cameracomparison · 2-way
ZWO ASI120MM Mini vs ZWO ASI178MM
ZWO
ASI120MM Mini
A strong fit for photographers stepping into astro pairing with longer focal lengths where framing is tight.
ZWO
ASI178MM
A strong fit for photographers stepping into astro pairing with longer focal lengths where framing is tight.
Key differences
-33% larger sensor
Larger pixels (3.75µm vs 2.4µm)
-81% more resolution
Specifications
| Specification | ZWO ASI120MM Mini | ZWO ASI178MM |
|---|---|---|
| Sensor | ||
| Type | guide-camera | dedicated |
| Sensor | AR0130CS | Sony IMX178 |
| Sensor tech | CMOS | CMOS |
| Format | 1/3" | 1/1.8" |
| Sensor size | 4.8×3.6mm | 7.4×4.9mm |
| Diagonal | 6.0mm | 8.9mm |
| Pixel size | 3.75µm | 2.40µm |
| Resolution | 1280×960 | 3096×2080 |
| Megapixels | 1.2MP | 6.4MP |
| Color | No | No |
| Cooling | ||
| Cooled | No | No |
| Performance | ||
| Full well | 13000e⁻ | 15000e⁻ |
| Peak QE | 80% | 81% |
Advantages of ZWO ASI120MM Mini
- Larger pixels — better low-light per-pixel sensitivity
Advantages of ZWO ASI178MM
- Larger sensor (8.9mm vs 6mm diagonal) — wider field
- Finer sampling at 2.4µm pixels
- Higher resolution (6.4MP vs 1.23MP)
Best for — ZWO ASI120MM Mini
- Longer focal lengths — tighter framing on small targets
- Well-sampled deep-sky at medium focal lengths
- Narrowband and LRGB workflows
Best for — ZWO ASI178MM
- Longer focal lengths — tighter framing on small targets
- Planetary and lunar high-resolution imaging
- Narrowband and LRGB workflows
ZWO ASI120MM Mini — typical FOV & scale
- On 250mm refractor (wide)FOV: 1.10° × 0.83°Scale: 3.09"/px
- On 800mm SCT reducerFOV: 0.34° × 0.26°Scale: 0.97"/px
- On 2000mm SCT nativeFOV: 0.14° × 0.10°Scale: 0.39"/px
ZWO ASI178MM — 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
ZWO ASI120MM Mini — recommended user
A strong fit for photographers stepping into astro pairing with longer focal lengths where framing is tight.
ZWO ASI178MM — recommended user
A strong fit for photographers stepping into astro pairing with longer focal lengths where framing is tight.