The ASI178MC is a colour camera with a Sony IMX178 sensor, which has very small 2.2 micron pixels. These small pixels give this camera an ability to capture high resolution images even at modest focal lengths.

This camera is designed for high frame rate video capture, which is a good way of capturing planetary or lunar images. In addition to this I often use this as a guide camera. Its small pixels are effective in helping to maximise the responsiveness of the guiding system by being able to detect very small deviations in tracking.

One weakness of this camera is that is isn't cooled. When used for long exposures it exhibits a phenomenon known as amp glow, which appears as a kind of starburst pattern in the image. This can be calibrated out by using dark frames, but the calibration is only fully effective if the dark frames are taken close to the same temperature as the image frames.

For further information on this camera please visit the ZWO website.