SBIG STL-6303E

TOP OF THE LINE - WORLD CLASS - LARGE FORMAT

Santa Barbara Instruments Group STL-6303E Research Grade astronomical CCD camera

While the STL-11000 gets all the publicity due to its true 35mm negative filmsize, it's the SBIG STL-6303E that is truly the bigger brother. The 6303 sacrifices some chip size (it is 75% the chip size of the 11000) for higher quantum efficiency, meaning it's more sensitive than the 11000. But it's not like this CCD is small. Afterall it is the equivalent size of FOUR ST-8 chips placed side-by-side! Actually, for better reference, the chip has exactly the same number of pixels as the Canon Digital Rebel digital SLR, which is plenty big enough for any time of imaging and is perhaps a better match for most optics except for those that have the best field flatness. Truth is, not too many optics can cover the entire 11000 chip.

Specifications:

CCD: KAF-6303E/LE
Total Pixels: 6.3 million
Array: 3072 x 2048 pixels
Pixel Size: 9 microns square
Antiblooming: No
Class: 2
Peak QE: 68%
Image Area: 27.7 mm x 18.5 mm
Focal Length at 1 arcsecond per pixel: 73 inches
FOV at 1 arcsecond per pixel: 0.9 x 0.6 degrees

From SBIG's website: "The 9 micron pixels are small enough that the large field of view can be exploited with relatively modest telescopes of less than 100 inches focal length. High QE, blue sensitive, full frame, high dynamic range, low noise, and optional anti-blooming protection make this one of the most sought after detectors for professional use. "

Therefore, the STL-6303e is a versatile camera, capable of use with wider scopes such as the Tak FSQ-106 that yields a 3.5 arc second per pixel resolution, and the longer focal length instruments such as SCTs and Ritchey-Chretiens. In fact, because of the increased sensitivity, it performs exceptionally well when the focal ratios are slower.

The newer Research grade cameras, the STLs, all have integrated color filter wheels with standard 2" filters. The current filter carousel is equipped with red, green, blue, and clear filters in addition to a Custom Scientific 4.5nm Hydrogen Alpha filter for spectral line imaging. Additional filter wheels can be purchased to hold other filters, such as UBVRI photometry filters or other spectral line filters.

This camera, supplied by the Three Rivers Foundation (3RF) beginning in May 2004, has been used exclusively since that time.