HOME          Moon Shot tests with different webcams

Featuring the Logitech Qcam Pro, the VC, the Connectix greyscale QC & the Phillips Vesta Pro

Perl Halley 70 (F/D=6) at prime focus.
An IR blocking filter (IRCut) from SBIG is used to see how necessary it is for CCDs with achromatic lenses.
The Vesta Pro seems less sensitive to IR than the Logitech and Connectix cameras and with no IRcut filter gives mainly a monochromatic images.
Note: For QC Pro and Vesta Pro the IRcut filter is part of the original lens.

You can see the different FOVs (field of view) in adequation with the physical size of the CCD.

The Vesta Pro, seems to be a very good choice for Moon shots !

QC Pro                                                                                               Vesta Pro

Celestron 8" at focal plane,
No IRcut filter
See how the Vesta Pro has better dynamic response especially at the terminator level with no alternate black and white lines as in the QC Pro (inset). On the contrary the QC Pro has a larger CCD surface giving a FOV twice as large. Thoses pictures do not give a good idea of the difference of resolution of the two cameras as there is air turbulence and higher magnification in the right image.
Anyhow the

Vesta Pro seems to be a very good choice for high resolution Moon shots!

Webcam CCDs comparison with scales images

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