cameracomparison · 2-way
Player One Neptune-C II vs ZWO ASI178MC
Player One
Neptune-C II
A strong fit for photographers stepping into astro pairing with longer focal lengths where framing is tight.
ZWO
ASI178MC
A strong fit for photographers stepping into astro pairing with longer focal lengths where framing is tight.
Key differences
Larger pixels (2.9µm vs 2.4µm)
-34% more resolution
Specifications
| Specification | Player One Neptune-C II | ZWO ASI178MC |
|---|---|---|
| Sensor | ||
| Type | planetary | dedicated |
| Sensor | Sony IMX464 | Sony IMX178 |
| Sensor tech | CMOS | CMOS |
| Format | 1/1.8" | 1/1.8" |
| Sensor size | 7.7×4.3mm | 7.4×4.9mm |
| Diagonal | 8.9mm | 8.9mm |
| Pixel size | 2.90µm | 2.40µm |
| Resolution | 2712×1538 | 3096×2080 |
| Megapixels | 4.2MP | 6.4MP |
| Color | Yes | Yes |
| Cooling | ||
| Cooled | No | No |
| Performance | ||
| Full well | 12000e⁻ | 15000e⁻ |
| Peak QE | 84% | 81% |
Advantages of Player One Neptune-C II
- Larger pixels — better low-light per-pixel sensitivity
Advantages of ZWO ASI178MC
- Finer sampling at 2.4µm pixels
- Higher resolution (6.4MP vs 4.2MP)
Best for — Player One Neptune-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 — ZWO ASI178MC
- Longer focal lengths — tighter framing on small targets
- Planetary and lunar high-resolution imaging
- One-shot color — quick results, less processing
Player One Neptune-C II — typical FOV & scale
- On 250mm refractor (wide)FOV: 1.77° × 1.00°Scale: 2.39"/px
- On 800mm SCT reducerFOV: 0.55° × 0.31°Scale: 0.75"/px
- On 2000mm SCT nativeFOV: 0.22° × 0.12°Scale: 0.30"/px
ZWO ASI178MC — typical FOV & scale
- On 250mm refractor (wide)FOV: 1.70° × 1.12°Scale: 1.98"/px
- On 800mm SCT reducerFOV: 0.53° × 0.35°Scale: 0.62"/px
- On 2000mm SCT nativeFOV: 0.21° × 0.14°Scale: 0.25"/px
Player One Neptune-C II — recommended user
A strong fit for photographers stepping into astro pairing with longer focal lengths where framing is tight.
ZWO ASI178MC — recommended user
A strong fit for photographers stepping into astro pairing with longer focal lengths where framing is tight.