Have I used the ASI2600MC Pro myself?

Yes. I owned it, and it is the cooled camera on the back of the ZWO FF80 in my ZWO AM5 review video, pictured on this page.

What is the difference between the ASI2600MC Pro, the Duo and the Air?

The Duo puts a second, smaller sensor in the same camera for guiding, so there is no guide scope; the Air adds the guide sensor and runs the rig itself over Wi-Fi. The Pro is the imaging camera alone.

Is the ASI2600MC Pro worth it over the SVBONY SC571CC or the ToupTek ATR2600C?

All three carry the IMX571. The ZWO costs £1,599 against £1,029 and £1,127; what the difference buys is ZWO's ASIAIR control, which runs ZWO cameras only.

What is the ASI2600MC-P25?

ZWO's 2025 revision of the ASI2600MC Pro, the version First Light Optics, High Point Scientific and ZWO's own store sell today: the same IMX571 sensor, 26 MP of 3.76 um pixels.

What power does it need?

USB for the camera and a 12 V supply at up to 3 A for the cooler: ZWO recommends a 12 V 3 A adapter or an 11 to 14 V battery, and an ASIAIR can power it.

Will it reach focus on my telescope?

The sensor sits 17.5 mm behind the front of the camera, and the 16.5 mm and 21 mm extenders in the box make up the usual 55 mm; the telescope must cover an APS-C sensor, a 28.3 mm diagonal.

What have I not tested on the ASI2600MC Pro?

I have no stacked captures on record from the ASI2600MC Pro itself, so this page carries no captures, raw stacks or measured numbers from it.

ZWO ASI2600MC Pro review: cooled APS-C IMX571 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
3	ZWO ASI585MC Air	89 out of 100	£799
14	Player One Apollo-M MAX	76 out of 100	£485
20	ASI 4400MC	72 out of 100	£3,299
21	ZWO ASI2600MC	72 out of 100	£1,599
26	QHY 585C	59 out of 100	£359
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 Watch it in my videos
08 Should you buy it?
09 Questions and more about this review

In 30 seconds

Stars for Your Buck 72/100

Reviewed 13 Jun 2024 Updated 26 Sep 2026

Rank: #21 of 29 cameras
Verdict: Worth a look

Written by Damon Scotting 5 min read

Buy it if

You want a cooled 26 MP APS-C colour camera that plugs straight into an ASIAIR.
Your rig already guides with its own guide scope and guide camera, so you do not need a guide sensor in the imaging camera.
Your telescope covers an APS-C sensor, a 28.3 mm diagonal, with room for the camera's 17.5 mm of back focus.

Skip it if

You want the IMX571 for less: the SVBONY SC571CC is £1,029 and the ToupTek ATR2600C £1,127, against £1,599.
You want fewer cables: the ASI2600MC Duo and the ASI2600MC Air build a guide sensor in.
Your telescope has a small image circle: a 1/1.2 inch IMX585 camera suits it better.

“We want to cool it because we want to reduce the amount of hot pixels that turn up in our image. So by cooling our camera, we actually get a much cleaner final resultant image.”

Specifications and features

Against the cameras I have reviewed

Compare with

ZWO ASI2600MC reviewed #21 of 29	SVBONY SC571CC #2 of 29	ZWO ASI2600MC Air #4 of 29	ZWO ASI2600MC Duo #8 of 29	ToupTek ATR2600C #10 of 29
Recorded UK price	£1,599	£1,029	£2,149	£1,849	£1,127
Stars for Your Buck	72/100	90/100	88/100	83/100	80/100
Sensor	Sony IMX571 BSI CMOS	Sony IMX571, APS-C	Sony IMX571	Sony IMX571 with an SC2210 guide sensor	Sony IMX571 colour, back-illuminated
Format	APS-C, 23.5 x 15.7 mm, 28.3 mm diagonal	APS-C	APS-C, 23.5 x 15.7 mm	APS-C, 23.5 x 15.7 mm	APS-C, 23.4 x 15.7 mm, 28.3 mm diagonal
Colour or mono	Colour	Colour	Colour	Colour	Colour
Resolution	6248 x 4176, 26 MP	6224 x 4168, 25.9 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	3.76 um
Cooling	Two-stage TEC, 30 to 35 C below ambient; heated protective window	Two-stage TEC, about 35 C below ambient	30 to 35 C below ambient	Two-stage TEC, 30 to 35 C below ambient	Two-stage TEC, 35 C below ambient (short exposures) to 42 C (long)
Read noise	1.0 to 3.3 e-	1.14 to 2.6 e-	0.9 to 4.2 e-	0.9 to 4.2 e-	0.79 to 2.77 e-
Full well	50 ke- (73 ke- in extended mode)	Approximately 16,000 electrons at the lowest plotted HCG gain (0 dB); graph-derived, not an all-mode maximum	50 ke-	50 ke-	51 ke-
ADC	16-bit	16-bit	16-bit	16-bit	16-bit
Weight	700 g	557 g	775 g	700 g	577 g
Back focus	17.5 mm	17.5 mm	12.5 or 17.5 mm	17.5 mm	17.5 mm
Interface	USB 3.0, a two-port USB 2.0 hub, 12 V DC for the cooler	USB 3.0 Type-C, DC 12 V	Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth; USB-C output, four USB 2.0 ports, three 12 V DC ports, any one of them the power input	USB 3.0 for imaging, USB 2.0 for guiding	USB 3.0, two-port USB 2.0 hub, 512 MB DDR3 buffer
Version sold today	ASI2600MC-P25, ZWO's 2025 revision	SVBONY SC571CC	ZWO ASI2600MC Air	ZWO ASI2600MC Duo	ToupTek ATR2600C
In the box	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	Camera, external antenna, two 1 m DC power cords, 1.5 m DC extension, two 0.5 m USB 2.0 cables, 16.5 mm and 21 mm M54 spacers, M48 to M54 ring, cable strap, hex wrench, quick start guide, soft bag	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	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

In the hand

The rig on the mount

On the JUWEI-17, then on six other mounts

How good is it? Here is what it captured

One target

Horsehead and Flame, ZWO ASI2600MC, FF80

Integration: 42 min (21 x 120 s)
Field: 2.9 x 1.9 degrees
Telescope: ZWO FF80
Camera: ZWO ASI2600MC
Mount: ZWO AM5
Target: IC 434 Horsehead and NGC 2024 Flame Nebulae
Type: Dark and emission nebula

Raw against finished

Watch it in my videos

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

IC 434 Horsehead and NGC 2024 Flame Nebulae: 42 min (21 x 120 s) of light, ASI2600MC, the raw combined stack with one automatic stretch

This is the BEST TELESCOPE MOUNT I've ever used! · published 13 June 2024 · 6:47 · Watch on YouTube · 9,151 views, 370 likes on 2 Oct 2026

Jump to

1:53 The whole rig on the mount
2:05 The ASI 2600MC and its cooling
2:30 The cables and the inputs
2:44 The ASIAIR that controls everything
3:29 A GoTo to the Andromeda Galaxy
4:51 Final verdict on the AM5

Check out more videos on the ZWO ASI2600MC

I tried out the SUPER POWERFUL ToupTek ATR2600C! (Who are ToupTek??)

20 Nov 2024

Should you buy it?

72/100 Stars for Your Buck

Pros

“The ASIAIR is a little piece of magic. It allows you to control all of your astrophotography gear from your smartphone.”
26 megapixels on the APS-C Sony IMX571: 3.76 um pixels and a 16-bit ADC with 14 stops of dynamic range.
Two-stage TEC cooling 30 to 35 C below ambient, with a heater on the protective window against dew.
A two-port USB 2.0 hub on the back for the guide camera or a focuser, and a 512 MB buffer.

Cons

The same IMX571 costs less elsewhere: £1,029 for the SVBONY SC571CC and £1,127 for the ToupTek ATR2600C, against £1,599.
The ASIAIR that makes it easy connects ZWO cameras and focusers only.
No guide sensor inside: a guide scope and guide camera ride on top, unlike the ASI2600MC Duo and Air.
The cooler needs its own 12 V supply at up to 3 A.

I came to the conclusion that I should give the ASI 2600 the edge simply because of how incredibly useful I find the ASIAIR.

Who the ASI2600MC Pro is for

ASIAIR owner moving up to APS-C

Buy

It plugs straight into the ASIAIR, which runs ZWO cameras and focusers, and the hub on its back takes the guide camera.

Imager whose rig already guides

Buy

With a guide scope and guide camera already on the telescope, the plain Pro is the IMX571 without paying for a second sensor.

Value hunter

Skip

My recommendation is the SVBONY SC571CC: the same IMX571 colour sensor, cooled, for £1,029.

Laptop imager who wants the fastest cool-down

Skip

The ToupTek ATR2600C carries the same sensor for £1,127, and mine cooled to -10 C in 22 seconds.

Anyone who wants the fewest cables

Skip

My recommendation is the ASI2600MC Air: the guide sensor and the controller are in the camera.

Owner of a small refractor with a small image circle

Skip

A 28.3 mm diagonal needs a telescope that covers APS-C; an IMX585 camera such as the Altair Hypercam 585C suits a smaller circle.

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 ZWO ASI2600MC

Reviewed 13 June 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

Have I used the ASI2600MC Pro myself? Yes. I owned it, and it is the cooled camera on the back of the ZWO FF80 in my ZWO AM5 review video, pictured on this page. In the hand ↓
What is the difference between the ASI2600MC Pro, the Duo and the Air? The Duo puts a second, smaller sensor in the same camera for guiding, so there is no guide scope; the Air adds the guide sensor and runs the rig itself over Wi-Fi. The Pro is the imaging camera alone. The specifications and the comparison table ↓
Is the ASI2600MC Pro worth it over the SVBONY SC571CC or the ToupTek ATR2600C? All three carry the IMX571. The ZWO costs £1,599 against £1,029 and £1,127; what the difference buys is ZWO's ASIAIR control, which runs ZWO cameras only. The specifications and the comparison table ↓
What is the ASI2600MC-P25? ZWO's 2025 revision of the ASI2600MC Pro, the version First Light Optics, High Point Scientific and ZWO's own store sell today: the same IMX571 sensor, 26 MP of 3.76 um pixels. The verdict, the readers and the sellers ↓
What power does it need? USB for the camera and a 12 V supply at up to 3 A for the cooler: ZWO recommends a 12 V 3 A adapter or an 11 to 14 V battery, and an ASIAIR can power it. The specifications and the comparison table ↓
Will it reach focus on my telescope? The sensor sits 17.5 mm behind the front of the camera, and the 16.5 mm and 21 mm extenders in the box make up the usual 55 mm; the telescope must cover an APS-C sensor, a 28.3 mm diagonal. The specifications and the comparison table ↓
What have I not tested on the ASI2600MC Pro? I have no stacked captures on record from the ASI2600MC Pro itself, so this page carries no captures, raw stacks or measured numbers from it.