Orion StarShoot G21 Deep Space Color Imaging Camera

About this product

The Orion StarShoot G21 Deep Space Color Imaging Camera is a massive pixel count deep-sky astrophotography camera based on the Sony IMX269 12-bit CMOS chip, with 3.3 micron pixels and a factory spec'd 20.9M pixel array. Multiple resolution/aspect ratios are available in software, all the way up to 5280x3956 pixels! Exposures from 0.1ms-3600s and up to 18 fps full frame (and much higher when subframing) means you can shoot planets as well as nebulae. You'll be amazed at the results that this large format CMOS chip can produce.

The StarShoot G21 features a two-stage regulated thermo-electric cooler with fan, capable of reaching ~40° C below ambient, which dramatically reduces noise. The USB 3.0 interface provides exceptionally fast frame rates and downloads. Power for the camera electronics comes from the USB port, and the TE cooler is powered by an included AC adapter.

A standard t-thread is cut into the front, and with an included 2" nozzle, you can attach the G21 camera to most all telescope configurations, including coma correctors, flatteners, and off-axis guiders. With a built in two-port USB 2.0 hub, your filter wheel and guidescope camera can be wired directly to the G21, which means you'll only have the one USB cable running to your laptop, making cable management much less of a headache!

The one-shot color CMOS chip excels at seeing faint objects in relatively short exposures, and adjustable gain means you can boost the sensitivity in a given exposure. How do you choose between the StarShoot G10 and the G21? To make a decision between the two cameras, look closely at the specifications to see what will work best for your specific imaging needs. Here are highlights of some of the more important differences, along with a short discussion regarding those differences.

As you can see, the G10, while not having nearly as large a pixel count, has lower noise, 14-bit A/D (for greater dynamic range), and a larger full well capacity. And the fatter pixels (4.63 vs 3.3 microns provides more overall sensitivity to light even though the QE is slightly higher on the G21). The G21 has smaller pixels, leading to better arc-seconds per pixel resolution, useful when imaging planets at higher power while sub-framing. The greater number of pixels also allows for creating larger prints of your final image!

If your main goal is deep-sky imaging, and you want the best possible sensitivity and lowest noise in your images, the G10 is the preferred solution. The G21 can also image deep-sky objects well, but will require either a bit longer relative exposures or more images stacked together to increase the sensitivity and lower the noise in your resulting images to a similar level.

Compatible with Win 8/10/11, the camera includes a hard case, along with free control and image acquisition software. And best of all, the G21 is ASCOM compatible, meaning you can use most dedicated astro-imaging software on the market to unlock the full potential of your new StarShoot G21 camera!