Product Description

The StarShoot Solar System Color Imager II has a new look and four times greater resolution than its predecessor - 1.3 megapixels to be exact. This more powerful imager works with just about any telescope and comes with Maxim DL Essentials Edition software to give you start-to-finish control over the camera and imaging process. A bigger, 1/2" CMOS color chip delivers a live, 1280 x 1024 resolution video image to your computer. Focusing the image is a snap. Take individual exposures or let the camera automatically collect continuous exposures at up to 15 frames per second. The camera is powered from your computer's USB port (USB 2.0 high-speed connection is recommended) with the supplied cable. The included parfocal ring aids in initial target acquisition. The camera's 1.25" nosepiece is threaded for use of filters. NOTE: This camera is compatible with Windows 98/ME/2000/XP/and Vista 32-bit.

Product Details

• Brand: Orion

Features

• Powerful StarShoot Solar System imager with 1.3 megapixel resolution works with most telescopes
• Shoot detailed color images of the planets and lunar surface with just about any telescope
• 1/2" CMOS color chip delivers a 1280 x 1024 resolution image to your computer via USB 2.0
• Camera collects multiple exposures at up to 15 frames per second
• Comes with Maxim DL Essentials software. Camera works with Windows 98/ME/2000/XP, and Vista 32-bit

Customer Reviews

Nice product, great support but a few niggles on some PCs
Product does exactly what it says on the tin BUT (Public Health Warning) not on all PCs. On a range of laptops with XP it works perfectly at all resolution modes. However, on my Acer Aspire 5100 running on MS Vista with a built in webcam it will only operate at the lower res modes - NOT at the much flaunted 1280x1040 mode. Orion's customer service were fantastic - they tried every trick in the book including disabling the webcam but all to no avail. So, if you have Win XP without a webcam you'll probably be fine. If you have MS Vista and/or a webcam be careful.....

Orion starshoot II Solar Sytem Color Imager not for 64 bit Vista.
After getting the Orion starshoot II Solar Sytem Color Imager, I attempted to load the driver onto my laptop with Vista 64bit. It would not install. I researched and found out that 64bit systems are not supported. Fortunately, I still have my antiquated XP laptop. However, the resolution was go only as far as 640x480 and not the higher resolution that was advertised. I have no cam driver loaded.

The first night out, I got fair results using the SSII with an 8"SCT. However, when I used a Televue 4x Powermate, the results were poor. The target was the moon. When I targeted Jupiter, I saw a small disappointing dot without the magnification of the Powermate. With the Powermate, Jupiter was not bright enough to be detected.

This yet another Orion product that disappoints. But then again, you get what you pay for.

Suitability of the StarShoot II for its stated Purpose
The StarShoot Solar System Color Imager II (SS-II) was advertised as a camera for use with a telescope to take images of solar system objects. This implied the same use that amateur astronomers have put CCD webcams such as the Philips ToUcam: imaging the moon and planets at high resolution, probably using Registax for video processing. It was priced higher than a typical webcam and had similar size pixels but a significantly larger chip (about 4x the area of the Philips webcam), it offered the possibility of imaging solar system objects at the same resolution as webcams, but with a wider field of view. The SS-II has a CMOS chip rather than a CCD. When I tried it on the moon with my 12.5" reflector, I discovered that images were very dim, even at f/14. The focal ratio needed for correct digital sampling of the image according to the Nyquist theorem is f/42. With the poor s/n ratio at f/14, it would be hopeless at f/42 or on fainter solar system objects like Saturn. Not a good buy.