Pavel Lafata is an astrophotographer from the Czech Republic with over three years of experience in deep-sky and solar imaging. He has extensive experience testing and evaluating astrophotography equipment, from cameras and telescopes to mounts and accessories. As a ToupTek Astro user, Pavel creates stunning astrophotography images and shares his work, gear reviews, and insights through AstroBin, social media communities, and his personal website.
Next, let’s hear Pavel share his experience using the ATR428M.
Unboxing and Package Contents
Right from the moment you receive it, the box design, the secure packaging, and the aesthetics of the camera itself seamlessly follow the well-established and highly regarded DSO camera series from ToupTek. If you are familiar with their deep-sky lineup, you will feel right at home here.
Inside the box, you will find everything you need to get started:
- The ToupTek Astro ATR428M camera.
- A generous array of adapters, spacer rings, and reducers to easily connect the camera to your telescope's imaging train.
- A high-speed USB-B 3.0 cable for stable data transfer.
- A 12V/3A power supply unit for the camera’s cooling system, including a power cable matching your chosen regional plug standard.
Design and Build Quality:
The camera body features ToupTek's signature standard blue shade, maintaining that premium, recognizable look. In fact, the overall design, physical dimensions, connector layout, USB hub, status LEDs, and the cooling system are identical to the rest of ToupTek's DSO camera lineup. It feels solid, well-machined, and purpose-built for demanding astrophotography conditions.
Sensor and Technical Specifications:
At the heart of the ATR428 is the impressive Sony IMX428 sensor, which is available in both mono (ATR428M) and color versions (ATR428C).
Key Sensor Specs:
- 1" sensor format offering a fantastic field of view for solar imaging.
- 4.5μm large pixel size allowing for excellent light-gathering capabilities.
- · Native 12-bit ADC.
- · Global Shutter: This is a massive advantage for capturing the sun, as it prevents the rolling shutter artifacts often seen when imaging under poor seeing conditions, and fully supports high-frame-rate capture.
- Low noise and high sensitivity.
- Highly efficient TEC cooling to keep thermal noise to an absolute minimum.
- AR (Anti-Reflective) coated glass or a UV/IR cut filter with a built-in anti-dew heater.
When placing my order on the official ToupTek e-shop, I was able to choose between the Mono (M) and Color (C) sensor versions, as well as select the appropriate mains power plug for my region. I didn't have the option to choose a different color variant for the camera itself, nor could I select the type of protective cover glass. However, looking at the packaging, the camera arrived in, it is apparent from the box that these options do exist.
Additionally, the camera is fully equipped to handle challenging environmental conditions. It features a built-in anti-dew heater for the cover glass to prevent any annoying fogging or moisture condensation during your sessions. It also utilizes highly efficient TEC cooling to keep thermal noise to an absolute minimum.
For a deeper dive into the technical data—such as the exact sensitivity curves at specific wavelengths, the transition between LCG and HCG modes, and detailed gain and bias configurations—I highly recommend checking out the ATR428 product page on the official ToupTek website, where these parameters are thoroughly documented.
Based on the initial unboxing and physical inspection of the camera, here is a summary of the advantages and disadvantages:
- Proven Build Quality: The robust, premium design seamlessly matches ToupTek's well-established and highly regarded DSO camera lineup.
- Excellent Solar Sensor: The 1" Sony IMX428 sensor features a global shutter, which is an absolute game-changer for solar imaging as it eliminates rolling shutter artifacts and freezes moments of good seeing.
- Effective TEC cooling: The inclusion of highly efficient TEC cooling ensures clean, noise-free imaging.
- Convenient Connectivity and Monitoring: The camera features a built-in USB hub, which is excellent for cable management, and the inclusion of indicator LEDs provides a quick and easy way to check the camera's operational status.
- Missing a Crucial Solar Adapter (A Big Minus): Despite the inclusion of several adapters and rings in the box, I was very disappointed to find that a basic 1.25-inch nosepiece with an M42 thread is completely missing. For a camera intended for solar photography, this is a significant oversight. A simple 1.25" nosepiece is practically essential for easily sliding the camera into the eyepiece holder of a Daystar Quark or a standard 1.25" Herschel wedge.
- No Tilt Adapter Option at Checkout: There was no option to add a tilt adapter directly on the camera's product page. A tilt adapter is extremely useful when imaging with setups like the Daystar Quark to eliminate Newton's rings. While I suspect ToupTek's standard DSO tilt adapter might fit this camera perfectly, it would be much more convenient if it were offered directly as an optional accessory during the checkout process.
- Limited Ordering Customization: When purchasing through the official e-shop, there was no option to select the type of protective cover glass or the body color of the camera, even though the packaging implies these variations exist.
- Camera Color and Heat Absorption: While I fully understand that ToupTek wants to maintain its brand identity and the established design language of its camera lines, the standard dark blue body isn't ideal for a dedicated solar camera. Given the higher heat exposure during daytime imaging, a metallic or silver finish would have been much better suited to reflect sunlight and keep the camera cooler.
- Anti-dew window heater: While the built-in anti-dew heater for the cover glass is a premium feature often found in deep-sky cameras, I believe it is largely unnecessary for a dedicated solar camera. When photographing the sun during the day, the ambient conditions make it highly unlikely for fogging or moisture condensation to occur on the camera's protective window. Therefore, equipping a solar camera with a glass heating system seems somewhat redundant.
Camera Connection and Rig Setup with the Daystar Quark
For capturing high-resolution details of the solar surface, including sunspots, active regions, and delicate prominences, my primary instrument is an Explore Scientific APO triplet refractor 102/714 mm. This is paired with a Daystar Quark Chromosphere, supplemented by a 1.25-inch ERF (Energy Rejection Filter) for added safety and optimal contrast.
Setting up the imaging train required a bit of careful assembly. Given the absence of a built-in tilt plate on the camera, I utilized my own M42 tilt adapter, attaching it to the front of the ATR428M using a combination of reducers and adapters. Into this tilt adapter, via another reducer, I fitted a 1.25-inch nosepiece, allowing me to easily slide the entire camera assembly into the output eyepiece holder of the Daystar Quark. The inclusion of this tilt adapter proved to be absolutely crucial. Upon capturing my very first image of the sun, I immediately noticed prominent Newton's rings degrading the image. Fortunately, by simply adjusting and increasing the angle on the tilt adapter, I was able to successfully eliminate them. While Daystar offers their own dedicated tilt adapter for the Quark series, any suitable tilt mechanism—whether integrated directly into the front of the camera or placed between the camera and the Quark—will do the job perfectly by allowing you to dial out those frustrating interference patterns. Once the camera and Quark were securely assembled, I inserted the entire unit directly into the telescope's focuser drawtube.
The telescope is seated on a harmonic mount, configured specifically for a solar tracking rate to keep the sun steadily centered during capture sessions. Focusing on solar details can be notoriously difficult due to daytime seeing conditions, so all fine focusing is handled by an electronic EAF (Electronic Automatic Focuser), allowing for precise, vibration-free micro-adjustments.
The Imaging Session and Initial Results
With the hardware securely assembled and the software ready, it was time to move on to the actual imaging process.
When it comes to the software driving the setup, I divide the workload between two excellent programs. I utilize N.I.N.A. to handle the mount control and to operate the electronic focuser. For the actual data acquisition—capturing the high-frame-rate video files needed for solar imaging—I rely entirely on SharpCap, which seamlessly recognizes and controls the ToupTek camera.
First, I connected and initialized all the components within their respective software environments. In SharpCap, I engaged the camera's TEC cooling, bringing the sensor temperature down to a stable 0°C. It is worth noting that when utilizing the "lucky imaging" technique with such short exposure times, thermal noise is not particularly significant on a modern, high-quality sensor like the IMX428. However, keeping the cooling active ensures complete sensor stability and delivers the cleanest possible baseline for the data.
Next, I slewed the harmonic mount to our nearest star, carefully framing the shot so that the solar surface and its active regions completely filled the field of view.
To capture the best possible data, I configured the fundamental camera parameters in SharpCap. My primary target was to keep the histogram peaking comfortably around the 50% mark. This is crucial in solar imaging to avoid blowing out the delicate, bright details in active regions while maintaining enough signal in the darker filaments.
To achieve this ideal exposure level, I found my settings typically falling into the following ranges:
- Exposure Time: Between 5 to 8 ms, which was perfectly short enough to freeze the atmospheric seeing.
- Gain: Adjusted according to the exposure, but most frequently set around 400 within SharpCap.
- Capture Modes: I ensured the camera was operating in LCG (Low Conversion Gain) mode and set the color space to Mono12. This combination fully utilized the sensor's native 12-bit ADC, maximizing the dynamic range and tonal depth needed to process fine chromospheric details later on.
With the camera settings dialed in, my first step was to use the EAF to achieve the most precise focus possible, carefully monitoring the fine structures around a prominent active region and a sunspot.
Once the focus was securely locked, I utilized SharpCap's dedicated routine to capture flat frames and biases. For the flat frames, I stretched a transparent plastic bag over the telescope's objective, ensuring it was pulled tight and smoothed out completely to avoid any wrinkles. Because the bag blocked some light, I slightly increased the exposure time to bring the histogram back up to the 50% mark, and then let SharpCap automatically capture and apply both the flats and biases to the live feed.
After successfully calibrating the sensor and removing the plastic bag, I spent some time slowly panning the mount across the entire solar disk, scouting for the most captivating targets. I ultimately focused my attention on large sunspots, dynamic active regions, and delicate prominences on the solar limb. Whenever possible, I tried to compose the shots to include both surface details and limb prominences within a single frame. For each selected target, I recorded sequences of 500 to 1,000 frames in SharpCap, saving the data for later processing.
I dedicated two sunny days to testing and imaging with this setup. However, the weather conditions were not always perfect; high clouds occasionally drifted through the field of view, and the atmospheric seeing fluctuated significantly throughout the sessions.
Back home, I began the post-processing workflow in AutoStakkert!, where I stacked the best frames from the recorded videos and exported the resulting images as FIT files. I then imported these FIT files into PixInsight for the final editing stages. Using the Solar Toolbox script, I applied sharpening, enhanced the contrast on both the solar surface and the prominences, added colorization, and made a few final minor adjustments to bring out the finest details.
Selected processed images from both days can be viewed down here.
Conclusion and Final Verdict
After spending two productive days testing the ToupTek Astro ATR428M on the sun, it is safe to say that this camera is a highly capable performer that punches well above its weight class.
While there are a few minor out-of-the-box physical hurdles—most notably the lack of an included 1.25" nosepiece, the lack of an integrated tilt plate, and a dark blue body color that absorbs more heat than a metallic finish would—these are easily addressed with standard, inexpensive aftermarket accessories.
Once you have the physical connection sorted out and a reliable tilt adapter in place to manage Newton’s rings, the camera’s core imaging hardware shines incredibly bright. The choice of the Sony IMX428 sensor with its global shutter is a masterstroke for solar photography. It does an outstanding job of freezing atmospheric turbulence, delivering sharp, artifact-free, and incredibly clean data. Paired with high-speed USB 3.0, deep TEC cooling, and seamless compatibility with capture software like SharpCap, the overall imaging experience is smooth and highly rewarding.
Do I Recommend It?
Absolutely. If you are looking for a dedicated solar imaging camera with a large 1" format sensor, generous 4.5μm pixels, and the indispensable benefit of a global shutter, the ToupTek ATR428 is a fantastic choice. Despite a few minor accessory omissions, the raw performance, build quality, and value for money make it a highly recommended addition to any solar astrophotographer's arsenal.
Looking Ahead: Future Solar Projects
Looking into the future, I plan to expand my equipment by purchasing a Herschel wedge for white-light solar continuum imaging, as well as a dedicated solar telescope specifically for capturing the full solar disk in a single frame.
Given its impressive performance and technical specifications, I am fully confident that this ToupTek camera will work excellently with both of these future setups. I will gladly update this review and share the additional photographs I capture once I have these new configurations up and running!