Sky & Telescope - February 2022 - 69

C II uses a Sony IMX464 color CMOS
sensor. This ½-inch-format chip sports
a 2,712 × 1,538 array of 2.9-micronsquare
pixels measuring 7.9 × 4.5 millimeters.
The chip is similar to Sony's
IMX462 (S&T: May 2021, p. 30), which
boasts excellent near-infrared sensitivity,
but the IMX464 has twice as many
pixels. Its peak sensitivity lies at about
820 nanometers and only drops to
around 30% sensitivity at 1,000 nanometers,
making it another good choice
for imagers interested in recording
details in Jupiter's atmosphere through
an 890-nanometer methane filter.
In addition to the accessories
tWith the addition of Player One Astronomy's
IR850nm filter, the Neptune-C II camera
performs like a monochrome camera. This image
of the Moon is a 4-frame mosaic recorded
through a Celestron C11 Schmidt-Cassegrain
telescope under poor seeing conditions.
included with the Mars-M camera, the
Neptune-C II comes with a 1¼-inch
UV/IR-blocking filter for use when
imaging the planets or the Moon in
natural color.
Although the camera's detector is
relatively large, it was still difficult to
center a target without additional aid. A
flip mirror mounted ahead of the camera
made finding and centering targets
quick and easy.
On summer nights during testing,
the camera got warm to the touch after
constant use. Fortunately, this heat
buildup didn't appear to add image
noise even during long imaging sessions,
thanks to its dead pixel suppression
(DPS) technology, which replaces
hot pixels with a median value of the
surrounding pixels in each video frame.
The camera performed as advertised
while targeting Jupiter and Saturn.
Johnny notes that while atmospheric
seeing conditions are always important
for high-resolution planetary imaging,
the Neptune C-II produced some of
the highest quality lunar and planetary
images he'd made to date.
He often operated the camera at its
high-bit-depth setting (12-bit, which
is converted to 16-bit in camera) and
frequently recorded 1-minute videos
of Jupiter at more than 120 framesper-second
in a ROI of 1,024 × 768
pixels. This yielded about 7,000 frames
When paired with a 2.1-mm CCTV lens, the
Neptune-C II makes a very capable all-sky
camera that can be employed to monitor sky
conditions from indoors or capture meteors.
sk yand tele scope .o r g * FEBRUARY 2022 69
per video - plenty for sharp, detailed
results when processed with planetary
stacking programs.
The high sensitivity of the NeptuneC
II also invites additional uses besides
planetary imaging. Johnny attached a
2.1-mm CCTV lens to the camera and
mounted it on a short tripod to monitor
the sky for meteors.
Player One also included its optional
S-series IR685nm and IR850nm nearinfrared
filters ($29.90 each), both of
which improved videos of the Moon
when imaging under unsteady skies.
The detector's Bayer matrix color filter
becomes virtually transparent at wavelengths
longer than 800 nanometers, so
videos recorded through the IR850 filter
appear essentially identical to those
recorded with a monochrome camera.
Both Player One Astronomy cameras
proved to be excellent performers.
Their high sensitivity coupled with fast
download speeds make them suitable
for small targets or lunar and solar
vistas with a wide range of telescopes.
Whether you prefer to image with a
monochrome camera and a series of
filters or favor the ease of use that
comes with a color camera, both models
should serve you well for years to come.
¢Associate Editor SEAN WALKER and
Contributing Editor JOHNNY HORNE enjoy
solar system imaging when the Sun,
Moon, or planets are high in the ecliptic.
JOHNNY HORNE (3)
Sky & Telescope - February 2022

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