ZWO ASI585MM Pro USB 3.0 cooled mono camera

Fast for planets, cooled for deep sky - and all at an affordable price

- CHRIS GRIMMER

ZWO's original non-cooled mono and colour versions of the ASI585, aimed at planetary imagers, were very well received for their fast frame rates and extremely low noise. So when ZWO announced it was adding the very same Sony STARVIS IMX585 sensor to its deep-sky camera range, complete with two-stage cooling systems, we couldn't wait to get our hands on one to try it.

This 'active cooling' ability allows you to set the temperature of the sensor to as low as 35° below ambient and further reduce noise in what was already a proven low-noise sensor.

Opening the box, we found the ZWO ASI585MM Pro, with familiar bright-red camera body, nestled in a padded zip-up compact case. Included with the camera were three USB cables and a range of adaptors and spacers - a nice touch from ZWO that will help users avoid having to buy extras (often an unforeseen additional expense). Making the most of these, we easily attached our non-ZWO filter wheel and correctly spaced our field flattener.

As with all ZWO's Pro series cameras that feature two-stage cooling, we did note that no power cable was included. You'll therefore need a suitable 12V 2.1mm power supply for the ASI585MM Pro.

After a quick look on the ZWO website, we located the Downloads section and were pleased to see a single driver file covering all their cameras, meaning we didn't need to hunt for the correct one. Adding our own power supply and the supplied USB 3.0 cable, we got the camera connected and it was instantly recognised by our capture software.

Utilising the USB hub on the back of the camera, we connected the filter wheel and motorised focuser, both of which were discovered by our PC instantly and worked flawlessly, proving this to be a great addition. With everything now connected, we started the camera cooling.