Reveal stunning detail in your deep-sky astrophotography with the Origin 678C—Celestron’s next-generation camera for the Origin Intelligent Home Observatory. Featuring Sony’s latest Starvis 2 CMOS technology, this high-performance camera delivers increased resolution and finer detail thanks to its smaller pixel size and enhanced sensitivity.
The Origin 678C Camera replaces the original Origin 178C Camera, giving you an upgrade in image quality. Whether you're imaging galaxies, nebulae, or star clusters, you'll capture more object detail in images that better fill your smartphone or tablet’s display screen.
It’s the perfect way to further enhance your Origin experience—and your astroimaging.
What’s New with the Origin 678C Camera
The Origin 678C Camera brings meaningful enhancements to your astrophotography experience. Here’s what you can expect:
- Increased resolution
Although both sensors are the same physical size, the IMX678C uses smaller 2.0 μm² pixels than the 2.4 μm² pixels in the IMX178C. This results in a finer resolution of 1.2 arcseconds per pixel (down from 1.5 arcseconds per pixel), allowing you to resolve more detail and “zoom in” slightly more on celestial objects. This is especially beneficial since most night sky targets are relatively small. - Larger file sizes
Because the IMX678C packs more effective pixels (8.4 MP vs. 6.4 MP), image files will be somewhat larger. As a result, you may notice slightly slower automatic image processing in the app, depending on the performance of your smartphone or tablet. - Increased sensitivity
Despite having smaller pixels, the IMX678C is slightly more sensitive overall than the IMX178C. The improvement is subtle; images won’t appear dramatically brighter. - Different ISO response
ISO values are not directly comparable between the two sensors. The IMX678C's default ISO is 1000, while the IMX178C’s is 200. - Different aspect ratio
The IMX678C uses a 16:9 aspect ratio, compared to the 3:2 ratio of the IMX178C. This means your field of view will appear more rectangular, ideal for framing larger regions of the sky and perfectly matched to the landscape orientation of most smartphone and tablet displays—making it easier to compose, view, and share your images.
Quick and Simple Installation
Upgrading to the Origin 678C Camera is fast and hassle-free. Designed to integrate seamlessly with your Origin system, the camera installs without any complicated tools or processes. Simply remove the existing camera, attach the Origin 678C using the included adapter and retaining ring, and plug it in.
After you install the new camera, we’ll walk you through capturing new calibration frames. Dark frames reduce sensor noise, while flat frames correct for illumination variations across the image. The Origin app makes this process simple and intuitive—and you can follow along with our video, too.
United States Customers
You can either:
- Purchase the camera separately for self-installation by adding it to your cart on this page,
or - Visit our Premium Installation Service page and fill out the form to send your Origin to Celestron. Our technicians will perform the upgrade and capture new darks and flats for you.
