The ZWO ASI 220 MM mini monochrome camera is the most sensitive camera in the ZWO range, making it a first-class driving camera. Moreover! Its high sensitivity also makes it an excellent solution for capturing more compact deep-end objects (e.g. galaxies, planetary nebulae)
For many people, increased urban light pollution means that the only solution is to move out, but away from the urban environment, it is not all the same how much equipment you have to carry and set up. Among other reasons, these circumstances are the reasons why guided astronomy imaging requires the most compact and sensitive guide cameras and guiding modes possible. The ZWO ASI 220 MM mini monochrome camera is the perfect solution.
The sensitivity of monochrome cameras, surpassing that of colour cameras in a similar category, so that even fainter stars can be used for driving, the ASI 220MM mini CMOS sensor has 92%+ QE, making it great for even deep-sky photography!
With the ZWO ASI 220 MM mini's 1.25" mount, you can easily get focus in your guide scope where conventional cameras would fail, with a backfocus of just 8.5mm. The cameras can also be used for top quality planetary photography. With a 4 micron pixel size and a 1920x1080 pixel sensor, you're guaranteed to always find a guide star.
For planetary imaging, the small pixel size ensures fine detail is captured, and for driving, it helps with accurate guidance. The 12-bit output allows 4096 shades of colour to be captured (compared to 8-bit for most cameras, which can capture "only" 256 shades per colour channel). The large sensor is also useful for capturing sun and moon images. Built-in ST-4 autoguider port is required to use the camera as a guide camera.
The camera does not include a UV/IR block filter, hence it has high sensitivity in this range. The use of a UV/IR block filter is highly recommended if you do not want to record in this range!
The package includes a 0.5m and a 2m USB 2.0 cable, an ST4 cable, a 1.25" extension cable and a C-mount converter to use the camera with C-mount threaded lenses. The camera has a USB 2.0 connector and ST-4 port, and the serious features are matched by a low weight of 60g.
For image capture, there's a range of free software available for download from the internet, and for Windows we particularly recommend SharpCap and FireCapture. The cameras require Windows XP or later.