Omegon Camera veTEC 533 M Mono

Omegon Camera veTEC 533 M Mono: monochrome square sensor with cooling

The monochrome veTEC 533 uses the same square Sony IMX533 as the color version, but without a color matrix. For narrowband photography, this is the designated route: the light passing through an H-alpha filter reaches every pixel.

The 3008 by 3008 pixel square sensor has a practical advantage: you do not need to align the camera with the orientation of your subject.

Sensor and field of view

The sensor measures 11.3 by 11.3 mm with a diagonal of 16 mm and 3.8-micrometer pixels. The readout is performed at 14 bits.

The full-well capacity is 50,000 electrons, with a read noise of approximately 1.3 electrons. The sensor shows no amp glow, which is clearly visible in narrowband recordings lasting ten minutes or longer.

Cooling and dark current

A cooled sensor is the difference between a usable and an unusable five-minute exposure. This camera cools to 30 degrees Celsius below ambient temperature. As a result, the dark current drops to a level where faint nebulae structures emerge above the noise.

Because you set the sensor temperature to a fixed value, dark frames remain usable over multiple nights. This saves calibration work each session.

Connect and back focus

The camera has a T2 thread with a flange focal distance of 17.5 mm. The adapter sleeve turns it into a 2-inch connection, with a 2-inch filter thread. Take into account the space taken up by a filter wheel.

With the loose 12.5 mm adapter, you reduce the flange distance, which provides space for a filter wheel or an off-axis guider in the optical train.

Rear USB hub

There are two additional USB ports on the back. You can connect a guiding camera or an electronic focuser to them, for example, so that only one cable runs to your computer.

The hub works with USB 2.0. For the camera itself, you use a USB 3.0 port on the computer, otherwise the read speed will drop.

Software and method

Control is via ASCOM or INDI, with which the camera cooperates with N.I.N.A., SharpCap, APT, and Siril. Omegon's free capture software can be downloaded.

Note: the veTEC cameras do not have an ST4 port and are not intended as an autoguider. For guiding, combine the camera with a separate guiding camera, for example from the GUIDE or veLOX series.

Included

• Camera with thermoelectric cooling
• Adapter sleeve from T2 to 2 inch
• USB 3.0 cable
• Power supply 12 V / 3 A
• Rugged transport case

Featured accessories

An electronic filter wheel for five 2-inch filters connects directly. An off-axis guider keeps the guide star in the same optical axis as the imaging channel.

For whom yes and for whom no

• ✓ Narrowband astrophotography from a light-polluted environment
• ✓ LRGB work with a filter wheel
• ✓ Anyone who wants the maximum signal per filter
• ✗ Who wants to start without a filter wheel
• ✗ If you expect color images right away

Specifications

You can find more astrophotography accessories from this brand at the Omegon brand page.