Product Description
Camera Sensor
ASI120MM Mini camera integrates AR0130CS 1/3″ sensor (4.8 mm x 3.6 mm). It is ZWO new mini camera. This camera has 1280 x 960 pixels. The pixel size is 3.75 μm x 3.75 μm. This camera provides 12bit ADC and its QE peak is almost 80%.
Astrophotography Performance
ASI120 mini camera offers you very good performance for planetary imaging and guiding. Low read noise, high dynamic range, AR protective window and much more.
High QE
Absolute QE Curve, we estimate the Peak Value is almost 80%.
120Mini VS 120MM-S
Compared with ASI120MM-S camera, 120mini have smaller outlook, lighter weight, and it can reach focus at same position with eyepiece.
USB2.0Port & ST4 Port
USB 2.0 Port: Mini camera has one USB2.0 type C port. Type C port is very popular in mobile phones, it will not care about positive side and negetive side of the adapter.
ST4 Port: Can connect mini camera direct connect to auto guide port of mount.
Connecting Drawing
- M28.5-CS adapter
- CS-C adapter
- 1.25″ extender
- 1.25″ filter
Mechanical Drawing
What is in the box?
ASI mini camera box includes all necessary cables, adapters, and manuals.
Drivers and Softwares:
Our website has newest camera drivers and many DSO and Planetary capture softwares. Please make sure the newest driver and software has been installed before you start shooting:
https://astronomy-imaging-camera.com/software/
ASI120, ASI174 and ASI290 mini camera have very beautiful outlooks, small size, light weight, this is not a big deal.
We should consider much more…
How to choose a good guide camera?
Many people may say : must be small, suitable for different equipments(guide scope, OAG), stable working.
Yes, I think thoes are basic demands for a good guide camera, and ASI mini camera can do them well.
So, what else we do care in the deep of our mind?
I think there will be three potential requests: high sensitivity, precisely guiding, big FOV.
High Sensitivity
Sensitivity is the first thing we considered. It is very important to look for a guide star. So, at beginning, we were considering to use mono sensor to design our guide camera only. Because mono sensors have much higher sensitivity than color ones. Luckily the ASI120MM Mini, ASI290MM Mini and ASI174MM Mini all have very high QE peak value – about 80%, which can detect more stars in view and shorten the exposure time in guiding.
Entry Level
ASI120MM Mini is designed for newcomers, which is more affordable than ASI290MM Mini and ASI174MM Mini. You can easily get the well-sampled stars with the help of ASI120MM Mini. It’s light, compact and robust. If you are still wondering which one you should choose as your first guide camera, the ASI120MM Mini can always be a good choice.
Precisely Guiding
ASI290MM Mini is designed for precisely guiding. The 2.9um pixel size can give you a higher arcsec/pixel than 224 or 120 camera. Which means in same guide scope, 290mini can detective slighter movement of stars. ASI290 mini can improve about 30% guide precision than 120mm.
Big FOV
ASI174MM mini is designed for Big FOV guiding. This is very useful in OAG to looking for a guide star. When you use OAG guider working with Ritchey-Chretien or Schmit-Cassegrain telescope, the hardest part is to looking for a guide star. ASI174 mini have 1/1.2″ big sensor which means you can have a 4 times bigger Fov than 120mm.
Smiling Face
The back of ASI mini camera is like a smiling face, its mouth is Type C USB port, which is widely used in mobile phones. And its nose is the ST4 port, for guiding. Every time, you use mini camera, there always will be a smiley face stay with you in the dark nights.
Focus like a eyepiece
ASI mini camera can focus at same position as eyepiece. You can focus with a eyepiece, and put ASI mini camera into 1.25″ holder.
Work with OAG
Mini camera is very suitable for OAG, it has much biger focus range than normal ASI cameras. Never to worry about that guide camera can not focus with main camera at same time.
Work with CS adapter and CS lens
Work with 1.25″ extender
ASI 120mini camera is available now! You can buy it form us or our dealers! Wish you all have clear skies!
Review:
https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/589232-zwo-290mm-mini-guidecam-beta-test-thread/
Blake – :
Hi, what is the maximum amperage draw the camera can use? I am going to be plugging it into a usb hub and am making sure there will be enough power for all my devices. Should I assume the camera will always use the maximum of 500mA at 5V from its host?
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Moson – :
Yes, you could assume the camera will always use the maximum of 500mA at 5V from its host. And it’s OK to use no more than 500mA at 5A.
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Craig Canubida – :
Can the ASI 120 mini fit into the ZWO 60mm guide scope? and also what would you recommend using for guiding, 120 mini with the ZWO 60mm or the ZWO mini guide scope? thanks
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Moson – :
The ASI 120 mini can fit into the ZWO 60mm guide scope.
Both ZWO 60mm and ZWO mini guide scope can be used for guiding with 120 mini.
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Chris – :
I purchased the ZWO ASI120MM mini for guiding. When I attach it to my guide scope which is a Altair MG32 Guide Scope, I can’t get it to focus at all. Also, when I try to run PHD2 with the camera, all I receive from the loop is a white screen, exposure time doesn’t affect it really or gamma slider
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Moson – :
You could adjust the helical focuser at the front of the guide scope to get focus. Or try to pull out the camera a little.
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Coach Craig – :
Hello,
Will the ZWO ASI120MM Mini fit directly into the ZWO mini guide scope? I want to use it as guide scope for my Sky watcher Esprit 120. And will it need any extra accessories? Thanks
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Moson – :
Yes,the ASI120MM Mini can fit directly into the ZWO mini guide scope.All the accessories you need are in the package.
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Philippe – :
Hello,
When this camera is used as a guiding camera with Zwo OAG, does it require the 5mm adaptor ?
Furthermore, can the Zwo 1,25” helical focuer be used in order to precisely focus the camera ?
Thx
Philippe
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Moson – :
Yes, it requires 1.25″ extender and 1.25″ helical focuser can be used to precisely focus the camera.
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Antonio Mario – :
Hi,
Can the 120mm-mini be directly used with the Orion Mini 50mm Guide Scope?
Thank you.
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Katherine Tsai – :
ASI120MM mini provide 1.25″ interface.
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Berndt v. d. Werff – :
What do I need to upgrade the firmware for the ASI120MM Mini… the software “fwupdate” not include the image for the camera.
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Katherine Tsai – :
Could you send a screenshot of this problem and send it to support@zwoptical.com?
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Michael Hettrick – :
Still no reply to my question posted here on June 9 (7 weeks ago), regarding the dark current of ASI120MM-mini.
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Katherine Tsai – :
Sorry for the late reply, you can check the message now.
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Patxi-Xabier Garate – :
Is it compatible with Kstars + Indi + Ekos?
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Katherine Tsai – :
yes
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Michael Hettrick – :
What is the dark current of this sensor ? (a graph of electrons/sec/pixel as a function of temperature would be ideal; if this is unavailable, then the electrons/sec/pixel at a single temperature would be better than no info.)
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Katherine Tsai – :
The dark current is related to the temperature and expsure time, ASI120 is not a cooled camera and it is meaningless to talk about the dark current.
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LarryS – :
Is this guiding camera compatible with the iOptron SkyGuider Pro mount?
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Katherine Tsai – :
Yes it is compatible.
As long as the mount support Guiding.
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Peter – :
Hi, I plan to buy the 150deg lens to my 120mm mini. Does it fit also in an 1.25 draw tube? In case I’d check the primary – secondary alignment through the camera view?
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Sean Wang – :
120mini camera can work with a 150deg lens, there is a CS adapter in camera box. and our 150deg lens diameter is smaller than 1.25″, so you could put it into 1.25 draw tube.
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Minos – :
Still doesn’t work with Android ASICAP. It sees the camera but when you tap preview, it says INVALID INDEX.
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Sean Wang – :
please send us a email to support(at)zwoptical.com
I will let our engineer help you.
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JV – :
Does the note “Our ASI120MM/MC camera is not compatible very well with Linux” also apply to the mini version?
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Sam Wen – :
no, Mini works well on all platform
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Janx – :
Is this camera supported by ASIAIR?
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Sean Wang – :
Yes.
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Jim Miller – :
Has anyone been able to get this camera to work with PHD2 for guiding? Which driver should I use and what gain settings? I get nothing but noise. The camera works fine with Sharpcap.
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Sean Wang – :
Hi Jim
I suggest you use Sharpcap to focus and find out exposure and gain settings. Then set them into PHD2. You can use native driver or ASCOM driver in PHD2, they both fine.
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minoskritikos (verified owner) – :
Great stuff! All the best
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Sean Wang – :
thank you!
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minoskritikos (verified owner) – :
Neither does android asicap
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Sean Wang – :
Oh,we will support it in next version.
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minoskritikos (verified owner) – :
I just received my asi120mm mini, many thanks!
Having installed the latest native drivers and ascom drivers from your page, I’d like to report that phd2 doesn’t currently recognise the asi120mm mini native driver, only through ascom. Sharpcap recognises both.
Thanks
Minos
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Sean Wang – :
We will send a email to PHD team, tell them to release a new version.
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Sean Wang – :
Hi, Minoskritikos. This version support mini cameras. https://openphdguiding.org/development-snapshots/
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SMorgan – :
This camera is listed as mono, but the specs say it uses a color sensor, “AR0130CS(Color)”. Is this an error?
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Sean Wang – :
Yap, Thanks for remind me. I modified the description.
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