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Astrophotography

Camera color or monochrome
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Lou

Thanks. Now I get it. OK, the Bayer matrix is a part that is placed on top of the sensor chip and it is not an integral part of the chip that is always delivered by the chip maker. That explains it. 

Thanks again, 
Prasad




Prasad,


The color camera has the Bayer matrix in front of the pixels. It doesn't matter if you if you set the camera to "black and white mode" the light still has to pass through the color filters in front of each pixel. The image may be displayed in black and white artificially but the light passing through the red filter will only allow red light through. Only light of that wavelength will be recorded.


The camera may convert the signal to black and white after the RED light reaches the sensor, but the data correlates only to the red light that passed through the filter in the first place.


A mono sensor has no Bayer matrix so each pixel is capable of detecting all of the wavelengths since there are no filters in front of each pixel that only allow specific wavelengths through.


I hope I didn't confuse things more. As far as the cost is concerned it probably has to do with the manufacturing process vs overall demand but that is just a guess. Someone else may be able to provide a better answer.


What ever you decide do not try to scrape off/remove the Bayer matrix from a OSC, it will probably cause more problems than it would solve.


Clear skies,


-Lou



Canon EOS Rebel XS (full spectrum mod)

Astronomik CLS CCD

Orion thin off axis guider

QHY5L-II M guide camera

Celestron CGX,Edge HD 8,0.7x focal reducer

Optec TCF-Leo focuser

Dan, 

OK, I get that part fine but I want to understand why can't I achieve 100% usage or efficiency of the sensor chip simply by setting my color camera to capture the image in monochrome.  As I said in my post (and as I understand from whatever I have read), the RGB Bayer filters in the CMOS sensor chip of the camera remain wasted if it is used in "color mode".  

Why should I then invest in a monochrome camera if I simply switch and get done with a color camera by using it in mono mode? I have a strong feeling that I am missing something that makes my logic wrong. That must be some real and strong reason why they price mono cameras higher because it includes some additional/extra hardware that gets over the color RGB filters. I want to understand it. 

I am ready to take the dive but want to understand the "why".  I live in a Bortle 8 or 9 sky and solar imaging is my best option without complaining about light pollution. I have decided to dive into it and I want to understand it more. 

Prasad  



Hi Prasad,
While the color camera and mono camera use the same chip the color camera sensor has a color filter array (Bayer matrix). The red, green and blue filters are "built in" on the color camera while the mono camera has none. The mono camera requires external filters to achieve the same result. As for why the mono camera costs more, that's a good question. I could never figure that one out.

Dan

I have been learning imaging with my ASI224MC color camera and I frequently run into an advice which goes like this. "A color camera for H-alpha solar imaging is a huge waste of its resources because you will be using only 25% of its real capacity. It is good to use a monochrome camera instead". (The quoted words are entirely mine based on my understanding/interpretation of statements made by various people that I have read).


I have been toying with the idea of buying a mono camera but I notice that mono cameras also use the same CMOS imaging chip. For example, ZWO has two cameras ASI290MC and ASI290MM. Model MM is priced slightly higher.


I am confused. If both cameras use the same chip why can't I simply switch the camera to monochrome mode before I begin capturing? And why do they want more money for mono models?


Sorry, just newbie questions. thanks for your patience

Prasad

-Prasad

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