Player One Ares-M Pro IMX533 Mono Cooled Astronomy Camera
A square-format monochrome astronomy camera built around Sony's IMX533 sensor, designed for cooled deep-sky imaging with LRGB and narrowband filters.
Why choose the Ares-M Pro?
The Player One Ares-M Pro combines a 3008 × 3008 monochrome sensor with 3.76μm pixels and a 16mm diagonal. The square IMX533 format is straightforward to frame and places less demand on the corrected image circle than larger APS-C or full-frame sensors.
For astrophotographers building a mono imaging system, the Ares-M Pro is intended to be used with suitable filters and normally a filter wheel or filter drawer. This allows separate luminance, colour and narrowband data to be captured according to the imaging workflow.
Key specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Sensor | Sony IMX533 monochrome CMOS |
| Resolution | 3008 × 3008 |
| Pixel size | 3.76μm |
| Sensor diagonal | 16mm |
| Resolution class | 9MP |
| Quoted full well | 73ke |
| Cooling | Two-stage TEC |
| Quoted cooling performance | Typical Delta-T around 35–40°C below ambient under suitable conditions |
| Buffer | 512MB DDR3 |
Deep-sky imaging
Regulated cooling is useful for longer-exposure imaging because it helps make sensor temperature and calibration more repeatable. The monochrome sensor is suited to broadband LRGB work and narrowband imaging when paired with the appropriate filters.
Sensor format and telescope compatibility
The 16mm sensor diagonal is considerably smaller than APS-C or full-frame formats, which can make it easier to match with a wider range of telescopes and correctors. Even so, check the telescope's corrected image circle, reducer or flattener spacing, filter size and available back focus before ordering.
If you are comparing sensor formats, visit our Player One cooled astronomy cameras collection or the Player One Camera Selection Tool.
Mono imaging requirements
A monochrome camera does not produce a finished colour image in a single exposure. For colour imaging, plan the Ares-M Pro as part of a complete imaging train that may include:
- LRGB and/or narrowband filters;
- a compatible filter wheel or filter drawer;
- the required adapters and spacing;
- a suitable telescope and mount;
- guiding where required by the imaging setup.
See our Build Your Astrophotography Rig guide for the wider system-planning checklist.
Player One Astronomy UK support
Dark Clear Skies is an authorised UK Player One Astronomy dealer. If you are deciding between the Ares-M Pro and a larger IMX571 or IMX455 camera, send us your telescope, reducer or flattener and intended targets and we can help compare the practical field-of-view and image-circle requirements.