The Svbony 405CC brings professional astrophotography within reach: with its cooled SONY IMX294 colour CMOS sensor, 4/3" format and high quantum efficiency, it delivers noise-free, brilliant deep-sky images – even under skies affected by light pollution. Active cooling ensures stable temperatures, whilst USB 3.0 transfer and AR-coated optics guarantee maximum image quality. Ideal for ambitious astrophotographers who want to capture more detail, more depth and more colour from the universe.

Here are a few highlights:

1. Backside-illuminated sensor – improved sensitivity and reduced noise

2. 4/3″ format with a pixel size of 4.63 µm – ideal for many types of telescope

3. 14-bit ADC – offers a high dynamic range of 13 f-stops

4. Excellent full-well capacity for a balanced signal-to-noise ratio: an impressive figure of 63 kE to prevent so-called ‘star burn-out’.

5. HCG mode – If the pre-amplification (‘Gain’) is set to 12dB or higher, HCG mode is automatically activated, reducing readout noise without reducing light sensitivity.

6. The IMX294’s outstanding low-light performance (SNR of 0.14 lx) is achieved through the use of a large optical system and by increasing the area per pixel to 4.63 µm. This also makes the IMX294 ideal for applications in the security camera market that require low-light performance.

7. The IMX294 sensor uses the 4:3 aspect ratio and provides the required number of pixels for true 4K output. The SV405CC can also run at up to 19 fps in 4K format when used with USB 3.0.

The SV405CC camera’s TEC cooling system can precisely control the sensor’s temperature. Unlike conventional CCDs, the SV405CC camera features extremely low readout noise and efficient cooling. It is no longer necessary to use ultra-long exposure times to capture targets, which significantly reduces the demands placed on the camera system and the guide star system. However, when short exposures are used (e.g. less than 100 ms), the cooling has little effect on the image. The cooling system can be set to a minimum of 35–40 °C below ambient temperature (tested based on an ambient temperature of 30 °C). Please note that the maximum temperature difference may vary after prolonged use. Meanwhile, if the ambient temperature drops, the cooling temperature difference will also decrease accordingly. The figure below shows the dark current curve of the SV405CC sensor between -20 °C and 35 °C.