ToupTek astro cameras: ATR, G3M, SkyEye and GP models and their published numbers

ToupTek’s model names encode the product line more than the sensor. In our data, ATR models are cooled deep-sky cameras, SkyEye models are a second cooled line (the SkyEye26AC Plus is the newest), G3M models are uncooled planetary cameras with passive cooling, and the GP prefix marks guide cameras. A trailing C or M means color or mono, and the manuals add long order codes: the ATR2600C manual is headed ATR3CMOS26000KPA and the ATR2600M manual ATR3CMOS26000KMA.

Same sensors, different published resolutions

ToupTek often lists fewer active pixels than other brands for the same chip. Because the field-of-view table multiplies pixels by pitch, those counts flow straight into the fields:

Sensor	ToupTek model	ToupTek pixels	Other brands in our data	Width at 3.76 or 2.9 µm
IMX571	ATR2600C/M, SkyEye26AC Plus	6224 × 4168	6248 × 4176 (ZWO), 6252 × 4176 (QHY, Player One)	23.40 mm vs 23.49–23.51 mm
IMX455	SkyEye62AM	9568 × 6380	9576 × 6388 (ZWO, QHY, Player One)	35.98 mm vs 36.01 mm
IMX585	ATR585C / ATR585M	3856 × 2180 / 3840 × 2160	3840 × 2160 (ZWO), 3856 × 2180 (QHY, Player One)	11.18 mm / 11.14 mm

The gaps are small in sky terms. At 1000 mm the IMX571 difference is 80.4′ against 80.8′, 0.3–0.4′ on the long side. They matter more if you plan a mosaic with tight overlap or compare pixel-for-pixel crops between brands.

Where ToupTek’s own sources disagree

The clearest case is the IMX585 pair. The ATR585C product page lists 3856 × 2180 pixels and an 11.18 × 6.32 mm image area, while the ATR585M page lists 3840 × 2160 and 11.2 × 6.3 mm for the mono version of the same sensor. The ATR585C manual sides with the mono figures, 3840 × 2160, and is itself inconsistent on read noise: its spec table says 0.65–0.46 e⁻ while its feature list says 0.46 to 5.18 e⁻. Our table records the product-page values, so the ATR585C and ATR585M rows differ by about 0.16′ in width at 1000 mm (38.44′ against 38.28′) even though the sensor is the same.

The IMX571 bodies have a millimetre mismatch. The ATR2600C page gives a 23.5 × 15.7 mm image area, but 6224 pixels at 3.76 µm is 23.40 mm, and the ATR2600C manual itself says 23.4 mm. The SkyEye26AC Plus page also says 23.4 mm. Read noise follows the same pattern: product pages quote a single high-conversion-gain figure (0.883 e⁻ for the ATR2600C), while the manuals give a low-noise-mode range (2.77–0.79 e⁻). Neither is wrong; they describe different modes.

The ATR533C/M add a smaller oddity: an 11.31 × 11.28 mm image area for a 3008 × 3008 array of square 3.76 µm pixels, which computes to 11.31 mm on both sides.

Back focus and the guide models

The cooled ATR and SkyEye bodies list 17.5 mm. ToupTek also publishes shorter options: the SkyEye26AC Plus lists 17.5/12.5 mm, and the SkyEye62AM page explains that removing a 5 mm ring from the front changes its figure from 17.5 mm to 12.5 mm. The G3M678C/M planetary cameras depend on the adapter: 17.5 mm with the C adapter, 12.5 mm with the CS adapter. The back focus guide shows how these numbers feed into a spacer stack.

The two GP guide cameras share a 1920 × 1080 array of 2.9 µm pixels, so their fields are identical (47.9′ × 26.9′ at 400 mm), but the sensors differ: IMX662 mono in the GPM662M, IMX290 color in the GPCMOS02000KPA. The GPCMOS02000KPA has no text specifications at all; our values were read from ToupTek’s product images, and its back focus is not published by the manufacturer. The guide cameras comparison places both against other brands.