The question of whether FireWire or USB 2.0 is a better choice for an astronomy camera gets raised time and time again in our support and pre-sales departments.

One of our German reseller – Intercon Spacetec – has published a brief overview of how they see the situation. With their permission, I have translated the following from German into English for our global audience:

The speed at which data can be transferred across the FireWire bus and the USB bus is almost identical. In practice, FireWire seems to have a very slight edge. However, as the maximum frame rate of both the FireWire and USB series of astronomy cameras is identical, this advantage is purely academic.

Customers who are looking to run their astronomy cameras on Linux will have an easier time with the FireWire series, as the standard IEEE-1394 driver works fine. USB, on the other hand, requires a specialized driver [see these blog posts for details].

Users of Windows are better off using the USB series, as the cameras’ handling is easier than that of the FireWire astronomy cameras.

Power is also an issue to look at when debating whether FireWire or USB is better suited to the task. Normally, both FireWire and USB cameras draw their energy over the cable. An external power supply unit is, therefore, not necessary.

One (very important) exception is when running the cameras on laptops: The FireWire connectors on laptops typically have only four pins and thus cannot power the cameras. It is, therefore, necessary to power the cameras using an external power supply unit, which, out in the field, is often somewhat cumbersome.

Deploying USB cameras avoids this inconvenience.

German and French versions of this text are also available.

• What do you think?
• Which do you prefer?
• FireWire or USB?
• Why?

Please post your opinion in the comments section below. Thank you!

Optique PK3 is one our French resellers, with their shop in Cholet. Although the main business of Optique PK3 lies in selling spectacles, the astronomy division, which was founded around ten years ago, is continually growing.

Optique PK3 has just published their catalog for 2008 and is currently shipping it to customers and prospects in their area.

They recently added the full line of astronomy cameras, manufactured by The Imaging Source, to their range of products. Indeed, their new catalog contains an entire page dedicated to our cameras.

If you live in or around Cholet and would like to receive their catalog, or if you would just like to go round and talk to them about astronomy, click on the following link for contact information:

• http://www.optiquepk3.com

Maison de l’astronomie, one of our French resellers – based in Paris – has just published the following brief article in their news bulletin:

Translated into English, this means:

They’ve done it again! The Imaging Source has yet again brought out new cameras, but this time with a new connector. The new cameras ship with a USB 2.0 connector, hence there is no need to use a specialized power supply (as was the case with the FireWire models). This makes the new cameras particularly suited to deployment in the field. The cameras ship with three types of CCDs: 640×480, 1024×768 and 1280×960.

If you are ever in Paris, we recommend going round to Maison de l’astronomie to take a look at all the wonderful products they have in stock!

One of our more recently added German resellers, Intercon Spacetec, based in Augsburg, Germany, has just published the following advert in the German magazine Sterne und Weltraum.

There is a translation into English for our non-German speaking blog readers below.

Translated into English:

The Imaging Source CCD Cameras

The Imaging Source CCD cameras have been specifically designed for astronomy. They are as easy to use as a web camera, but offer a number of advantages over a web camera: uncompressed data stream, higher frame rate, longer exposure times and high quality, low noise electronics.

The monochrome CCD cameras are shipped without an IR cut filter. The models with a 640×480 resolution can capture up to 60 frame per second and are thus ideally suited to planetary astro-photography. The color cameras are available as RGB with an IR cut filter or as a Bayer camera without IR cut filter.

All cameras have a maximum exposure time of 60 minutes, ship with C and CS mounts (1.25″ adapter included) and are powered via the bus. Furthermore, a driver CD and IC Capture.AS is included. The software runs on Windows XP and Vista. The cameras are available with a USB 2.0 and FireWire connectors.

[A list of cameras with prices follows]

Intercon Spacetec‘s web site offers a number of details product descriptions and photos of The Imaging Source astronomy cameras, in addition to some images captured with The Imaging Source astronomy cameras.

We welcome, wholeheartedly, Intercon Spacetec to our global network of resellers.

Galileo, one our our esteemed resellers, based in France, Switzerland and Belgium, has recently published a detailed review of a number of astronomy cameras, manufactured by The Imaging Source.

The reviewer examines the cameras’ technical characteristics in detail and has richly illustrate the article with sample photos, captured with The Imaging Source cameras.

The review is in French and can be read online at:
http://www.galileo.cc/GALILEO-france/descriptif_ccd.php?ref=IS-DFK21AU04-AS

Furthermore, in their latest newsletter, the reseller writes:

En quelques mois les caméras développées par le fabricant allemand [The] Imaging Source se sont imposées au niveau de l’astrophotographie planétaire amateur comme la nouvelle référence. A la fois accessibles en terme de prix et dotées de performances impressionnantes [...] Premiers modèles de la gamme les DMK/DFK 21 ont été récompensé par Sky&Telescope pour leur rapport prix/performances exceptionnel.

Below is a translation for our non-French speaking readers:

Within only a few months, the cameras designed and manufactured by the German company “The Imaging Source” have become the new reference for amateur astro-photography. The cameras offer exceptional performance and are very accessible in terms of price [...] Sky & Telescope praised the DMK and DFK 21 cameras for offering great value for money.