are a bit cheaper than the ZWO EAF but also include a simple hand control and temperature sensor. It's disappointing that touptek didn't supply a blanking plate for the filter wheel or at least some screws to blank the holes.
you definitely don't need the 585, I personally would pick the 533 you listed over this. I think the target here is really whoever is buying their first mono camera. And for them it's an amazing choice because they'll get to reuse all the other parts if/when they upgrade the cam.
Great review, in fact I was about to order the set except your link is for Europe and I'm in US. I want you to get credit if I bought it from a link you supply. But if you don't get any credit for folks that purchase from your links in US then I'll have to find out where to buy this setup. This is much better deal than minicam8 which I thought wasn't worth the price, but this is. Thanks.
I agree that this is a better deal, I'm afraid I didn't find any US retailers for this bundle! But thank you so much for being so considerate!
I love and have this bundle with the 36” 4nm sho filters+LRGB. The cooling IS fast. I just ran into a small dilemma where I want to incorporate a rotator with my ultra cat and I can’t because the ota can achieve focus max at 65.7mm—adding a 10mm wanderer Astro rotator puts the imaging train beyond that. So I’m thinking the zwo585 duo would be ideal. Either way, great bundle. WHAT A STEAL!
you would still be fine though, wouldn't you? the cam + OAG + filter wheel + tilter has you at 55mm and then the rotator will bring you to 65mm. I understand this is borderline. It is a tiny sensor you could realistically do without the tilter too, couldn't you?
@the_space_koala if theres a way to remove the tilter on the OTA? If so, that would be ideal. The issue is that the wanderer Astro doesn’t have male threaded connections on either size. So while it is a thin 10 mm rotator it will require adding 2 mm adapter especially on the camera side, negatively impacting the AP if they’re trying to keep within a certain back focus on image train.
I don't have the ultracat but if it's anything like the redcat then the back adapter is like 5mm you could custom make a thiner one at preciseparts dot com to create a few extra mm!
@the_space_koala I hear ya. I have come to the conclusion that an mm duo camera would solve my dilemma. That would give me all the space to incorporate a rotator.
Hallo Luca, Grüße aus Wien soll ich bestellen... Und wieder ein feines, informatives Video - danke!
the 533 for about 400 bucks more seems like a better deal to me. I still think the 585 is too small, and also the fact that it has a very extreme aspect ratio. I prefer 4:3 or square sensors. They make much more sense to me.
while I don't like square sensors, I do prefer the slightly larger pixels of the 533. But nowadays this is the direction of the market.... Smaller/faster optics and tiny pixels!
Even the 294mm (IMX492) . Much better well depth and better pixel size for longer focal lengths
@the_space_koaladidn't your recent video on focal ratio disprove this.
The HDR capture with the 585 is great
no I said the same thing in there, that this is the direction of the market. It is not my personal preference