QHY5III678M/C is a new planetary and guiding camera of the 2nd generation of QHY5III series, the upgraded version of QHY5III178M/C, with excellent near-infrared high sensitivity. The product comes with filters including the IR850 filter.
In this latest generation of sensors, the photodiode portion of the pixel well is physically deeper than in previous sensors, allowing photons of longer wavelengths to penetrate deeper into the substrate. This dramatically increases the sensor’s sensitivity to red and near-infrared (NIR) light. The sensor displays almost equal peak sensitivity to NIR light as it does to light in the visible spectrum.
As the third model in the latest generation of planetary cameras and guiders, the QHY5III678M/C includes all of the improvements and upgrades found in this latest series of cameras, including:
Upgraded 512MB DDR3 Image Buffer
The QHY5III (Ver. 2) series planetary and guiding cameras are all equipped with a 512MB DDR3 image buffer which can effectively reduce the burden on computer transmission, a great help for planetary photography which often requires writing a large amount of data in a short period of time. By way of comparison, some larger deep-sky astrophotography cameras on the market today only have a 256MB image buffer. The 512MB DDR3 memory installed in the new Series III v.2 cameras represents a significant upgrade.
New Front-end Design with Better Compatibility
QHY5III (Ver. 2) series cameras have adopted a new front-end design with better compatibility. The new front end fits the typical 1.25” telescope eyepiece draw tube and also accepts a variety of filters. The very short backfocus allows the use of both CS and C-mount lenses, and can image with C/CS-mounted lenses with filters attached.
A standard 1.25" mounted filter can be threaded into the front end or an unmounted filter can be placed in front of the sensor. The size of the filter glass that is compatible here varies depending on the size of the sensor, but it is basically a standard lab filter specification. Compared to the more expensive astronomical filters, lab filters tend to be less expensive and have a wider variety of bands, allowing you to develop more uses and applications for them.
USB 3.2 Gen1 Type C Interface
The new QHY5III (Ver.2) series cameras all use the USB3.2 Gen1 Type-C interface. Compared to the USB3.0 Type-B interface used in the previous generation, the Type-C interface has a longer life and is more flexible.
Tip: We recommend using the supplied standard Type-C data cable from QHYCCD. Today’s market is flooded with a large number of poor quality Type-C cables and casual use of one of these may lead to the camera malfunctioning. If you do use your own spare cable, make sure it is of high-quality.
Universal Guiding Interface
The custom interfaces of the previous generation of planetary cameras and guiders has been replaced in the QHY5III (Ver.2) cameras with a more universal ST-4 compatible guiding interface. Now, even if the guiding cable is lost or damaged, you will be able to easily get a replacement with RJ11 style connectors on both ends, widely available at low cost.
Indicator LED
The new QHY5III (Ver.2) series of cameras is equipped with a status indicator at the back of the camera. If the camera experiences an abnormal status, the multi-colored indicator light will help to determine the situation with different colors signifying different conditions. During normal operation this indicator light is off, so there is no worry about light contaminating the image.
| Model | QHY5III678 |
| CMOS Sensor | Sony IMX678 |
| Pixel Size | 2.0um*2.0um |
| Effective Pixel Area | 3856*2180 |
| Effective Pixels | 8.4 Mega Pixel |
| Fullwell | 9ke- |
| Readout Noise | 0.57-3.3e- |
| AD Sample Depth | 12-bit (output as 16-bit and 8-bit) |
| Built-in Image Buffer | 512MB DDR3 Memory |
| ROI Frame Rate | Full Resolution 43FPS @8BIT 22FPS @16BIT 1080Lines 85FPS @8BIT 43.5FPS @16BIT 640Lines 140FPS @8BIT 71FPS @16BIT |
| Exposure Time Range | 11us-900sec |
| Shutter Type | Electric Rolling Shutter |
| Computer Interface | USB3.2 Gen1 Type-C |
| Guide Port | st4 |
| Telescope Interface | 1.25-inch, compatible with CS-port and C-port lenses by replacing the front-end connector (An IR AR glass and an IR850nm filter are included in the standard version.) |
| Back Focal Length | 17mm（with adapter）; 8±0.5mm（without adapter） |
| Weight | 90g |
For all orders exceeding a value of 100USD shipping is offered for free.
Returns will be accepted for up to 10 days of Customer’s receipt or tracking number on unworn items. You, as a Customer, are obliged to inform us via email before you return the item.
Otherwise, standard shipping charges apply. Check out our delivery Terms & Conditions for more details.
