cameracomparison · 2-way
Player One Apollo-M Max vs Player One Xena-M

Player One
Apollo-M Max
A strong fit for photographers stepping into astro pairing with longer focal lengths where framing is tight.

Player One
Xena-M
A strong fit for photographers stepping into astro pairing with longer focal lengths where framing is tight.
Key differences
120% larger sensor
Larger pixels (9µm vs 3.45µm)
13% more resolution
Specifications
| Specification | Player One Apollo-M Max | Player One Xena-M |
|---|---|---|
| Sensor | ||
| Type | planetary | guide-camera |
| Sensor | Sony IMX432 | Sony IMX296 |
| Sensor tech | CMOS | CMOS |
| Format | 1.1" | 1/2.9" |
| Sensor size | 14.1×10.6mm | 6.3×4.9mm |
| Diagonal | 17.6mm | 8.0mm |
| Pixel size | 9.00µm | 3.45µm |
| Resolution | 1608×1104 | 1456×1088 |
| Megapixels | 1.8MP | 1.6MP |
| Color | No | No |
| Cooling | ||
| Cooled | No | No |
| Performance | ||
| Full well | 90000e⁻ | 10000e⁻ |
| Peak QE | 80% | 72% |
Advantages of Player One Apollo-M Max
- Larger sensor (17.6mm vs 8mm diagonal) — wider field
- Larger pixels — better low-light per-pixel sensitivity
- Higher resolution (1.78MP vs 1.58MP)
Advantages of Player One Xena-M
- Finer sampling at 3.45µm pixels
Best for — Player One Apollo-M Max
- Longer focal lengths — tighter framing on small targets
- Fast, low-noise deep-sky at short focal lengths
- Narrowband and LRGB workflows
Best for — Player One Xena-M
- Longer focal lengths — tighter framing on small targets
- Well-sampled deep-sky at medium focal lengths
- Narrowband and LRGB workflows
Player One Apollo-M Max — typical FOV & scale
- On 250mm refractor (wide)FOV: 3.23° × 2.42°Scale: 7.43"/px
- On 800mm SCT reducerFOV: 1.01° × 0.76°Scale: 2.32"/px
- On 2000mm SCT nativeFOV: 0.40° × 0.30°Scale: 0.93"/px
Player One Xena-M — typical FOV & scale
- On 250mm refractor (wide)FOV: 1.44° × 1.12°Scale: 2.85"/px
- On 800mm SCT reducerFOV: 0.45° × 0.35°Scale: 0.89"/px
- On 2000mm SCT nativeFOV: 0.18° × 0.14°Scale: 0.36"/px
Player One Apollo-M Max — recommended user
A strong fit for photographers stepping into astro pairing with longer focal lengths where framing is tight.
Player One Xena-M — recommended user
A strong fit for photographers stepping into astro pairing with longer focal lengths where framing is tight.