Is the ToupTek ATR2600C as good as the ZWO ASI2600MC?

For images, yes in my test: the same IMX571 sensor, and my raw Andromeda stacks through each on the Askar 71F were very similar.

How fast does the ATR2600C cool?

ToupTek rates the two-stage cooler at 35 C below ambient on short exposures and 42 C on long ones; my own timing against the ASI2600 is under What is it for.

Does the ATR2600C work with a ZWO ASIAIR?

No. It runs from a computer or from ToupTek's own AstroStation, which I used in my JUWEI-17 test.

What field of view does the ATR2600C give?

My plate solves put the full sensor at 2.74 x 1.84 degrees on the Askar 71F at 489 mm, enough for the whole of Andromeda with M 32 and M 110.

How much integration is the Andromeda on this page?

331 one-minute exposures, 5 hours 31 minutes, through the Askar 71F, processed in GraXpert, PixInsight and Photoshop.

What comes in the box?

The camera with its 2 inch adapter, a 12 V 3.3 A power adapter and cable, a 1.5 m USB 3.0 cable, spacers and adapters for 55 mm back focus, and a slip-on cover.

What have I not tested on the ATR2600C?

I did not measure the ATR2600C's read noise, dark current or amp glow myself, and I did not test it behind narrowband filters.

ToupTek ATR2600C review: a cooled IMX571 APS-C colour camera

Where does it rank on our leaderboard

Nine of the 29 cameras on my board, against price
Rank	Camera	Stars for Your Buck	Recorded UK price
1	SVBONY SV705C	93 out of 100	£229
2	SVBONY SC571CC	90 out of 100	£1,029
8	ZWO ASI2600MC Duo	83 out of 100	£1,849
10	ToupTek ATR2600C	80 out of 100	£1,127
11	Player One Saturn-C	78 out of 100	£514
17	ZWO ASI120MM	75 out of 100	£199
27	ZWO ASI6200MC	59 out of 100	£3,999
28	ZWO ASI183MC	38 out of 100	£549
29	Nikon COOLPIX P1000	32 out of 100	£787

Contents

01 Where does it rank on our leaderboard
02 Specifications and features
03 In the hand
04 The rig on the mount
05 How good is it? Here is what it captured
06 Raw against finished
07 What is it for
08 Watch the review
09 Tested numbers and the download
10 Should you buy it?
11 Questions and more about this review

In 30 seconds

Stars for Your Buck 80/100

Reviewed 20 Nov 2024 Updated 26 Sep 2026

Rank: #10 of 29 cameras
Verdict: Damon recommends

Written by Damon Scotting 5 min read

Buy it if

You want the IMX571 APS-C sensor in a cooled camera that is not tied to one maker's controller.
You want a camera that reaches -10 C in seconds rather than minutes.
You image galaxies and nebulae at 400 to 600 mm and want a wide 26 MP field.

Skip it if

You run everything from a ZWO ASIAIR: it only connects ZWO cameras.
You want mono narrowband: the ToupTek ATR2600MM is the mono version.
You want the cheapest route to the IMX571: the SVBONY SC571CC uses the same sensor.

“The bottom line is the ATR2600 is breathtakingly good.”

Specifications and features

Against the cameras I have reviewed

Compare with

ToupTek ATR2600C reviewed #10 of 29	ZWO ASI2600MC Duo #8 of 29	ZWO ASI2600MC #21 of 29	SVBONY SC571CC #2 of 29
Recorded UK price	£1,127	£1,849	£1,599	£1,029
Stars for Your Buck	80/100	83/100	72/100	90/100
Sensor	Sony IMX571 colour, back-illuminated	Sony IMX571 colour, plus an SC2210 guide sensor	Sony IMX571 colour	Sony IMX571 colour
Format	APS-C, 23.4 x 15.7 mm, 28.3 mm diagonal	APS-C, 23.5 x 15.7 mm	APS-C, 23.5 x 15.7 mm	APS-C, 23.5 x 15.7 mm
Colour or mono	Colour	Colour	Colour	Colour
Resolution	6224 x 4168, 26 MP	6248 x 4176, 26 MP	6248 x 4176, 26 MP	6224 x 4168, 26 MP
Pixel size	3.76 um	3.76 um	3.76 um	3.76 um
Cooling	Two-stage TEC, 35 C below ambient (short exposures) to 42 C (long)	TEC, 30 to 35 C below ambient	TEC, 30 to 35 C below ambient	TEC, about 35 C below ambient
Read noise	0.79 to 2.77 e- (low noise mode)	0.9 to 4.2 e-	1.0 to 3.3 e-	1.14 to 2.6 e-
Full well	51 ke- (100 ke- in high full-well mode)	50 ke-	73 ke-	Approximately 16,000 electrons at the lowest plotted HCG gain (0 dB); graph-derived, not an all-mode maximum
ADC	16-bit	16-bit	16-bit	16-bit
Weight	577 g	700 g	700 g	557 g
Back focus	17.5 mm (55 mm with the supplied spacers)	17.5 mm	55 mm with the supplied spacers	17.5 mm
Interface	USB 3.0, two-port USB 2.0 hub, 512 MB DDR3 buffer	USB 3.0, 512 MB DDR3 buffer	USB 3.0, 512 MB DDR3 buffer	USB Type-C
In the box	Camera with its 2 inch adapter, 12 V 3.3 A power adapter and cable, 1.5 m USB 3.0 cable, M48 to M42 adapter, 16.5 mm and 21 mm extenders, 12.5 mm M42 adapter, cover	Camera, soft padded case, 2 m USB 3.0 cable, two 0.5 m USB 2.0 cables, 16.5 mm and 21 mm M54 extenders, M54 to M48 ring, hex key, quick start guide	The camera, a cover, M42-M48 16.5 mm and M42 21 mm extenders, an M42M-M48F adapter, a hex key, two 0.5 m USB 2.0 cables, a 2 m USB 3.0 cable, a quick guide and a camera bag	The camera, three adapter rings (M42 to M42, M48 to M42, M42 to M48), a dust cap, a USB cable, a 12 V 3 A power supply, desiccant, a manual and a cleaning cloth

In the hand

On the imaging train

At night

Rear ports

Beside an ASIAIR Plus

The slip-on cap

On the Askar 71F

The rig on the mount

On the JUWEI-17, then on six other mounts

How good is it? Here is what it captured

Two targets

Andromeda, ToupTek ATR2600C, Askar 71F

Integration: 5 h 31 min (331 x 60 s)
Field: 2.54 x 1.65 degrees
Telescope: Askar 71F
Camera: ToupTek ATR2600C
Mount: ZWO AM5N
Target: M 31 Andromeda Galaxy with M 32 and M 110
Type: Spiral galaxy

Pleiades, ToupTek ATR2600C, Askar 71F

Integration: Unknown
Field: Unknown
Telescope: Askar 71F
Camera: ToupTek ATR2600C
Mount: Unknown
Target: M 45 Pleiades
Type: Open cluster with reflection nebula

Raw against finished

What is it for

The 1 target, the raw combined stack against my finished image, each with its integration, the camera and the palette:

M 31 Andromeda Galaxy with M 32 and M 110: 5 h 31 min (331 x 60 s) of light, ToupTek ATR2600C, the raw combined stack with one automatic stretch

Three things it is for

The same sensor as the ZWO ASI2600MC

Why am I comparing these two cameras? Simple: they use the same sensor, an IMX571. You can wrap up the camera however you like, but the core, most essential component is its sensor.

Cooled in seconds

With the ASI2600 it takes about 6 minutes to get from just over 10 C to minus 10. The ToupTek reached minus 10 in 22 seconds, and the AstroStation read -10.0 C while it imaged in my JUWEI-17 test.

Behind an off-axis guider

I'm taking 0.5 second exposures for my guiding and 5 minute long exposures with my main camera, using a ToupTek off-axis guider with a QHY585 Mark III as a guide camera and the ToupTek ATR2600C as my main.

Watch the review

I tried out the SUPER POWERFUL ToupTek ATR2600C! (Who are ToupTek??) · published 20 November 2024 · 7:11 · Watch on YouTube · 13,944 views, 452 likes on 2 Oct 2026

Jump to

0:57 The same IMX571 sensor
1:16 16-bit, 26 megapixels, zero amp glow
1:43 A direct image comparison
2:00 Andromeda: raw stack against finished
3:05 Cooling to -10 C in 22 seconds
3:33 Low and high conversion gain
3:43 The rubber dust cap
4:19 The ASIAIR and the AstroStation
5:46 The ToupTek AAF focuser
6:17 Verdict

Transcript of the review video 1,387 words · 13 chapters · searchable

Press a time stamp to play from there.

0:00 A bargain against the ASI2600MC

0:02 now I love a good bargain and in astrophotography that generally means finding a product that does the same job as a familiar favourite but at a much 0:07 cheaper price which is what has led me to discovering the super powerful ToupTek ATR2600C camera a worthy adversary to the extremely beloved ASI2600MC by ZWO 0:19 in today's video I'm going to be putting this ToupTek camera to the test but perhaps more excitedly I'm going to be exploring who on Earth ToupTek are and 0:27 how they are offering some of the most exciting products in our field for a fraction of the mainstream cost I'm Damon Scotting and this is 0:42 astronomical 16-bit 26 megapixel images wow that must cost a lot right well here in the UK it can certainly be purchased for a lot cheaper 0:49 than the ASI2600MC as for the US it seems to basically be the same price across the board with the ToupTek being marginally cheaper now why am I

0:57 The same IMX571 sensor

0:58 comparing these two cameras simple they use the same sensor an IMX571 you can wrap up the camera however you like but the core most essential component is its 1:08 sensor the IMX571 is fast becoming one of the most universally loved sensors for amateur astrophotographers when used for this ToupTek camera it offers

1:16 16-bit, 26 megapixels, zero amp glow

1:16 stunning 16-bit 26 megapixel images with decently large pixels at 3.76 micron it also provides zero amp glow and extremely low read noise between 1.14 to 1:27 2.4 and then finally this isn't to do with a sensor but still a feature of the camera worth mentioning it provides a regulated two-stage TEC cooling of 42° 1:36 below ambient temperature if you're looking for a more advanced camera than this you're going to have to spend at least two to three times more money all right

1:43 A direct image comparison

1:43 time for a direct image comparison which to be honest I don't necessarily agree with since for a perfect comparison you would need two identical telescopes 1:50 mounted onto the same mount capturing images at the exact same time which is more difficult than it sounds instead here are images of the Andromeda galaxy 1:57 captured by each of the cameras on separate nights and for fair different exposure times you can pixel peep all you want or whatever you feel you need

2:00 Andromeda: raw stack against finished

2:04 to do but I could already tell from their raw stacked images that they were very similar you can of course raise the question as to which camera produces 2:10 images that contain better data and are therefore edited better but there's just too many variables for my liking I think you can agree that the 2:20 image quality is to a similar level in either image I have actually been doing a number of comparison videos on this trip and in my soon to be released video 2:28 comparing the Player One Uranus camera the ASI585MC camera and the SVBONY 705 camera the Player One and ASI cameras were impossible to separate for some 2:37 reason the SVBONY camera really suffered now all three of these cameras have the exact same sensor so I'd love to say it's as simple as it's the same 2:44 sensor therefore the exact same camera but it's not some brands will undercut the quality of their cameras just to say that they are the cheapest however ToupTek

2:50 Build quality

2:52 has held its own here and rightfully deserves its place alongside ZWO and Player One cameras in terms of quality builds so explicitly what is it 3:00 that ToupTek cameras are better at than the ASI2600MC Pro and what is it worse at well as for better I have never

3:05 Cooling to -10 C in 22 seconds

3:08 used a camera that has so efficiently cooled itself down before with the ASI2600 it takes about 6 minutes to go down from just over 10 C to minus 10 now 3:17 that's a lot of time waiting around to image with the ToupTek though I had to assume there was some sort of error because it was able to cool down to 3:24 minus 10 in 22 seconds that's absurd I searched up other users' reviews of this camera and they are all in agreement the cooling system on the ToupTek is

3:33 Low and high conversion gain

3:34 phenomenal ToupTek also has a unique low conversion gain and a high conversion gain feature that gives you a bit more freedom into how you wish to 3:41 capture your images which I'm sure some users will find very handy as for the bad what is this why have they gone for this as the cap for the camera for

3:43 The rubber dust cap

3:49 comparison this is the screw cap for the ASI2600 it's solid it's tight and it stops air and dust from getting in I'll put it into its carry case and I know 3:58 it's safe but this little rubber thing here is essentially a dust magnet don't get me wrong it's nice only having to slip or peel this thing in or out it's a 4:06 lot quicker than unscrewing and far more quieter but yeah not really a fan of that otherwise there's not too much to compare between the cameras obviously 4:14 one's blue one's red and the ToupTek is a lot more compact than the ASI2600 now as I was finishing this review on

4:19 The ASIAIR and the AstroStation

4:20 the balcony I came to the conclusion that I should give the ASI2600 the edge simply because of how incredibly useful I find the ASIAIR the ASIAIR is a 4:29 little piece of magic it allows you to control all of your astrophotography gear from your smartphone the one major issue users have with it is that it only 4:36 allows the connection of ZWO cameras and a ZWO focuser which makes it incredibly restrictive but get this ToupTek the same company that made this ATR2600 4:47 camera has just started releasing its own version of the ASIAIR known as the AstroStation and like the brilliant boogers that they are they have made 4:56 their version accessible to all nice there are no limits whatsoever on the gear that can be attached which means this new AstroStation device could 5:04 possibly be about to change the game for many astrophotographers but the more you go digging into what this lesser known company ToupTek has to offer the more

5:07 ToupTek's product range

5:12 gems you start to find which is why for the remainder of this review I'm not going to solely focus on the ATR2600 camera even though I said I would 5:19 because I think it would be far more interesting to explore their diverse product range check it out they have their own product versions of 5:26 practically every single popular astronomy camera how have I never heard of this before now the prices are not significantly cheaper but perhaps just enough to warrant your attention 5:35 I've only heard positive things from other users when discussing their customer service interactions and I can hand on heart say from my own discussions with them that they have been a delight 5:43 to deal with extremely attentive it only took them 3 days to have the camera delivered to me from China they've even released their own electronic focuser

5:46 The ToupTek AAF focuser

5:51 which I was tempted to buy when I saw it listed on the website at $179 which is cheaper than ZWO but I then had no choice but to buy it when it 6:00 somehow popped up on my AliExpress feed at half the price yeah that's really weird isn't it the funny thing is it's the real deal as well I've been using 6:08 the AAF on my Askar 71F and it has been doing the job very nicely it's easy to control and even comes with a temperature sensor and a remote control 6:17 although I mostly use my computer to control the focuser so the bottom line is the ATR2600 is breathtakingly good and even if the camera is still outside

6:17 Verdict

6:25 your current price range then there's no need to worry because there's still a wide list of worthy cost-effective alternatives available on their website from what I've experienced so far solid 6:34 company good products and great prices with the very soon to be released AstroStation exciting times are still yet to come once I get some clear skies I'll be 6:43 releasing a full review video on the AstroStation until then I've attached links to the ATR2600C and the rest of ToupTek products in the description 6:51 below thanks for watching I'm Damon Scotting and this was astronomical

Check out more videos on the ToupTek ATR2600C

I BOUGHT the £800 JUWEI-17 Mount! (HALF the Price and TWICE as Nice?)

1 Dec 2024

Tested numbers and the download

Finished image

Licence: for personal use, credit Damon Scotting. Both JPEGs 4,078 x 3,595 px.

-10 C sensor set point the set point I run every cooled camera at

489 mm focal length, plate solved stated 490 mm, on the Askar 71F

2.74 x 1.84° field of view 6,224 x 4,168 px on ToupTek ATR2600C

26 MP ToupTek ATR2600C 6,224 x 4,168 px, 23.4 x 15.7 mm

Should you buy it?

80/100 Stars for Your Buck

Pros

“I have never used a camera that has so efficiently cooled itself down before.”
“It offers stunning 16-bit, 26 megapixel images with decently large pixels at 3.76 micron. It also provides zero amp glow and extremely low read noise.”
“ToupTek also has a unique low conversion gain and a high conversion gain feature that gives you a bit more freedom into how you wish to capture your images.”
“The ToupTek is a lot more compact than the ASI2600.”

Cons

“This little rubber thing here is essentially a dust magnet.”
It needs a computer or ToupTek's own AstroStation to run.
An APS-C sensor needs a telescope with a corrected image circle of at least 28.3 mm to keep the corners sharp.

ToupTek has held its own here and rightfully deserves its place alongside ZWO and Player One cameras in terms of quality builds.

Who the ATR2600C is for

Complete beginner

Skip

A cooled APS-C camera also needs a tracking mount, a telescope with a 28 mm image circle and a computer; a smart telescope is simpler to start with.

DSLR imager moving to a cooled camera

Buy

The same APS-C area as many DSLRs, with regulated cooling and, on the AR-window version, no IR-cut filter in the way of H-alpha.

ASIAIR user

Skip

The ZWO ASI2600MC or ASI2600MC Air has the same sensor and keeps the whole rig in one app.

Laptop or AstroStation user

Buy

It has ASCOM, native and WDM drivers, so capture software drives it like any other camera, and ToupTek's AstroStation runs it from a phone.

Narrowband imager

Skip

A colour sensor behind narrowband filters wastes signal; the ToupTek ATR2600MM is the mono version of this camera.

Already own a ZWO ASI2600MC

Skip

It is the same IMX571 sensor, so the images will not improve; only the cooling is quicker.

Three alternatives I have reviewed

Questions and more about this review

Reviewed by

Damon Scotting

The Telescope Man Verified

BSc (Hons) Physics with Astrophysics and Cosmology, Loughborough University PGCE / QTS, University of Nottingham

About Damon About Damon Damon Scotting is The Telescope Man. He holds a BSc (Hons) in Physics with Astrophysics and Cosmology from Loughborough University and a PGCE with QTS from the University of Nottingham, and taught physics in secondary schools before becoming an astronomy creator. He is a contributing writer for BBC Sky at Night Magazine and the author of 42 Wonders of Our Night Sky, and his photograph of the galaxy M100 with the dwarf planet Ceres was Highly Commended in the Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2024 competition run by Royal Observatory Greenwich. He has appeared on the BBC's Blue Peter. More than 750,000 people follow his astronomy channels on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, and he has reviewed more than 140 telescopes, mounts, cameras, filters and accessories hands-on for this site. More about Damon · How I test · Damon's book

I review all kinds of gear: most of it I buy, some is gifted and some is loaned, and all of it is reviewed the same way. How this site is funded

Seven questions, answered

Questions about the ToupTek ATR2600C

Reviewed 20 November 2024 ·Updated 26 September 2026

I review all kinds of gear. Most of it I buy, some is gifted and some is loaned, and all of it is reviewed the same way: no company sees or approves a review before it is published. Shop links marked Ad are affiliate links: I earn a commission when you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. How this site is funded

Is the ToupTek ATR2600C as good as the ZWO ASI2600MC? For images, yes in my test: the same IMX571 sensor, and my raw Andromeda stacks through each on the Askar 71F were very similar. The raw stacks against the finished images ↓
How fast does the ATR2600C cool? ToupTek rates the two-stage cooler at 35 C below ambient on short exposures and 42 C on long ones; my own timing against the ASI2600 is under What is it for. What is it for ↓
Does the ATR2600C work with a ZWO ASIAIR? No. It runs from a computer or from ToupTek's own AstroStation, which I used in my JUWEI-17 test. What is it for ↓
What field of view does the ATR2600C give? My plate solves put the full sensor at 2.74 x 1.84 degrees on the Askar 71F at 489 mm, enough for the whole of Andromeda with M 32 and M 110. Tested numbers and the download ↓
How much integration is the Andromeda on this page? 331 one-minute exposures, 5 hours 31 minutes, through the Askar 71F, processed in GraXpert, PixInsight and Photoshop. What I captured ↓
What comes in the box? The camera with its 2 inch adapter, a 12 V 3.3 A power adapter and cable, a 1.5 m USB 3.0 cable, spacers and adapters for 55 mm back focus, and a slip-on cover. The specifications and the comparison table ↓
What have I not tested on the ATR2600C? I did not measure the ATR2600C's read noise, dark current or amp glow myself, and I did not test it behind narrowband filters.