So glad I found this. This is by far the best explanation on OSC vs Mono I found. I'm in the process of moving from a simple DSLR Setup to a dedicated astro camera. After watching this, I'm 100% convinced that I should go with an OSC camera for now. Because it is better suited for me considering my only basic knowledge. Light pollution is not that bad in my backyard (class 4). Thank you very much!
Great presentation with valid arguments and for me there are reasons for both. I used to use exclusively SBIG mono camera with filter wheel. My dome is in some light pollution and my best images came from narrow band. But my old mount let me down and I was down more for repair than for imaging. When we did a tech refresh, I tried again with my university’s budget and put more money in a mount and less into the OSC camera. I’m getting more imaging time because of money spent on the mount. And another big thing for me is that the sky background is the same during any given exposure for all three colors. With my mono rig as the target’s elevation changed I got different background counts per color. The result was a nasty colored sky gradient that took a lot of processing tone to correct. With my OSC, that gradient has disappeared. I’m also getting more reliable focusing versus focusing filter offsets. But I have kept my mono camera for one thing. Exoplanet research. I use it to get all the pixels in binned mode to increase my SNR while making a light curve. And with OSC I don’t want it interpolating. I want the actual pixel values. So there are use cases for both. If I had to recommend to a friend, I would say save the money on filter wheel and filters and put more money toward the mount. Cry once or cry every night. You can always upgrade the camera once/if you grow past OSC.
Great video! I think the latest generation of cameras have improved more, though. I have been in the market for a new astrocam but as I go through Astrobin and compare OSC vs mono, I find the images are almost impossible to tell apart if the processing is good.
Great presentation. Another viable alternative to the extra work of a filter wheel is combining OSC color data with mono luminance or HA. I usually shoot HA or luminance one night on the mono and then swap to OSC and grab the RGB the subsequent night. I can hit 3 targets a night this way and still get a good night's sleep. Collecting flats takes about 30 seconds each morning, and instant gratification of having data to work with even if the clouds roll in.
I have been thinking about this myself. I currently have a 1600 mono and love NB filtering. The issue I have is using the RGB filters in my setup as I use a Canon lens (400mm) and cannot get a light pollution filter in the setup. Plan was shoot OSC (294MC) with an L-Extreme in the filter wheel and combine with Ha data.
What’s you guys thoughts the pros and cons regarding differences in a CCD sensor versus a CMOS sensor irrespective of if it’s color or not? Being a new guy I am not very clear on that part of the discussion. Thanks alot
I’d say OSC is plenty good enough these days, modern cameras are absolutely amazing… And if you are looking at mono then you know what you’re doing, the difference in price and time investment is not subtle so I would not consider these as a choice one or the other they are totally different concepts. The choice between brands of OSC or filters for mono might make sense, but a debate on spending $800 on a camera or $10,000 is kinda ridiculous as a which to get topic… So with budget comes into play you are comparing the top of the line OSC vs an absolute budget Mono setup with poor filters and tiny sensors…
I had no idea what OSC stood for (One Shot Color). I have never heard of that abbreviation. Please think about reworking how you title you UA-cam videos. Video titles are important on You Tube.
![All About Dithering [TAIC Short]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/7UAp4uzSnj0/mqdefault.jpg)
![All About Dithering [TAIC Short]](/img/tr.png)
![Astrophotography While You Sleep [TAIC Short]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/yZKTcv4s5Vc/mqdefault.jpg)
So glad I found this. This is by far the best explanation on OSC vs Mono I found. I'm in the process of moving from a simple DSLR Setup to a dedicated astro camera. After watching this, I'm 100% convinced that I should go with an OSC camera for now. Because it is better suited for me considering my only basic knowledge. Light pollution is not that bad in my backyard (class 4). Thank you very much!
Great presentation with valid arguments and for me there are reasons for both. I used to use exclusively SBIG mono camera with filter wheel. My dome is in some light pollution and my best images came from narrow band. But my old mount let me down and I was down more for repair than for imaging.
When we did a tech refresh, I tried again with my university’s budget and put more money in a mount and less into the OSC camera.
I’m getting more imaging time because of money spent on the mount. And another big thing for me is that the sky background is the same during any given exposure for all three colors. With my mono rig as the target’s elevation changed I got different background counts per color. The result was a nasty colored sky gradient that took a lot of processing tone to correct. With my OSC, that gradient has disappeared.
I’m also getting more reliable focusing versus focusing filter offsets.
But I have kept my mono camera for one thing. Exoplanet research. I use it to get all the pixels in binned mode to increase my SNR while making a light curve. And with OSC I don’t want it interpolating. I want the actual pixel values.
So there are use cases for both.
If I had to recommend to a friend, I would say save the money on filter wheel and filters and put more money toward the mount. Cry once or cry every night. You can always upgrade the camera once/if you grow past OSC.
Great video! I think the latest generation of cameras have improved more, though. I have been in the market for a new astrocam but as I go through Astrobin and compare OSC vs mono, I find the images are almost impossible to tell apart if the processing is good.
Great presentation. Another viable alternative to the extra work of a filter wheel is combining OSC color data with mono luminance or HA. I usually shoot HA or luminance one night on the mono and then swap to OSC and grab the RGB the subsequent night. I can hit 3 targets a night this way and still get a good night's sleep. Collecting flats takes about 30 seconds each morning, and instant gratification of having data to work with even if the clouds roll in.
I have been thinking about this myself. I currently have a 1600 mono and love NB filtering. The issue I have is using the RGB filters in my setup as I use a Canon lens (400mm) and cannot get a light pollution filter in the setup. Plan was shoot OSC (294MC) with an L-Extreme in the filter wheel and combine with Ha data.
You guys have to put together a bloopers video. You guys are the best!!!
From my perspective, every show is a blooper's reel....Alex
What’s you guys thoughts the pros and cons regarding differences in a CCD sensor versus a CMOS sensor irrespective of if it’s color or not? Being a new guy I am not very clear on that part of the discussion. Thanks alot
Whole different subject....look through the past programs (on the website itself), Sensor Sense among others to see.
Now we see the shared screen.
I’d say OSC is plenty good enough these days, modern cameras are absolutely amazing… And if you are looking at mono then you know what you’re doing, the difference in price and time investment is not subtle so I would not consider these as a choice one or the other they are totally different concepts. The choice between brands of OSC or filters for mono might make sense, but a debate on spending $800 on a camera or $10,000 is kinda ridiculous as a which to get topic… So with budget comes into play you are comparing the top of the line OSC vs an absolute budget Mono setup with poor filters and tiny sensors…
Going to your website gets a 'privacy error' because your cert is out of date.
Thanks. We are on that one.....Just found out this morning.
Never depend on Google for anything except email.
Look at their track record.
I had no idea what OSC stood for (One Shot Color). I have never heard of that abbreviation. Please think about reworking how you title you UA-cam videos. Video titles are important on You Tube.
You are right, We have to get better titles. I am not sure "OSC" is all that uncommon. But better titles is one of our goals.