cameracomparison · 2-way
Player One Mars-C II vs Player One Xena-M
Player One
Mars-C II
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
-19% larger sensor
Finer pixels (2.9µm vs 3.45µm)
31% more resolution
Color vs mono
Specifications
| Specification | Player One Mars-C II | Player One Xena-M |
|---|---|---|
| Sensor | ||
| Type | planetary | guide-camera |
| Sensor | Sony IMX662 | Sony IMX296 |
| Sensor tech | CMOS | CMOS |
| Format | 1/2.8" | 1/2.9" |
| Sensor size | 5.6×3.2mm | 6.3×4.9mm |
| Diagonal | 6.5mm | 8.0mm |
| Pixel size | 2.90µm | 3.45µm |
| Resolution | 1920×1080 | 1456×1088 |
| Megapixels | 2.1MP | 1.6MP |
| Color | Yes | No |
| Cooling | ||
| Cooled | No | No |
| Performance | ||
| Full well | 38000e⁻ | 10000e⁻ |
| Peak QE | 91% | 72% |
Advantages of Player One Mars-C II
- Finer sampling at 2.9µm pixels
- Higher resolution (2.07MP vs 1.58MP)
- One-shot color — simpler workflow
Advantages of Player One Xena-M
- Larger sensor (8mm vs 6.46mm diagonal) — wider field
- Larger pixels — better low-light per-pixel sensitivity
- Mono sensor — ideal for narrowband and LRGB
Best for — Player One Mars-C II
- Longer focal lengths — tighter framing on small targets
- Well-sampled deep-sky at medium focal lengths
- One-shot color — quick results, less processing
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 Mars-C II — typical FOV & scale
- On 250mm refractor (wide)FOV: 1.28° × 0.73°Scale: 2.39"/px
- On 800mm SCT reducerFOV: 0.40° × 0.23°Scale: 0.75"/px
- On 2000mm SCT nativeFOV: 0.16° × 0.09°Scale: 0.30"/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 Mars-C II — 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.