MallinCam Universe User Manual page 19

Control:
Used to adjust the image size and effective pixel resolution. You can only set this control while
the camera is stopped.
In the Control field, use the dropdown menu to select the desired image resolution. The default
value of 3032x2018 is displayed initially. This is the camera's full, unbinned resolution. You can
also choose to bin the exposure by factors of 2x2, 3x3, or 4x4.
Binning combines multiple pixels into fewer, but effectively larger, super-pixels. In 2x2 binning
for example, a square of four adjacent unbinned pixels forms one large super-pixel. This
increases sensitivity, since the binned super-pixel now delivers the combined signal of the four
original unbinned pixels. But the trade off with binning is that since each super-pixel comprises a
larger physical portion of the CCD imaging chip, it "sees" a larger area of the sky, and so the
spatial resolution of each such pixel is decreased. For example, if you select 2x2 Bin, the
captured image size will now be 1516x1008 pixels. It will still show the same total area of the
sky as the unbinned image, but will do so using only half as many pixels in both the vertical and
horizontal dimensions. The actual file size of a saved 2x2 binned image will also be reduced to
about one-quarter that of an unbinned image.
Since binning increases pixel sensitivity, objects such as faint nebulae will generally appear
brighter and more prominent. However, some of the finer details will be lost due to the decreased
spatial resolution.
The image sizes produced by the various binning options are as follows:
• 3032*2018 pixels: images are 3032 x 2018 pixels (full-resolution mode)
• 2x2: images are 1516 x 1008 pixels
• 3x3: images are 1008 x 672 pixels
• 4x4: images are 756 x 504 pixels
Regardless of the binning mode you choose, all images will still be in full color.
16 Bit:
Used to set the bit resolution of captured TIF images. When this option is not selected, TIF files
are saved as 8-bit versions (RGB 24-bit). When the option is selected, the TIF files are saved as
16-bit versions (RGB 48-bit). Although 16-bit is the recommended choice, some image
processing applications cannot read this richer TIF format. Refer to Section 10 for detailed
information on this setting. You can only set this control while the camera is stopped.
Exposure:
Used to adjust the length of an image exposure. You should use this control in conjunction with
adjusting the Contrast and Gamma settings to produce a preview image to your liking.
Click the Change Exp button and enter the desired values in the m-s-ms fields (minutes-
seconds-milliseconds), then click OK.
NOTE: If you have the exposure length currently set for a short interval AND the Auto
histogram function is selected, you may notice that the m-s-ms fields keep resetting to the
previous values as you're trying to change them. Deselect the Auto histogram function to stop
this behavior. You can re-enable the Auto checkbox after changing the exposure length and
clicking OK.
MallinCam Universe - User's Guide v1.05 19