ZWO ASI2400MC Pro Full-Frame Cooled Color Camera

A full-frame color camera with big 5.94µm pixels for fast, wide-field telescopes

The ZWO ASI2400MC Pro is a cooled one-shot-color astronomy camera built on Sony's back-illuminated full-frame IMX410 sensor. It's for imagers with a fast, full-frame-capable refractor or astrograph who want wide color fields of the Milky Way's nebulae and the largest galaxies without a filter wheel. Two-stage cooling holds the sensor more than 35°C below ambient, and at −20°C dark current is only 0.00035e⁻ per second per pixel. The body is 90mm across.

Key specs: Sony IMX410 full-frame color sensor, 36 × 24mm · 24MP (6072 × 4042) · 5.94µm pixels · 100ke⁻ full well · over 80% peak QE · 14-bit ADC, up to 14 stops dynamic range · read noise 1.1–6.4e⁻ · zero amp glow · cooling about 35°C below ambient · heated IR-cut window · USB 3.0 with 512MB buffer

What you can image

• Milky Way nebula fields: the whole Veil Nebula loop, the Heart and Soul, the North America and Pelican with the Cygnus star clouds, and Barnard's Loop in Orion. On a 250mm RedCat 51 the field is about 8.2° × 5.5° at 4.9″ per pixel.
• The largest galaxies: the Andromeda Galaxy with M32 and M110, and the Triangulum Galaxy with plenty of sky around it. On the 490mm ZWO FF70 the field is about 4.2° × 2.8° at 2.5″ per pixel.
• Nebulae in more detail: the Rosette, the California Nebula and the Lagoon and Trifid together. On the 612mm FF90 the field is about 3.4° × 2.3° at 2.0″ per pixel.
• Camera lenses: with ZWO's Canon or Nikon lens adapters (sold separately), wide Milky Way and constellation fields.

How it works

A color filter over the sensor's pixels records red, green and blue in every frame, so stacking software turns your exposures straight into a color image. The camera connects to a computer or an ASIAIR Plus over USB 3.0 and runs its cooler from 12V (ZWO recommends 12V at 3–5A, 5.5 × 2.1mm plug, center positive, or an 11–14V lithium battery). Two USB 2.0 ports on the back power and control a guide camera or focuser.

The sensor sits 17.5mm behind the M54 front thread. The included M54-M48 (21mm) and T2-M48 (16.5mm) extenders bring that to the 55mm most full-frame flatteners and reducers expect, and the M48-M42 adapter fits M42 telescopes, as ZWO's chart below shows.

Using it in Colorado

• Dark-site trips: a full-frame camera on a short refractor shines on the summer Milky Way from places like the Westcliffe area or Great Sand Dunes.
• Front Range skies: add a 2-inch dual-band filter in an M54 filter drawer and emission nebulae become practical from Denver.
• Cold nights: the window heater (about 5W, switchable in software) keeps dew and frost off the sensor window.

What to add for the best results

• A full-frame telescope (required): the RedCat 51 III (250mm f/4.9) is an ideal match for these large pixels. The ZWO FF70 and FF90 quadruplets also cover a 44mm image circle with no extra flattener.
• 12V power (required for cooling): the ZWO 12V 5A adapter at home, or a PowerTank Lithium Pro in the field.
• ZWO M54 2" filter drawer with a 2-inch ZWO Duo-Band or Optolong L-eXtreme filter, for emission nebulae under city lights. Use 2-inch filters; 1.25-inch filters will vignette this sensor.
• ZWO 30F5 guide scope with an ASI220MM Mini guide camera: plenty for the short focal lengths this camera suits.
• ZWO EAFN electronic focuser: keeps focus sharp across the whole frame as the temperature drops.
• ASIAIR Plus: runs the camera, mount, guiding and focuser from your phone.
• A mount: the ZWO AM5N carries this camera on any of the refractors above with room to spare.

ASI2400MC Pro vs. ASI4400MC Pro vs. ASI6200MC Pro vs. ASI2600MC Pro

See all ZWO cooled deep-sky cameras.

What's in the box

• ASI2400MC Pro camera body, front cover and camera bag
• T2-M48 extender (16.5mm), M54-M48 extender (21mm) and M48-M42 adapter
• USB 3.0 cable (2m) and two USB 2.0 cables (0.5m)
• Hex wrench and quick guide

The 12V power supply, filters, lens adapters and guide camera are sold separately.

ZWO ASI2400MC Pro FAQ

Is the ASI2400MC Pro good for beginners?

It's easy to run, since it's one-shot color with no amp glow, but full frame asks more of the telescope: a flat 44mm image circle and careful spacing. Most people come to it after an APS-C camera such as the ASI2600MC Pro.

ASI2400MC Pro or ASI4400MC Pro?

Same field of view. The ASI2400MC Pro's 5.94µm pixels and 100ke⁻ wells suit short, fast scopes and keep files small. The ASI4400MC Pro has nearly twice the pixels for finer detail on 400–800mm refractors, plus tilt adjustment.

ASI2400MC Pro or ASI2600MC Pro?

The ASI2600MC Pro has about the same pixel count on a smaller APS-C sensor, so it works with more telescopes and costs half as much. The ASI2400MC Pro covers 2.3 times the sky area, if your telescope can cover full frame.

Which filters fit?

2-inch filters, either in the ZWO M54 filter drawer or a 2-inch filter wheel. The IR-cut window means you don't need a separate IR-cut filter.

Can I use camera lenses?

Yes. ZWO shows Canon EF and Nikon F lens connections for this camera using their lens adapters, which suits wide Milky Way fields.

Specifications