ZWO ASI2600MC-Air Wireless Smart Camera and Guider
An Evolution of the Premier Combo Color Camera
The ZWO ASI2600MC Air!
Check out this video on the revolutionary ASI2600MC-Air, combining your imaging camera, guide system, and control center all within a singular unit! Key details, specifications, an overview on setup, and more are covered in this full review down below.
ZWO ASI2600MC-Air At a Glance
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ZWO is no stranger to shaking up the astrophotography landscape by embracing and improving innovative technologies and designs. Now, two of their most popular examples of this to date, the ASI2600MC Duo and ASIAir, have been brought together in one system! Featuring a powerful imaging sensor, dedicated guide sensor, and ASIAir control system, this powerful offering takes three standalone products and combines them into one sleek package. Experience ultimate streamlined setups and say goodbye to complicated cable management with the ZWO ASI2600MC Air Wireless Smart Camera and Guider!
The ASI2600MC Air simplifies building your astrophotography system by bringing together some of the most critical components in one place! With the main imaging sensor (IMX571) and guide sensor (SS2210) connected directly to the internal ASIAir*, you will no longer need to worry about wrangling wires, cables failing over time, or the data speed a cable can support. Rest easy knowing you're getting full speed and maximum stability all the time. With the ZWO premier WiFi control system built-in, this system can image, guide, assist with polar aligning, provide an immersive digital planetarium for target selection, post process, and more all on the device. Just connect to the ZWO ASI2600MC Air Wireless Smart Camera and Guider wirelessly with your smartphone or tablet to take control of your astrophotography rig! For users of the excellent ZWO AM mounts and their EAF Pro, you can the cord with the built-in Bluetooth module. Wirelessly link your compatible ZWO mount or electronic focuser and the ASI2600MC Air, and just supply power for an unheard of one cable imaging-guiding-control system! This also supports all the same mounts as the standalone ASIAir models and features four USB 2.0 ports. So, if your mount is outside the ZWO ecosystem, you're covered!
A High Performance, Professional Camera for Astrophotography
Let's Dig into the Data!
An iteration of the incredibly popular ASI2600MC Duo camera, the ASI2600MC Air is no slouch when it comes to imaging performance, featuring the same Sony IMX571 sensor. Just how can you tell that this camera really is a powerful imaging camera in its own right though? Well, it's all in the graphs! Quantum efficiency, read noise, dark current, full well graphs and more all tell a part of the story of a sensor's performance, and you can learn how to decode these charts and what they represent in our article about camera charts and how to read them!
A Complete 3-in-1 Package
While the ZWO ASI2600MC-Air Wireless Smart Camera and Guider stands out by packing an excellent main sensor, a guide camera, and wireless control into one package, there's more than these headliners that make up this system. Read on for more information on all of the excellence ZWO has packed into this stellar offering!
The Full ASIAir Experience
The ZWO ASIAir devices have been some of the premier options when it comes to wireless camera control, and remote camera control has never been more streamlined than this fully-integrated system! This is an accomplishment all of its own, but incredibly, this has been done without sacrificing software performance—with all of the excellent features that make the ASIAir a standout wireless control system fully present and accounted for. Locating targets with the intuitive Sky Atlas, polar aligning assistance, on-device image processing and Live stacking, auto-focus, and control of mounts and ZWO's ecosystem of supporting accessories are all here in this integrated wireless control system. This is supported by 256GB of storage and 2GB of RAM, providing plenty of room for your data and high-performance.
Fully Featured Main Sensor
For capturing breathtaking views of deep space, the ZWO ASI2600MC-Air Wireless Smart Camera and Guider uses an APS-C Sony IMX571 color sensor. This is the same sensor used in the ZWO ASI2600MC Pro and ZWO ASI2600MC Duo cameras that have gained a reputation for producing stellar results. With performance figures like 16-bit ADC, 80% QE, large 50Ke full-well depth, excellent readout noise of 0.9e-4.2e, packed into a 26 megapixel sensor, it is easy to see why! With 3.76 micron pixels, this is a great pairing for most popular telescopes on the market right now, ensuring you can make the most of this powerful sensor in a wide variety of setups.
Integrated Guide Sensor
Built-in to the front of this camera is a second sensor for a streamlined guiding solution. Say goodbye to separate guide scopes and OAGs with this simple, yet effective, solution! By integrating the guide sensor into the same system as your main sensor, ZWO has eliminated the issues of misalignment or backfocus headaches that can arise with more traditional solutions. When your main camera is at focus, simply use the adjustment knob on the top of the device to fine tune your guide sensor, and you're ready to guide! They've managed to squeeze this second sensor into a full-frame image circle, meaning that so long as your optics can support the common 44 mm image circle size, you can use this system. Better yet, this sensor is the same great SC2210 used in the popular ZWO ASI220MM Mini guide camera, meaning you're getting full size guiding solution performance in a compact guide package.
A Wide Variety of Wireless Control
The ZWO ASI2600MC-Air Wireless Smart Camera and Guider supports both of the popular wireless control protocols: WiFi and Bluetooth. WiFi 2.4 Ghz and 5 Ghz capabilities allow you to tune this system for your networking needs, whether that be long range connectivity or maximum throughput. This system also supports a variety of WiFi control solutions. This can be controlled via a mobile device and the ASIAir app for the full ASIAir suite of features but also wirelessly from a PC when using the free ZWO ASIStudio imaging program suite or through ASCOM Alpaca for control through 3rd party imaging programs like NINA! Integrated Bluetooth simplifies equipment control, allowing you to wireless connect the ASI2600MC Air to ZWO's AM3 and AM5N mounts as well as their EAF Pro electronic focuser and cut more cables from this already simplified astrophotography system.
Power and Ports
For your external storage solutions (with up to 1TB supported) and ZWO ecosystem accessories like their filter wheels, ZWO CAA Camera Angle Adjuster, and EAFN, the ZWO ASI2600MC-Air Wireless Smart Camera and Guider has a powered four port USB 2.0 hub built into the back of the camera. Three 12V DC 5.5x2.1 mm power ports are present as well, with each serving as an input/output allowing you to supply power to the device and two other powered accessories in any cable order you wish. Finally, a USB-C port allows you to quickly and easily transfer your data from the system to a PC for post-processing and sharing.
Complete Package
Included with the ZWO ASI2600MC Air are all the components you need to build an essential system! Two 1 meter power cords can be used to power the device from DEC mounted or RA housing mounted DC power supplies as well as an accessory, with an extension included for those with external power solutions. Two USB 2.0 cables can be used to connect to your other ZWO accessories like an EAF or electronic filter wheel. To connect this system to your optics, an M48 to M54 adapter ring has been included which steps up this common connection to the included 55mm spacers. Finally, a wrench for adjusting the tilt plate is packed in with your ZWO ASI2600MC Air!
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there any image specification differences between the ZWO ASI2600MC Pro and the ZWO ASI2600MC-Air?
The same Sony IMX571 main imaging sensor chip is used in both the ZWO ASI2600MC Pro and this ZWO ASI2600MC-Air, both offering 26 megapixels of resolution within a 6248x4176 pixel array, 3.76 µm pixels, 16 bit ADC, and an 80% peak QE. There are a few specification differences in the following, however: read noise, max frame rates, and full well depth. The ASI2600MC Pro delivers 1.0e-3.3e of read noise while the ASI2600MC-Air delivers 0.9e-4.2e. Additionally, the ASI2600MC Pro features a faster 14.3 FPS than the rated 10.8 FPS of the ASI2600MC-Air, though this minor difference is trivial for deep sky imaging. In 2025, the ASI2600MC Pro saw an internal redesign, bumping up the original 50Ke full well capacity to 73Ke. This full well capacity upgrade has been brought to the ASI2600MC-Air as well when the gain value is set to -25.
Will the guiding sensor of the ZWO ASI2600MC-Air be affected by the use of filters?
When using narrowband filters with a very slim bandpass, guiding may become challenging, especially with slower scopes. This said however, you absolutely can use filters with your ZWO ASI2600MC-Air! It’s recommended to utilize narrowband filters with bandpasses no slimmer than 7nm for the best results, though users of fast scopes (f/4 and lower) may find success with filter bandwidths as slim as 4-5nm.
How far is the WiFi range of this ZWO ASI2600MC-Air?
Offering dual-band WiFi, this ZWO ASI2600MC-Air delivers both 2.4G and 5G WiFi frequencies. At 2.4G, you can expect stable connection up to 20m (65 ft.) away from the device, while the 5G frequency allows for faster download speeds, though at a shorter distance. It’s important to keep in mind obstructions such as walls and trees can alter these distances and download speeds.
What accessories are compatible with this ZWO ASI2600MC-Air?
The ZWO ASI2600MC-Air can only operate ZWO accessories such as the ZWO EAF, ZWO Filter Wheels, and the ZWO CAA. Motorized accessories from other brands cannot be controlled with the onboard ASIAIR computer within this device.
Can I still control this ZWO ASI2600MC-Air with my PC?
While this ZWO ASI2600MC-Air can work with certain software platforms, many users have found this method of operation to be troublesome and impractical, therefore we do not recommend operating this device with anything other than the ZWO ASIAIR app on your smartphone or tablet..
How do I focus the guide sensor of the ZWO ASI2600MC-Air?
On the side of this ZWO ASI2600MC-Air, you’ll find a silver focusing knob that brings the guide sensor into clear focus. Simply rotate this knob until ideal focus is found.
Will my imaging sequence still run even if I lose connection to the ASAIR WiFi signal?
Yes! Your planned sequence will still execute even if your smartphone or tablet disconnects from the emitted WiFi signal.
Astronomy Hub: Your one-stop-shop for Astrophotography Knowledge!
Our Gear Experts have compiled a wealth of information to help expand your astrophotography knowledge! Below you’ll find links to articles, videos and "how-to" guides. Just one more reason that our Astronomy Hub is a one-stop-shop for all your astronomy and astrophotography needs!
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