Archive for the ‘Cameras’ Category

Orion Parsec 8300M Astronomical Imaging Camera Review

A review of Orion Parsec 8300M Astronomical Imaging Camera.

Price: 1,999.95 USD
Manufacturer: Orion
Orion Parsec 8300M Astronomical Imaging Camera – Product Warranty: One year
Product Type: Astro-Imaging > Cameras

Orion is pleased to introduce the next generation of premium CCD imagers: the Parsec Astronomical Imaging Cameras. This bright new family features a full-frame 8.3 megapixel (8.5 effective) Kodak CCD chip. You’ll get amazing results and the highest resolution, all for a modest investment. The Parsec provides all the cutting edge technology and features that today’s serious CCD imager demands, such as regulated dual-stage cooling, internal shutter, internal full-frame 32 megabyte memory buffer, and more. And still, it remains amazingly affordable. You get the highest performance, but at a significantly lower price. And, its compact size (4×4″ wide, 3″ long) provides a sleek fit for virtually any imaging telescope configuration. The high performance Parsec is built around the CCD chip’s square 5.4micron x 5.4 micron pixel size for superior resolution using Kodak’s microlens technology for maximum sensitivity. Regulated dual-stage thermoelectric cooling (TEC) and adjustable fan dramatically reduces thermal noise. Accurate dark frames can be taken automatically. Thanks to the internal shutter there’s no need to cover the telescope! The internal full-frame memory buffer ensures reliable image downloads every time, through a USB-2.0 connection (10′ USB cable and 10′ power cable compatible with 12 volt DC cigarette lighter sockets included).