ZWO ASI2400MC Pro Review
The ZWO ASI2400MC Pro is a full-frame, one-shot-color dedicated astronomy camera. It features a large 24-megapixel CMOS sensor with a pixel size of 5.94 microns. It is a great option for owners of astrophotography telescopes with a full-frame image circle (48mm+), as you will be able to fully utilize the large sensor across the entire image field.
The camera’s cooling system allows you to keep that large sensor cold for the duration of your imaging session. I usually run the camera at about -10 degrees Celsius to match my dark frames at any time of year. I also take advantage of the onboard anti-dew system, as I have found that it is needed to prevent moisture/frost on the large CMOS sensor.
I have been using the ZWO ASI2400MC Pro camera for 3 years, and I wanted to provide an honest review based on the many images I have taken. It has been an incredible astrophotography camera that I have enjoyed using with many different telescopes.
The ZWO ASI2400MC Pro Camera costs $2,999 USD at Agena Astro.
If you are looking for a full-frame, one-shot-color dedicated astronomy camera, you can’t go wrong with the ZWO ASI2400MC Pro. The large CMOS sensor, reliable performance, and practical pixel size make it an excellent match for many of the most popular astrophotography telescopes.
I have taken some of my best astrophotography images using the ZWO ASI2400MC Pro, including my latest photo of the Witch Head Nebula in Orion. If you are looking for an apochromatic refractor telescope to match with the ASI2400MC Pro’s large image sensor, I highly recommend the William Optics Pleiades 68 (shown below).
ZWO AM5, WO Pleiades 68, ZWO ASI2400MC Pro. (Winter Star Party 2024).
ZWO ASI2400MC Pro Overview
This dedicated astronomy camera features a full-frame, 24-megapixel, back-illuminated CMOS sensor (Sony IMX410). It was designed to capture deep-sky astrophotography images using long exposures through an astronomical telescope.
The camera boasts a large full well depth (100ke), which provides a healthy dynamic range (14 stops) for your deep-sky imaging projects. The sensor has low read noise characteristics and can be cooled up to 25 degrees below the ambient temperature to reduce dark current.
The fast USB 3.0 data interface and 256MB buffer speed up data transfer between the camera and your imaging software. Considering each image file is nearly 50MB in size, this speedy data transfer is appreciated. It only takes a few seconds for each sub-exposure to appear.
You can expect clean images out of this camera that are easy to calibrate thanks to a CMOS sensor that experiences zero amp-glow. The back-illuminated 36mm x 24mm sensor is designed for improved sensitivity and noise reduction for maximum quantum efficiency.
Relative sensitivity to specific color wavelengths on the ZWO ASI2400MC Pro sensor.
The camera includes a built-in UV/IR cut filter window above the CMOS sensor.
Camera Specifications
- Sensor Type: CMOS
- Sensor: Sony IMX410
- Mega Pixels: 24 MP
- Pixel Array: 6072 x 4042
- Pixel Size: 5.94 microns
- ADC: 14 bit
- Back Focus: 17.5 mm
- Camera Connection: M42
- Color or Mono: Color
- Cooled: Cooled
- Full Resolution Frame Rate: 3.51fps
- Full Well Capacity: 100ke
- Max Frame Rate: 13.5fps
- Peak Quantum Efficiency: 80%
- Read Noise: 1.1e
- Sensor Diagonal: 43.3 mm
- Weight: 1.5 lb
The difference between an APS-C sized CMOS sensor and a full-frame CMOS sensor.
Powering the Camera
The ZWO ASI2400MC Pro must be powered from an external 12V DC power source. This can either be an external power supply plugged into your household AC power or a portable power station that also powers the rest of your deep-sky astrophotography setup.
You can also utilize the handy 12V DC power outputs on the ZWO ASIAIR Plus WiFi device, which is a convenient option to keep your cables tidy and out of the way. The USB 3.0 cable alone is not enough to power the camera and utilize the cooling feature. You need a minimum of 3 amps to fully power the ZWO ASI2400MC Pro.
I power the camera using the onboard 12V power outputs on the ASIAIR.
The ZWO ASIAIR WiFi camera controller must be powered using a 12V power adapter (minimum 12V 5A) to power the camera. This device also controls my astrophotography mount, so I can use plate-solving to find and track deep-sky objects in the night sky.
The ZWO ASI2400MC Pro
The biggest draw of the ZWO ASI2400MC Pro camera is, of course, that big, beautiful, full-frame CMOS sensor. This allows you to utilize the native focal length of your astrophotography telescope and enjoy a massive field of view in your images.
For an idea of just how much deep-sky goodness this camera can collect in a single shot, have a look at my photo of the Lagoon Nebula in the constellation Sagittarius. The massive sensor gives you a lot of framing options, especially when you pair the camera with a wide-field refractor telescope.
This image utilized the large image circle of the William Optics RedCat 61 WIFD at a focal length of 300mm. As you can see, I managed to reveal the nearby Trifid Nebula, as well as many other fascinating star clusters in the area.
I like to use the ZWO ASI2400MC Pro for all types of astrophotography projects. It is especially useful when capturing a broadband deep-sky target such as a galaxy or a reflection nebula. While I often use this camera when traveling to dark skies away from the city, it can also be utilized from a light-polluted location using a dual-narrowband filter.
I particularly like using the Optolong L-eXtreme dual-bandpass light pollution filter with this camera. For bright emission nebulae like the Seagull Nebula (shown below), this filter creates a punchy image with a strong separation between the gases emitted by the object and a washed-out city sky.
The Seagull Nebula. ZWO ASI2400MC Pro + Optolong L-eXtreme filter (Bortle 6 sky).
Included Items with the Camera
The camera comes with everything you need to start photographing the night sky with your telescope. The included M48 adapters allow you to reach the proper backspacing (55mm) between the camera sensor and your astrophotography telescope.
You can power a small guide camera for autoguiding using the USB 2.0 outputs on the back of the camera. I regularly use the USB 2.0 output on the back of the ZWO ASI2400MC Pro to connect to my ZWO ASI290MM Mini guide camera (US type-A to USB type-C).
The one thing that the camera does not include is a 12V 5A power adapter to power the camera. You can also buy a 12V DC to DC power connector cord (connector 5.5 x 2.1mm, center pole positive) to connect the camera directly to the ASIAIR power output ports (recommended).
- Camera Bag
- Camera Body
- Quick Guide
- M48-M42 Adapter
- USB 3.0 Cable (2m)
- 2x USB 2.0 Cable (0.5m)
- M54-M48 21mm Extender
- M48-M48 16.5mm Extender
- 2″ Cover
- Hexagon Wrench
The Camera comes with everything needed for correct backspacing.
5.5mm x 2.1mm DC power cables to power the camera using the ZWO ASIAIR Plus. (Amazon).
Drivers and Camera Capture
To run the ZWO ASI2400MC Pro one-shot-color camera on your PC, you will need to download the necessary camera drivers from the ZWO website (drivers and software). If you are running the camera using the ASIAIR, the device will automatically recognize the camera.
You can use whichever image capture software you want to run this camera. Popular choices include N.I.N.A., SharpCap, Astro Photography Tool, and the ASIAIR smartphone app. You can also try out the ZWO ASIStudio, but I have not heard much about this software or how well it works.
Using a Samsung Tablet to run my camera and telescope (ASIAIR).
I am a huge fan of the ASIAIR smartphone app because it makes it really easy and fun to run a complete imaging plan. For a complete breakdown of this process, be sure to read ‘deep-sky astrophotography how-to – start to finish‘.
Final Thoughts
This camera is behind some of the best astrophotography images I have taken over the 3 years. If you are on the fence about buying a full-frame dedicated astronomy camera, I understand your concerns. If you do not own a telescope with an image circle large enough to accommodate a CMOS sensor of this size, the ASI2400MC Pro may not be a good fit for you.
However, I feel that even if you have to crop up to 10% of the image away at the very edges of the frame, it’s still beneficial to use a camera with a full-frame sensor. While an APS-C-sized sensor is a practical choice, I think it still makes sense for most amateur astrophotographers to buy a full-frame camera.
For some reason, don’t see a lot of folks using the ASI2400MC Pro. Perhaps it is overshadowed by the mighty ZWO ASI6200MC Pro, a more expensive full-frame color camera? This model uses a sensor different from the 2400, the Sony IMX455 with a pixel size of 3.76um.
Whatever the case may be, I highly recommend the ZWO ASI2400MC Pro color camera. It has not caused me any issues after 3 years of heavy use, and I plan on continuing to use this camera for many more years to come.
The Swan Nebula. ZWO ASI2400MC Pro + Sky-Watcher Esprit 150 APO.
Trevor Jones
is a deep-sky astrophotographer and a valued member of the RASC. His passion is to inspire others to start their astrophotography journey on his YouTube Channel, so they can appreciate the night sky as much as he does. His images have been featured in astronomy books and online publications, including the NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD).
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