The ZWO ASI2600MC Air Made My Life Easier: Here’s How
Key Takeaways
- The ASI2600MC Air is a 3-in-1′ smart camera’ that combines a dedicated astronomy camera with a guide camera and a WiFi controller that runs on the ASIAIR mobile app.
- The design dramatically reduces the amount of cables and accessories needed to run a complete deep-sky astrophotography imaging session.
- Critiques dislike that this ‘niche design’ could lead to a scenario where one of the three components fails (rendering the system useless) and that it limits the user to the ZWO ecosystem.
ZWO has always been a great company to work with. They saw something special on my YouTube Channel way back in 2017 and have loaned me several cameras to test and review over the years.
When I tested one of their early dedicated astronomy cameras (an ASI071MC-Cool) 7 years ago, I had no idea of the overall impact they would soon have on the astrophotography community.
I took this picture of the Cave Nebula with the ASI2600MC Air camera.
Their coming-out party seemed to align with the launch of the highly polarizing ASIAIR WiFi controller and peaked with the incredible success of the Seestar S50 smart telescope in 2023.
While the astrophotography community seems to either love or hate the market ‘domination’ of ZWO, I think everyone can agree that they have dramatically impacted the hobby for the better overall. The company constantly innovates, improves, and keeps a close pulse on the amateur astrophotographer.
With all that out of the way, I’d like to introduce one of the strangest, noone-saw-it-coming devices they have ever produced. The ZWO ASI2600MC Air.
The ZWO ASI2600MC Air is currently listed for $1,999 USD at Agena Astro.
The ZWO ASI2600MC Air
This astronomy camera is unlike any other you have ever used. It includes a built-in ASIAIR WiFi controller and an autoguiding camera. It’s truly an all-in-one device that significantly streamlines the astro-imaging experience.
Inside this camera/computer combo lies one of the absolute best CMOS astronomy camera sensors ever made, the Sony IMX571. This back-illuminated APS-C format native 16-bit ADC sensor is behind some of the best astrophotography images on the planet.
On top of the primary camera sensor, you’ll find a small secondary camera sensor built for autoguiding. This is the same CMOS sensor in the ZWO ASI220MM Mini guide camera.
The built-in ASIAIR WiFi controller is built into the camera body and adds very little to the camera’s overall size. But in case you forgot it was there, the angled black antenna is there to remind you.
The WiFi range on the ASI2600MC Air is listed at 20 meters (In my experience, it’s more like 10).
What’s So Special About It?
Even though I knew that this camera would save me from setting up my ASIAIR Plus device, an autoguiding camera, and a guide scope, I didn’t realize how freeing this new experience would be.
It’s just one camera threaded to the back of your astrophotography telescope. You run one power cable to the camera’s power input port, plug in your USB thumb drive, and start imaging.
Starting your astrophotography session on the ASIAIR mobile app is even easier. Once you have found your initial focus through your astrophotography telescope, you can start the polar alignment process and be on your way.
The secondary guide camera will also be in focus (another step skipped over), and you can start calibrating soon after. I have never seen a cleaner astrophotography rig in my backyard, ever.
If you use a cable to control your telescope mount (I use this one), just plug the USB end into the back of the camera and the other into your mount. Done.
Advantages:
- 3-in-1 package for faster setup
- Less chances for cable snags
- On-axis guiding with better accuracy
- No worry of flexure or/other guide scope issues
Disadvantages:
- Part of the ZWO ‘closed ecosystem’
- Potential problems if one component fails
- Not able to upgrade/change individual components (eg. guide camera)
The primary image sensor is 26 MP, and the guide sensor is 2MP.
What Others are Saying
While there are currently only a handful of units ‘in the wild’ being reviewed hands-on, the astrophotography community has some strong opinions on this product. Here are a few of the most prevalent thoughts about the ASI2600MC Air on X:
What are your thoughts on the ASI2600MC Air Smart Camera? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/fPQnTWaRbv
— 🔭AstroBackyard (@AstroBackyard) September 9, 2024
Value for the Price
While I know that $2,000 USD is a lot of money, you are getting one of the best astronomy cameras on the market, an ASIAIR on-board camera controller, and a ready-to-go autoguiding system in one.
I think the ASI2600MC Air has the potential to be one of the most popular astrophotography products of all time. Even seasoned astrophotographers who already own ASI cameras and an ASIAIR can benefit from an additional all-in-one package like this.
I regularly run multiple ASIAIR’s (my record is 3 rigs running simultaneously), and this configuration frees up another guide camera and ASIAIR.
At the end of the day, the camera alone is worth the price of admission. For the added value of the Air version, it’s a no-brainer to spring for this model over the original ASI2600MC Pro.
ASI2600MC Air Specifications
Primary Camera
- Sensor: Sony IMX571
- Sensor Size: APS-C (23.5 x 15.7)
- Pixel Size: 3.76um
- Resolution: 6248 x 4176 pixels (26 MP)
- ADC: 16 Bit
- FPS: 10.8 (at 1920 x 1080 resolution)
- QE: 80%
- Read Noise: 0.9e-4.2e
- Cooling Temperature: 30°C-35°C
- eMMC: 256GB (2GB DDR memory)
- Read/Write Speed: 138MB/s read, 112MB/s write
- WiFi: 2.4Ghz/5Ghz Dual-band Wi-Fi
- Full Well Capacity: 50Ke
- Interface: USB 2.0 x 4, Type-C x 1
Guide Camera
- Sensor: SC2210
- Sensor Size: 1/1.8″ (7.68mm x 4.32mm)
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels
- FPS: 8.5
- QE: 92%
- Read Noise: 0.6e
The ZWO ASI2600MC Air is a Wireless Smart Camera with 3-in-1 Imaging, Guiding, and Control.
How is The WiFi Range?
The WiFi range is listed at 20 meters. While I noticed that it is much improved over the ASIAIR Pro, I have found the maximum distance I can achieve a strong signal to be about 10 meters (30 feet) away inside the house.
If you have never used a WiFi device to control your astrophotography sessions, you may be worried about losing the connection between your camera and telescope and your phone or tablet. The reality is that it doesn’t matter all that much if you temporarily lose the WiFi signal during your image acquisition session.
Your automated imaging plan will continue to run even if the signal is lost. You need to reconnect to the camera at a closer range, and then you can monitor your progress once more.
You will need to use the ASIAIR mobile app on Android or IOS devices to control the ASI2600MC Air.
Using the ASI2600MC Air with the Askar SQA55 on a portable star tracker.
Potential Problems
The critiques online seem to have one major issue with the ASI2600MC Air: What if something goes wrong with one of the components? While I am happy to report that after several nights, everything is working flawlessly, they have a point.
For example, if the ASIAIR WiFi controller developed an issue and no longer functions, your favorite astronomy camera could become an expensive paperweight. Unlike a modular system you have put together and customized yourself, this baby is a closed system.
Also, the duo guide camera system could be a problem with strong filters, and a ‘slow’ (F/7 or higher) telescope. The guide camera needs to ‘see’ a couple of stars that are bright enough to lock onto to function.
That said, I am pleased to report that my guiding was excellent. I used a strong Optolong L-eXtreme (dual-narrowband) filter in front of the guide camera, and my F/5.6 telescope and I was really surprised to experience that.
The Images I’ve Taken
Thanks to some fantastic late summer weather, I’ve had a few moonless clear nights to test the ASI2600MC Air from my light-polluted backyard (Bortle 6).
I decided to capture a deep-sky target I’ve never tried, NGC 6914, in the Cygnus constellation. You have probably seen this target in your wide-field images of the Sadr Region.
For this photo, I used a mix of data – the bulk of it from the ASI2600MC Air and an Optolong L-eXtreme filter (I felt the L-Ultimate was a little too strong).
NGC 6914 in Cygnus. ZWO ASI2600MC Air + William Optics FLT 132 Refractor.
The next subject I chose to photograph was the beautiful Cave Nebula in the constellation Cepheus. This has always been one of my favorite targets to capture from the northern hemisphere during late summer and early fall.
I poured on the imaging time thanks to two consecutive moonless, clear nights in the backyard. I did not use a filter for this image to achieve a more natural-looking image with accurate star colors.
The Cave Nebula. ZWO ASI2600MC Air + William Optics FLT 132 Refractor (no filter).
To finish things off, I added a small stack of data captured with an H-alpha filter and the ASI2600MM Pro, a monochrome version of this camera sensor. While it was only about 2 hours of data, for this subject, it definitely helped the object ‘pop’ a little more.
Complete Setup Used
My William Optics FLT 132 hasn’t seen enough starlight lately, so it has temporarily taken the place of the Sky-Watcher Esprit 150 APO refractor for the time being.
The Sky-Watcher EQ8-R Pro and tri-pier are so heavy that I usually try to leave them outside for an extended period of time. When not in use, I protect them with a Telegizmos 365 cover.
- Camera: ZWO ASI2600MC Air
- Filter: Optolong L-eXtreme (for NGC 6914 only)
- Telescope: William Optics FLT 132 Apochromatic Refractor
- Reducer Lens: William Optics 0.8x reducer
- Mount: Sky-Watcher EQ8-R Pro
The system was quite clean without the need for my ASIAIR Plus WiFi controller, guide scope, or guide camera. Just one DC power adapter cable (12V 5A) to the camera and one to the mount.
Related Article: 10 of The Best Astrophotography Telescopes in 2024
Image Processing
To process the images, I have been using my latest workflow, which involves creating a starless image relatively early on. This helps me really bring up the faint details without worrying about destroying star color and quality.
For the image of NGC 6914, I focused on bringing up the cool blue areas of the reflection nebula to contrast against the sea of red hydrogen. I used the Select and Mask tool in Adobe Photoshop to refine my selection around the blue nebulae and applied several iterations of curves to these blue tones specifically.
The RC Astro plugins like BlurXTerminator and StarXTerminator do an exceptional job at my edit’s key stages (deconvolution and star removal). You can learn about this entire process in my recently updated astrophotography image processing guide.
It is always free for existing customers to update the guide to the latest version.
The image processing guide is over 130 pages and includes exclusive video tutorials.
Final Thoughts
The ZWO ASI2600MC Air is unlike anything else on the market. It’s an incredible accomplishment in innovation and design, and I am thoroughly impressed with the images I’ve taken with it.
You can undoubtedly capture images of a comparable quality using the non-Air version of this camera. Still, you would be missing out on the ‘don’t knock it until you try it’ user experience this device provides.
I doubt that anyone who already owns an ASI2600MC Pro (or Duo version) will feel the need to upgrade, but if you love that sensor and want to run an additional rig, then maybe you could justify the impulse purchase.
If you already enjoy using the ASIAIR mobile app on your smartphone or tablet, this camera would be a great addition to your growing collection of astrophotography equipment.
As long as no major issues arise and ZWO maintains high-quality control at the factory, I think the ASI2600MC Air has the potential to be an extremely successful product for years to come.
As always, I am not paid to endorse the product, or obligated to provide a positive review. The company has no input into what I share with my audience.
Trevor Jones is a deep-sky astrophotographer and valued member of the RASC. His passion is inspiring 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 & online publications, including the NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD).
Having just had an ASIAIR Pro go dead on me suddenly in the midst of a (solar) imaging session, I am wary of getting an all-in-one camera-guide camera-computer, but I used to say the same thing about all-in-one printer-scanner-copiers, and here we are unable to buy anything else (practically). It does look like it simplifies set up and avoids cable issues.
Hello Trevor – One more thanks for your expert opinion on this remarkable new product from ZWO. As I’m actually using a rig with the ZWO ASI Pro, ZWO AM5 and the ASI 2600 MC Duo I think I’m too late to purchase the new ASI 2600 MC AIR.
One of the concerns about the integrated guiding camera is the performance with installed filters. From my experiences it works fine even on a slower telescope as with my ASKAR 103 APO with f/6.8. I usually do shots of 300 seconds from my Bortle 5 backyard with an Optolong L-Extreme filter.
You should have no problem guiding with the L-extreme filter. In my tests, the guiding was great with the stronger L-ultimate filter in place – using an F/6 refractor!