My $60 planetary camera turned out to be a webcam in a fancy case

I bought this budget SVBONY planetary camera off Amazon thinking I'd get crisp shots of Jupiter, but when I checked the specs it's literally just a repackaged 720p webcam sensor. It worked okay for the moon but any planet detail was just blurry mush even after stacking 2000 frames. Has anyone found a decent planetary camera under $150 that actually works for Saturn's rings?

3 comments

3 Comments

john_fisher1mo agoMost Upvoted

Fair point on the Cassini division, but that's a pretty tough target even for mid-range gear (I've never managed it cleanly myself). For Saturn's rings under $150, the ZWO ASI120MC or the used market for an ASI224MC are your best bets. Just stick to known astro brands and check the sensor specs before buying, no more mystery webcams.

christopherh791mo ago

Oh man, I got burned the exact same way with a different cheap brand... slapped together webcam guts in a little metal tube, couldn't even resolve the Cassini division on Saturn.

charles6401mo ago

Yeah, that's rough, I feel your pain on that one.