The ToupTek ATR 2600C colour cooled camera is very similar to the ZWO ASI 2600 MC Pro colour cooled camera, as the same backlight sensor manufactured by Sony is the heart of both brands. A built-in, efficient Peltier cooler can cool the sensor, which heats up during extended exposure times, by up to 42°C below ambient temperature, keeping noise during shooting to a minimum. To compensate for the high cooling capacity, the camera also boasts anti-fog heating.
The camera allows you to shoot in colour in one "step", without the need for the L-RGB colour filtering technique that is essential for monochrome versions. The APS-C-sized, 26-megapixel Sony IMX571 sensor is already firmly in the premium category. Its sensor size is the same as the sensor chip used in popular DSLR cameras, but with a sensitivity that exceeds them. Its 16-bit ADC output provides a huge range of shades, while also helping post-processing on shots that include fainter areas.
With longer shutter speeds, many cameras often experienced "flare", which could only be compensated for in post-production. With the ToupTek ATR 2600C colour cooled camera, longer shutter speeds can be recorded at low noise levels, while also eliminating the "amp glow" or "flare" effect that can occur when signal amplification is used. This result is greatly aided by the internal 512 MB DDR3 memory buffer, which also ensures stability of data traffic.
ToupTek's ATR 2600C color cooled camera sensor with its 28.3 mm image aperture is also perfect for depth-of-field photography with a wider field of view, aided by its high sensitivity (QE>80%). As the camera does not have a built-in UV/IR filter, it remains sensitive to these ranges.
Of course, you can shoot not only stills but also video if you want to use it as a planetary camera. Videos are taken at the highest resolution (6224 x 4168 pixels)6.8fps (frames per second). At a lower resolution of 2064 x 1386 , 63fps is achievable, which is a very high rate at this resolution. On the back of the camera, there's a USB 3.0, two USB 2.0 connectors on the body, and the 12V DC socket. A LED status bar informs the user about the operation.
For image capture, there are a number of free software downloads available from the internet, and for Windows we particularly recommend SharpCap and FireCapture, but it's also great to use with the manufacturer's own software (ToupSky). The popular PHD2 software also supports the camera, while the use of the ASCOM driver gives the device even broader support. The camera can be used with Windows, Linux and even Macintosh operating systems.
The package includes:
- ToupTek ATR 2600C color cooled camera
- Power supply + cable
- 12.5 mm T2 adapter (trigger adapter for 12.5 mm backfocus)
- 16.5 mm T2 to M48 adapter
- 21 mm T2 extension adapter
- USB 3.0 cable (1.5 m)