The Imaging Source CCD Astronomy Camera USB Color DFK21AF04.AS

"The Next Generation" of Astronomy Cameras

High quality Firewire and USB cameras for astronomy photography.


Up to 60 frames per second

The color camera DFK 21 is a ultra fast 60 frames per second camera and so ideal for color astrophotography with a very high framerate. The included software IC Capture.AS captures the data stream without loss due to compression as an AVI file.

Fast display of color images

IC Capture.AS will also assume the color interpolation of the camera raw data (RAW-format) and so relieves the camera processor. But if you want to relieve your computer, it´s also possible to make the interpolation in the camera. In this case the maximum framerate is 30 frames/s. Of course you can store the AVI files without interpolation as an RAW-format.

Sony ® Color CCD

The astronomy CCD camera DFK 21 uses the Sony color progressive scan CCD ICX098BQ. With a diagonal fo 1/4" it offers a resolution of 640 to 480 pixel. Even at long exposure times the noise is very low. Due to its high quality the ICX098BQ will be also used at scientific picture processing.

Infrared blocking filter

The CCD camera DFK21AF04.AS is equipped with a infrared blocking filter, which stops wavelength above 700nm. So the camera registers nearly the same like the human eye.

Fast data transfer threw FireWire or flexible USB transfer (a little bit slower)

The telescope camera DFK21AF04.AS produces a high rate of uncomprimated monochrome pictures. To transfer them you need a fast data interface (IEEE 1394). With USB you need a little bit more time - but its also working.

The software for Windows ® is also included

Included with each astronomy CCD camera are the driver and the captureing program IC Capture.AS. Both components are running under Windows ® 2000, XP, Vista and 7.

Software requirements

• Pentium IV, 2.0 GHz, 512 MB RAM
• Graphics card with 24 or 32 Bit
• Windows ® 2000, XP, Vista or 7
• DirectX ® 9.0c or higher

IC Capture.AS software

IC Capture.AS has been developed from The Imaging Source specially for this telescope cameras. At each camera IC Capture.AS is included. With IC Capture.AS

• you can adjust all parameters for the camera
• you can see the live picture of the camera
• you can capture single frames as an BMP or JPG
• you can capture sequences of single frames as numbered BMP or JPG
• and you can capture picture streams and store it without loss of quality threw compimating and than process it with programs like RegiStax

Please note that for capturing and processing the picture streams of a camera like this you need a very fast computer system with fast processor and external harddrive which will be normally used for composing videos.

Producing of AVI

With IC Capture.AS its possible to store the picture stream in an AVI file. You can use two different methods:

• For comprimated AVI you can choose between different comprimating codecs which offers your operating system like DivX.
• For uncomprimated AVI you can choose between different codecs we are delivering with our software (uncompressed Y800, uncompressed RGB24, uncompressed RGB32 or uncompressed UYVY)

Compatibility to other programs

RegiStax (Windows ®)

• RegiStax can read uncomprimated AVI which has been produced with IC Capture.AS

Astro IIDC (Mac OS)

• With Astro IIDC you can opperate all The Imaging Source FireWire telescope cameras with Mac OS

Delivery contains:

• Camerabody
• 1 1/4" Adapter with Filterthread
• FireWire Cable
  
• Software CD