cameracomparison · 2-way
Player One Ares-M Pro vs Player One Xena-M
Player One
Ares-M Pro
A strong fit for dedicated deep-sky imagers 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
100% larger sensor
Larger pixels (3.76µm vs 3.45µm)
470% more resolution
Cooled sensor
Specifications
| Specification | Player One Ares-M Pro | Player One Xena-M |
|---|---|---|
| Sensor | ||
| Type | Dedicated Cooled | guide-camera |
| Sensor | Sony IMX533 | Sony IMX296 |
| Sensor tech | CMOS | CMOS |
| Format | 1" | 1/2.9" |
| Sensor size | 11.3×11.3mm | 6.3×4.9mm |
| Diagonal | 16.0mm | 8.0mm |
| Pixel size | 3.76µm | 3.45µm |
| Resolution | 3008×3008 | 1456×1088 |
| Megapixels | 9.0MP | 1.6MP |
| Color | No | No |
| Cooling | ||
| Cooled | Yes | No |
| Performance | ||
| Full well | 50000e⁻ | 10000e⁻ |
| Peak QE | 80% | 72% |
Advantages of Player One Ares-M Pro
- Larger sensor (16mm vs 8mm diagonal) — wider field
- Higher resolution (9MP vs 1.58MP)
- Regulated cooling for long exposures
Advantages of Player One Xena-M
Closely matched on the compared specs.
Best for — Player One Ares-M Pro
- Longer focal lengths — tighter framing on small targets
- Well-sampled deep-sky at medium focal lengths
- Long-exposure deep-sky under any sky
- 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 Ares-M Pro — typical FOV & scale
- On 250mm refractor (wide)FOV: 2.59° × 2.59°Scale: 3.10"/px
- On 800mm SCT reducerFOV: 0.81° × 0.81°Scale: 0.97"/px
- On 2000mm SCT nativeFOV: 0.32° × 0.32°Scale: 0.39"/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 Ares-M Pro — recommended user
A strong fit for dedicated deep-sky imagers 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.