The Atik 383L+ is an 8-megapixel camera using the Truesense KAF-8300 CCD. Much has been written about this CCD to justify its place in astronomers' hearts. It can be succinctly summed up by saying that it's a fabulous CCD, with a huge number of good-sized pixels, and is currently available at an irresistible price.
This sensor has redefined mid-range astro-imaging, making multi-megapixel cooled cameras much more accessible.
Atik prides itself on providing cameras offering the very highest image quality at a reasonable cost. They have built on the success of the highly-regarded Atik 314 platform to support Kodak's KAF-8300. This immediately offers a huge number of advantages, including the very low read-noise circuits and the reliability of using this established design.
Specifications for the Atik 383L+ Mono
| Sensor Type | Truesense KAF-8300M |
| Horizontal Resolution | 3362 pixels |
| Vertical Resolution | 2504 pixels |
| Pixel Size | 5.4 µM x 5.4 µM |
| Imager Size |
17.96 x 13.52mm |
| Diagonal Size |
22.5mm |
| Full Well Depth |
25, 500 electrons |
| Quantum Efficiency |
Peak 57% |
| ADC | 16 bit |
| Readout Noise | 7 e- typical value |
| Interface | USB 2 High Speed |
| Power | 12v DC |
| Cooling | Thermoelectric set point with max ΔT=-40°C. |
| Weight | approx. 700 g |
Mechanical Drawing
Quality hardware
The key to any high-quality camera is the ability to convert light collected by the sensor into digital information while ensuring that as little noise as possible is added. The digital image needs to truly reflect the light collected. The Atik 383L+ achieves this, by having:
- Very low read-noise, 7 electrons, on par with many Sony sensors, enabling faint details to be detected.
- Great linearity, with a regression correlation coefficient of R = 0.9998 over the range of 1,000 to 64,000, making the camera suitable for sensitive photometric measurements.
- The bias frame histogram from the camera shows the ideal Gaussian shape, indicating that maximum detail can be extracted on processing.
The Atik 383L+ is a dream combination of low-noise electronics and a scientific-grade sensor that we are able to offer at a fantastic price. Whether you are an established imager or are just starting, the Atik 383L+ is a great choice.