Main and Guide Camera Field of View
Guide camera sensor position relative to main sensor
The image above shows the size and effective position of the pick-off prism and guide camera
sensor in relation to the main sensor in a QSI 500 Series WSG model camera. The center of
the pick-off prism (and effective position of the guide camera sensor) is 0.675” (
≈
17mm)
above the optical axis of the telescope and the center of the main sensor.
Compatible Guide Cameras
The WSG cover is designed for guide cameras that have a maximum back focus of 12.5mm.
Many general purpose cameras and dedicated guide cameras are designed with 12.5mm of
back focus to fit the CS-Mount specification, which uses the same thread as C-mount (1” x
32tpi) but with 12.5mm of back focus instead of the C-mount standard of 17.5mm.
The camera you select for your guide camera does not need to have guider outputs. Widely
used astronomical image acquisition programs can be configured to send the guider correction
signal through the guider out port on QSI 500 Series cameras. With MaxIm DL or LE, this is
done by configuring the guider correction signals to be sent through the “Main Relays”.
At the time of publication, the following guide cameras are known to be compatible with the
WSG. See this web page for the most current list:
http://store.qsimaging.com/kb.asp?ID=13
Starlight Express Lodestar
C-mount
Meade DSI Pro I, II, III
T-mount (Requires 3
rd
party low profile adapter)
Orion Starshoot Autoguider
T-mount
Orion Starshoot Imager II
T-mount
The Imaging Source Cameras C-mount
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