QHY268 PH Colour Camera
QHY
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This camera Is normally shipped to order with a delivery time of 2-4 weeks. Please contact us to confirm current pricing and delivery times.
Overview
The QHY268M/C is a new generation of back-illuminated CMOS cameras with true 16-bit A/D and 3.76um pixels. This new Sony sensor is an ideal CMOS sensor exhibiting no amplifier glow. 16-bit A/D gives high-resolution sampling of the whole full well range. Digitizing 0-65535 levels yields a smooth image with a continuous gradation of greyscale levels. The QHY268M/C is a cooled, back-illuminated, CMOS camera based on the Sony IMX571 sensor with native 16-bit A/D and 3.76um pixels.
The QHY268C is a new generation of back-illuminated CMOS cameras with true 16-bit A/D and 3.76um pixels. This new Sony sensor is an ideal CMOS sensor exhibiting no amplifier glow. 16-bit A/D gives high-resolution sampling of the whole full well range. Digitizing 0-65535 levels yields a smooth image with a continuous gradation of greyscale levels. The QHY268C is a cooled colour, back-illuminated, CMOS camera based on the Sony IMX571 sensor with native 16-bit A/D and 3.76um pixels.
Native 16-Bits
The Sony IMX571 sensor has on-chip 16-bit A/D for highest resolution of greyscale. The output is real 16-bits with 65536 levels. Compared to 12-bit and 14-bit A/D, 16-bits provides higher sampling resolution. At high gain, the camera yields close to 1e-/ADU with no sample error and low read noise.
High Dynamic Range
Great full well brings vivid colors. One benefit of the back-illuminated CMOS structure is improved full well capacity. This is particularly helpful for sensors with small pixels. Even with unbinned, the 3.76um pixels of the QHY268C has a superb full well capacity of 75ke-.
Ultra Low Read Noise
- 0.7e- Noise at High gain
- 3.5e- Noise at Low Gain
The QHY268C has only 0.7 electron of read noise at highest gain and 6.8 FPS at full resolution readout speed. One electron of read noise means the camera can achieve a SNR>3 at only 4 to 6 photons. This is perfect performance when conditions are photon limited, i.e., short exposures, narrow band imaging, etc., making this large area sensor ideal for sky surveys and time domain astronomy.
Back-Illuminated, High QE
The back-illuminated Sony Exmor sensor has about twice the QE of similar front illuminated sensors. The QHY268C has zero amplifer glow. In addition the dark current is only 0.0005e/pixel/sec @ -20C.
Full technical details can be found at
https://www.qhyccd.com/astronomical-camera-qhy268/

QHY268C PH Specifications
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Model | QHY268C PH |
| CMOS Sensor | SONY IMX571 |
| Mono/Color | Colour |
| FSI/BSI | BSI |
| Pixel Size | 3.76μm x 3.76μm |
| Effective Pixel Area | 6252 x 4176 |
| Total Pixel Area | 6280 x 4210 (includes optical black area and overscan area) |
| Effective Pixels | 26 Megapixels |
| Sensor Size | APS-C |
| A/D | Native 16-bit (0-65535 greyscale) A/D |
| Full Well Capacity | Standard Mode: 51ke- Extended Full Well Mode: >75ke- |
| Frame Rates |
Full Resolution: 6.8FPS@8bit, 6FPS@16bit ROI: 2048 lines: 13.6FPS@8bit, 11.5FPS@16bit 1080 lines: 25.4FPS@8bit, 19.5FPS@16bit 768 lines: 35FPS@8bit, 25FPS@16bit 480 lines: 50FPS@8bit, 34FPS@16bit |
| Readout Noise | 1.1e- to 3.5e- (5.3e- to 7.4e- in Extended Full Well Mode) |
| Dark Current | 0.0005e-/pixel/sec @ -20℃ 0.001e-/pixel/sec @ -10℃ |
| Exposure Time Range | 30μs - 3600sec |
| Recommended Gain | 30 (PH Mode, or Extended Full Well Mode) 56 (High Gain Mode) |
| Amp Control | Zero Amplifier Glow |
| Shutter Type | Electronic Rolling Shutter |
| Computer Interface | USB3.0 |
| Built-in Image Buffer | 1GB DDR3 Memory Buffer |
| Cooling System |
Dual Stage TEC cooler: - Long exposures (> 1 second) typically -35℃ below ambient - Short exposures (< 1 second), high FPS, typically -30℃ below ambient (Test temperature +20℃) |
| Optic Window Type | AR+AR High Quality Multi-Layer Anti-Reflection Coating |
| Telescope Interface | Support M54 or M48 (combined with adapters) |
| Back Focal Length | 14.5mm (±0.2) |
| Anti-Dew Heater | Available |
| Firmware/FPGA Remote Upgrade | Available via Camera USB port |
| Weight | 810g |
Let customers speak for us
from 213 reviewsI haven't had as much viewing opportunities as I would like but you can't do much when you have 2 weeks of constant overcast. I like the crayford focuser, and the finderscope is high quality with a good aperture, the views of Jupiter, the moon, Carina and Orion nebula and Omega centauri have been great with the 30mm super view and 9mm, thinking about getting a 6mm, Barlow lens and a neutral density filter to expand my arsenal, so far going from a 60mm refractor to a 8in Newtonian hasn't been too hard. Collimating for the first time was a challenge but i have it sorted out. Only few things to point out is I don't think I got a manual but the video was plenty helpful, perhaps you could sell dew shields for the finderscope and to protect the secondary mirror as well as telescope heaters for active protection, potentially some new videos starring Andrew about star hopping to find dim DSO's without a computerized mount. Overall very happy with my purchase, with the 8in dobsonian being known as a lifetime scope I know It will always have a place in my heart even if I do upgrade to bigger and better scopes. Thank you Andrew for your great customer support and service. I bid you clear skies from the deep south!
Very fast delivery
At first glance it seems quite light and the implication is that it can't really be all that powerful. However, light is what we want and it emits lots of lovely laser light! It's perfect for pointing out features to anyone else and bonus is that you can use a laser to align a scope or binos on the feature of your choosing by shining it through the scope finder or eyepiece (binos).
Just a note it to avoid shining the laser at anything reflective, as it can blind you very quickly. That includes road cones with their reflective tape. I can see how pilots are affected, it wouldn't take much.
Very helpful and knowledgeable team who offered ideas and suggestions without being too pushy. Very helpful.
As a stargazing newbie, I'm so glad I visited the showroom for advice! Andrew was super helpful and I'm very happy with my 8" Dobsonian :)
My comments are based on using it with a 102mm ED refractor, FL 714 mm. My home is in a Bortle 5 location in Christchurch.
This shorty Barlow is an apochromatic design, it uses a brass compression ring and is light at approx.100gms. I've used it several times in mostly poor viewing conditions, and once in above average conditions. In that time I viewed double stars, emission nebulae, open and globular star clusters, and Jupiter. I thought it provided excellent views and on the one occasion when seeing conditions and the city lights were less in the early morning, I was able to achieve 203 x magnification looking at a globular while still getting a reasonable view. Even at 238 x the view was tolerable, albeit quite soft.
I also have a Celestron X-Cel-LX 2X Barlow, so was able to compare the two Barlows. I found them pretty much identical in terms of colour, sharpness and contrast, though someone with better eyesight may notice differences that I can't.
I highly recommend the Astronz 2.5X Barlow, as it can provide substantially higher magnification options if you have, say 3 or 4 eyepieces. Personally, I prefer my 2 X Barlow as its more useful in less than average viewing conditions, which for me is most of the time. However, in above average to excellent viewing conditions, or at a dark sky site, the extra magnification of the 2.5 X Barlow would be very useful. If you are just starting out and wanting to get a Barlow, the Astronz one costs $48 cf. $249 for the Celestron. The choice is pretty much a no-brainer from that perspective.
I'll continue to use both, as different EP combinations and magnification steps will suit different viewing conditions.
The collimator arrived within 24 hours and was exactly what I needed. If didn't take long to realise the collimator itself needed to be collimated which was an easy process and added to learning how to use it. It was easy to use to collimate the Dobsonian Telescope. Thanks Astronz for helping me get underway with my new hobby.
I am so happy with the 8" Dobsonian. The fine focuser and the 2" superview lens where features which other beginner packages didn't have. I went to visit Andrew's store, he didn't confuse me or up sell, and he gave lots of time chatting and showing me the scopes, he gave advice for where to find dark skies and to come along to the societies meeting which introduced me to lots of great people and astronomy. I set the scope up within hours, within a week I had three amazing observing sessions, in dark skies not far from Auckland, the scope is simple and quick to set up and use and I am very impressed by how it has delivered beyond my expectations for power, useability and fun! Highly recommend Astronz
I am delighted to write a report for this product. It is extremely well made and combines a manual as well as electric function for focusing. This is important to me because with my other electric focuser, I was unable to use the telescope visually without having to dismount it. Now I am able to use it visually.
The focusing function allows very precise control. Unlike my previous focuser, there is now no problem from Schmidt Cassegrain mirror slop. I can now search for focus by adjusting in and out of focus and then when focus is found, set the counter to zero. I am a planetary imager and can now be very precise in searching for focus - even during a video capture. When experimenting beyond your "zero" point one can always return to that point precisely.
I have no hesitation in recommending it.
Cheers,
Paul Mallinson
Superbly easy to use and wonderful clear view while abl to clip on phone camera to other side made great photos
From what I’ve tried so far they seem amazing got a few more days to use them in Wellington NZ before we flight back to London so hopefully all good 👍 cheers Frank
I recently purchased the Celestron EdgeHD 8" Optical Tube Assembly from Astronz and had a very positive experience. The sales service was excellent, knowledgeable and provided helpful advice about the telescope and accessories before purchase. Astronz is run by experienced astronomers, which makes a big difference when discussing equipment and setup.
good quality and quick shipping. Andrew was great help.
Awesome definition, great contrast and sharpness.