Omegon Camera veTEC 294 C Color: cooled 11.6 megapixel camera for deep-sky
The veTEC 294 C combines the Sony IMX294 with active cooling. The sensor has a diagonal of 23.1 mm and 4.63 micrometer pixels, a combination that pairs well with fast refractors and short focal length astrographs.
The full well capacity of 64,000 electrons is remarkably large for this sensor class. Stars saturate less quickly, which is reflected in the color of bright stars within a nebula.
Sensor and dynamics
The sensor measures 19.11 by 13.0 mm and has 4128 x 2808 pixels. Readout is at 14 bits, delivering a dynamic range of 84.4 dB.
The read noise ranges from 4.1 electrons at low gain to 0.87 electrons at high gain. The peak quantum efficiency is around 80 percent.
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 included adapter sleeve converts it into a 2-inch connection, allowing you to slide the camera into the focuser like a 2-inch eyepiece. The filter thread is 2 inches.
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 off-axis guider keeps the guide star in the same optical axis as the imaging camera. The 12.5 mm adapter provides space in the back focus when you add a filter wheel.
For whom yes and for whom no
- ✓ Deep-sky photography with a fast refractor
- ✓ Anyone who wants color images without a filter wheel
- ✓ Exposures of several minutes under a light-polluted sky
- ✗ Those who expect an autoguider port in the camera itself
- ✗ Planetary photography where frame rate is the main priority
Specifications
| Sensor | Sony IMX294 CMOS, back-illuminated, color |
| Sensor format | 19.11 x 13.0 mm, diagonal 23.1 mm |
| Pixel size | 4.63 micrometers |
| Resolution | 4128 x 2808 pixels (11.6 MP) |
| Bit depth | 14 bit |
| Frame rate | 33 fps at full resolution |
| Cooling | Active, up to 30 degrees Celsius below ambient temperature |
| Full well capacity | 64,000 electrons |
| Reading noise | 4.1 to 0.87 electrons |
| Dynamic range | 84.4 dB |
| Quantum efficiency | approximately 80 percent peak |
| Exposure time | 0.0001 seconds to 60 minutes |
| Telescope connection | 2 inches |
| Filter thread | 2 inches |
| Binning | 2×2 and 3×3 (hardware), 4×4 to 8×8 (software) |
| Buffer Memory | 512 MB DDR3 |
| Shutter | Rolling shutter |
| Nutrition | 12 V / 3 A |
| Interfaces | USB 3.0 with 2x USB 2.0 hub |
| Autoguider port | Not present |
| Flange spacing | 17.5 mm (T2) |
| Operating temperature | -10 to +50 degrees Celsius |
You can find more astrophotography accessories from merk at the Omegon merk Page.
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