Professional astronomical imaging camera featuring the Sony IMX662 back-illuminated CMOS sensor, delivering exceptional low-light performance and ultra-low read noise for planetary, lunar, and solar photography.
The G3M662C camera has excellent low-light photography capabilities, features high QE value and low readout noise, and can maintain low readout noise in high frame rate mode up to 100 frames/second. In addition, it also has the advantages of high full well, high dynamics and high sensitivity. This makes G3M662C have excellent performance in planetary photography, solar photography and lunar photography.
The G3M662C features Sony's latest STARVIS 2 technology, with a raw spectral response range of 400-1000nm. When equipped with an IR-cut filter, the effective working range is 380-690nm. This advanced sensor technology provides excellent low-light performance and high dynamic range, ensuring clear celestial images even under challenging conditions.
The G3M662C sensor has a G sensitivity of 5612mv at 1/30s. Its spectral sensitivity characteristics ensure excellent response across visible and near-infrared ranges, making it particularly suitable for planetary and lunar photography applications.
The G3M662C features native 12-bit ADC and also offers 16-bit output mode for 2×2 binning at smaller resolutions. The camera supports hardware ROI, where smaller ROI sizes result in higher frame rates.
| Resolution | 16-bit Output | 8-bit Output | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USB3.0 | USB2.0 | USB3.0 | USB2.0 | |
| 1920 × 1080 | 70.4 | 3.5 | 103.4 | 7.0 |
| 960 × 540 | 75.6 | 3.7 | 103.2 | 7.5 |
Unit: Frames Per Second (FPS)
Equipped with USB 3.0 high-speed interface and 512MB DDR3 high-speed buffer, the camera significantly reduces amp-glow caused by image data buffering. The advanced buffer system ensures stable and smooth data transmission, enabling uninterrupted imaging sessions.
The G3M662C supports digital pixel binning from 1×1 to 8×8 (stacking or averaging methods) and hardware pixel binning from 1×1 to 2×2 (averaging method). Hardware pixel binning provides higher frame rates than software binning.
The G3M662C supports HCG (High Conversion Gain), LCG (Low Conversion Gain), and HDR (High Dynamic Range) mode switching. HCG mode optimizes low-light performance, achieving ultra-low read noise of 0.46e⁻. LCG mode provides a large full well capacity of 39ke⁻, suitable for bright targets. HDR mode intelligently combines the advantages of both gain modes, achieving wider dynamic range in a single exposure, particularly suitable for capturing celestial targets with extreme brightness differences.
The G3M662C achieves "zero amp-glow" at the hardware level. Whether using long exposures or high gain settings, your imaging results remain pure and clear without unwanted thermal noise interference.
Both versions can accommodate 1.25-inch filters when connected with the 1.25-inch extension tube.
The camera is powered through the USB 3.0 interface. Once connected to the host system using the USB 3.0 cable, the device is immediately ready for operation.
| Maximum Frame Rate (USB 3.0) |
16-bit: 70.4 FPS @ 1920×1080 8-bit: 103.4 FPS @ 1920×1080 |
|---|---|
| Read Noise | 0.46e⁻ (HCG mode) - 5.35e⁻ (LCG mode) |
| Full Well Capacity | 39ke⁻ |
| Peak Quantum Efficiency | >91% |
| Dynamic Range | 77 dB |
| Signal-to-Noise Ratio | 46 dB |
| Exposure Time Range | 0.1ms - 1000s |
| Gain Range | 1× - 150× |
| Sensor | Sony IMX662 Color Back-Illuminated CMOS |
|---|---|
| Image Resolution | 2.1 Megapixels (1920×1080) |
| Pixel Size | 2.9μm × 2.9μm |
| Sensor Format | 1/2.8-inch (6.39mm diagonal) |
| Image Area | 5.57mm × 3.13mm |
| Shutter Type | Rolling Shutter |
| ADC Bit Depth | 12-bit |
| DDR3 Buffer | 512MB (4Gb) |
| Spectral Range | 380-690nm (with IR-cut filter) |
| Data Interface | USB 3.0 / USB 2.0 |
|---|---|
| Camera Adapter | Standard 1.25" outer diameter for telescope Standard C adapter for industrial lens |
| Back Focus Distance | Standard CS version: 12.5mm Short C-mount version: 17.5mm |
| Camera Dimensions | Diameter 37mm × Height 72.4mm |
| Weight | 70 grams |
| Cooling | Passive cooling |
| Supported OS | Windows XP/Vista/7/8/10/11 Mac OS X, Linux |
| SDK Support | Native C/C++, C#/VB.NET, Python Java, DirectShow, Twain, etc. |
The G3M662C supports HCG (High Conversion Gain), LCG (Low Conversion Gain), and HDR mode switching. Configure these modes freely according to your imaging needs to optimize dynamic range and noise performance.
Camera Settings: Full resolution, RAW 12-bit mode
HCG (High Conversion Gain) mode is optimized for low-light astrophotography. The chart shows performance at different gain settings: read noise can be as low as 0.46e⁻, perfect for capturing faint planetary details and dark lunar regions. While the full well capacity is relatively small, the extremely low read noise makes it ideal for lucky imaging of deep sky objects.
Camera Settings: Full resolution, RAW 12-bit mode
LCG (Low Conversion Gain) mode provides larger full well capacity (39ke⁻), suitable for imaging high dynamic range celestial objects. This mode excels when photographing solar surfaces, bright planets like Jupiter and Venus, capturing more bright details and avoiding overexposure. The dynamic range reaches 77dB, ensuring simultaneous capture of bright and dark details.
Camera Settings: Full resolution, RAW 12-bit mode
HDR (High Dynamic Range) mode combines the advantages of HCG and LCG modes through intelligent switching to achieve wider dynamic range. This mode is particularly suitable for capturing targets with extreme brightness differences, such as solar prominences and high-contrast lunar surface areas. It preserves rich details in both bright and dark regions in a single exposure.
