Saturn-M SQR Planetary Camera – The Ultimate Choice for Lunar, Solar, and DSO Imaging
The Saturn-M SQR is one of the most advanced planetary cameras in the history of astrophotography. Designed for lunar, solar mosaic, and deep-sky object (DSO) imaging, it offers unparalleled performance thanks to its powerful IMX533 BSI sensor, square format, and non-amp-glow technology. Whether you're an experienced Astro photographer or just starting out, the Saturn-M SQR is equipped to handle all your imaging needs with precision and clarity.
Key Features of the Saturn-M SQR Planetary Camera
- IMX533 BSI Sensor: High sensitivity, low noise, and exceptional detail capture for planetary, lunar, and solar imaging.
- Non-Amp-Glow Technology: Eliminates amp-glow in long exposure, perfect for deep-sky object (DSO) imaging.
- Square Format Sensor: The square sensor format offers a unique advantage for creating mosaic images, reducing image overlap and maximizing field of view.
- High-Resolution Imaging: Capture stunning images with exceptional detail, ideal for lunar and solar mosaic photography.
- Versatile for DSO Imaging: Whether you’re targeting distant galaxies or nebulae, the Saturn-M SQR delivers impressive image quality.
Perfect for Lunar, Solar Mosaic, and Deep Sky Object (DSO) Imaging
Designed with astrophotographers in mind, the Saturn-M SQR Planetary Camera excels in lunar and solar mosaic photography, as well as lucky imaging for DSOs. The non-amp-glow feature ensures clean, high-quality images without the unwanted glow caused by long exposures, making it perfect for capturing both planetary and deep-sky images. The square sensor format is ideal for creating mosaic images, reducing the need for excessive image overlap, which simplifies the image processing workflow.
IMX533 BSI Sensor for Unmatched Image Quality
The IMX533 Backside Illuminated (BSI) sensor provides high sensitivity and low noise, making it the perfect choice for planetary, lunar, solar, and DSO imaging. With its advanced sensor technology, the Saturn-M SQR camera offers crisp, high-resolution images of celestial bodies, ensuring you capture the finest details, whether you're imaging the Moon's surface, the Sun’s granulation, or deep-sky objects such as nebulae and galaxies.
Advanced Non-Amp-Glow Technology
The non-amp-glow technology in the Saturn-M SQR is a game-changer for long exposure astrophotography. Amp-glow, a common issue with many sensors during long exposures, is completely eliminated, ensuring your images are free of unwanted noise or glow artifacts. This makes the camera a fantastic choice for deep-sky object imaging as well as planetary imaging.
Square Format Sensor for Mosaic Imaging
With the square format of the Saturn-M SQR, astrophotographers can maximize their field of view, making it easier to create stunning mosaic images of the Sun and Moon. The 1:1 aspect ratio of the sensor helps reduce image overlap, which not only speeds up the imaging process but also simplifies post-processing, allowing you to stitch together larger, high-resolution mosaics with ease.
Optimized for DSO Imaging
The Saturn-M SQR is not only a planetary camera but also an exceptional choice for deep-sky object (DSO) imaging. Thanks to the IMX533 sensor’s high sensitivity and non-amp-glow technology, you can capture faint objects such as distant galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters with superior clarity and minimal noise. Its low read noise and high dynamic range make it a perfect tool for capturing the faint details of DSOs.
Technical Specifications of Saturn-M SQR
- Sensor: Sony IMX533 BSI CMOS
- Resolution: High-resolution square format sensor
- Pixel Size: Fine pixel size for detailed planetary imaging
- Non-Amp-Glow: Eliminates amp-glow during long exposures
- Aspect Ratio: Square 1:1 format for easy mosaic creation
- Frame Rate: High-speed imaging for planetary, lunar, and solar captures
Why Choose the Saturn-M SQR for Your Astrophotography Needs?
The Saturn-M SQR is designed to provide astrophotographers with the best possible imaging experience. Its combination of advanced sensor technology, non-amp-glow feature, and square format make it a versatile and powerful tool for both planetary and deep-sky imaging. Whether you’re a seasoned Astro photographer or a beginner, the Saturn-M SQR will help you capture stunning images of the universe with ease.
Ideal Applications for the Saturn-M SQR
- Lunar Imaging: Capture detailed images of the Moon’s surface with stunning clarity.
- Solar Mosaic: Ideal for stitching large, high-resolution solar mosaic images.
- DSO Lucky Imaging: Perfect for capturing faint deep-sky objects like galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters.
Discover the Power of the Saturn-M SQR Planetary Camera
If you’re looking for a camera that delivers high-quality results for lunar, solar, and deep-sky object imaging, the Saturn-M SQR Planetary Camera is the ultimate choice. Its advanced features and exceptional performance make it an essential tool for any Astro photographer looking to elevate their imaging capabilities.
Order your Saturn-M SQR Planetary Camera today and unlock the full potential of your astrophotography setup!
Product Description
Saturn-M SQR (IMX533) camera is developed by Player One Astronomy, SQR means its sensor is square. Saturn-M SQR camera, which adopts Sony IMX533 1” square format monochrome sensor. The 3.76um pixel size accommodates a well depth of 73Ke with a total of 9MP (the resolution is 3008*3008), and the diagonal is 16mm.
STARVIS Technology
Saturn-M SQR (IMX533) camera based on Sony STARVIS technology, it is back-illuminated pixel technology used in CMOS image sensors.
Format
Saturn-M SQR camera has 1″ format, this size is quite big for imaging.
Extend Full well Capacity
Based on our technology, we improved the full well of Saturn-M SQR camera to 73Ke , it’s almost 1.5 times than IMX533 Basic (50ke).
High Frame rate
Based on our technology Saturn-M SQR camera can run 43FPS under RAW8 mode, that’s much faster than existing models on market.
Dual Sampling Mode
Saturn SQR series has dual sampling mode. Normal mode and LRN mode, they has different advantages in imaging.
1. Normal mode has faster FPS, it is more suitable for planetary imaging.
2. LRN (low readout noise) mode has lower readout noise and higher dynamic range. it is more suitable for DSO lucky imaging.
Highlights
Non-Amp-Glow
Dark frame of Saturn SQR (IMX533) camera is totally “dark”, that’s we called it “Non-Amp-Glow” camera!
300s dark frame of Saturn SQR camera(resize to 50%):
Non-Amp-Glow can give us very clean background, much easier to get high quaility images.
Recommended accessories:
ACS (Active Cooling System) is a external air-cooled system, designed for solar and big format planetary cameras which already has PCS (Passive Cooling System).
ACS can provide much better temperature control. When camera has PCS + ACS, temperature is only 7℃ higher than ambient, camera body is a little warm but won’t hot!
ACS is not only can be used in daylight for solar imaging, it also could be used in night for DSO lucky imaging.
https://player-one-astronomy.com/product/active-cooling-system-acs-for-uncooled-cameras/
Saturn SQR camera also very good for lunar and planetary imaging, its 1″ big format and 9MP total pixels, easier to capture full disk of the Moon and the Sun, or make mosaic more efficient.
User works appreciation
Jupiter , Marco Lorenzi, Nauris 21″ F3.8 @ F19 + Saturn-M SQR camera
Saturn, Marco Lorenzi, Nauris 21″ F3.8 @ F19 + Saturn-M SQR camera
Jupiter and Ganymede and IO, Damian Peach, C14HD + Saturn-M SQR camera
Niall-MacNeill，C14 + Saturn-M SQR camera
Solar activity, Jean Pierre Brahic, 230MM refractor + Solar SPectrum 0.3A + Saturn-M SQR camera
M57, Stephane Gonza, 300F4 newtonian + Saturn-M SQR camera
Lunar crater, Carmelo Zannelli, DK 20″ + Saturn-M SQR camera
Features:
The naming of Player One Astronomy cameras is unique. Planetary camera line, naming depend on the size of planets, Mars(1/3″), Neptune(1/2″), Uranus(1/1.2″), Saturn(1″), Jupiter(4/3″).
Drivers and softwares download: http://player-one-astronomy.com/service/software/
Manuals download: http://player-one-astronomy.com/service/manuals/
Cutting-edge Design
The planetary cameras developed by Player One Astronomy uses a scientific and technological regular hexagon to construct the main body line, supplemented by round chamfers to achieve both rigidity and flexibility. The positive red, which is like a summer fire, is matched with the low-key and steady black, and the super-fine frosting process on the entire surface makes the camera look luxurious and cool, highlighting the style of high-end players, can’t take my eyes off 😀
2nd Gen – Sensor Tilt Plate
When taking deepsky objects, using sensor tilt plate can get a much smaller field curvature of the telescope.
The built-in high-density sponge shading pad can block the light from the side slits without any side leakage.
Passive Cooling System
Player One add a new feature called Passive Cooling System to conduct the heat from the sensor out.
256M DDR3 Cache
Player One Astronomy cameras are the first one who adopts the DDR3 cache in all planetary cameras in the world! It helps stabilize and secure data transmission, it effectively avoids frame dropping and greatly reduces readout noise.
With the DDR3 cache, the camera does not have high demands on computing needs any longer, it will still has excellent performance even if it is connected to a USB 2.0 port.
DPS technology
The planetary cameras from Player One Astronomy have DPS (Dead Pixel Suppression) technology. The DPS is anaylse many dark frames to find out thoes fixed abnormal pixel and record the map in camera memory. In imaging, each exposure frames, thoes position of dead pixels will be given a median value according to the active pixels around that abnormal pixel.
Overvoltage and overcurrent protection mechanism
Player One cameras produced by us ensures the safety of your camera and other equipment through overvoltage and overcurrent protection mechanisms.
Data Port
When the camera is connected to the USB3.0 interface and full-resolution preview is used, it can reach 43 FPS in RAW8 mode (10bit ADC). When recording images, since the actual writing speed will be affected by the writing speed of the hard disk itself, when the hard disk writing speed is slow, the recording may not reach the theoretical speed. It is recommended that you use a high-quality solid state drive to record data to give full play to the performance of the camera.
Use the ST4 guide cable to connect the camera and the AUTO GUIDE port of the equatorial mount to do guiding.
Performance
HCG open at gain=125. Saturn SQR series has dual sampling mode, Normal mode has faster fps, LRN (low readout noise) mode has lower readout noise and higher dynamic range.
Readout Noise
Regarding readout noise, we solemnly promise that all values are obtained from actual tests. And for users, you could use Sharpcap 4 for testing. SC4 has a function called Sensor Analysis, provide a very simple way to test readout noise.
We wrote a tutorial on our website: https://player-one-astronomy.com/service/manuals/
If you are interested in readout noise testing, you may try it yourself, which is very simple.
Absolute QE Curve
Mechanical Drawing
