ZWO launches their new CAA: Adjust your camera angle automatically

Last week, ZWO officially announced the launch of Camera Angle Adjuster (CAA), a new addition to their family of astrophotography products. The CAA is supposed to be attached to your image train to help rotate your camera and adjust the camera angle to fine-tune the image’s composition.

Why CAA is required

All cameras, be it a DSLR, a mirrorless, or a dedicated astronomy camera, use a rectangular or square sensor. During composing and framing a deep sky object, photographers are left with the choice of positioning the object up-down and left-right. This is a limitation to some, and it is, to some extent. Along with the compositional restriction, some deep sky objects may not fit according to the rectangular or square sensor.

However, rotating the camera and, thus, the sensor would give one the option of not only being creative with their composition but, in many cases, would also allow fitting the whole object in a single frame. This, in many instances, would take away the necessity of a mosaic of 2 or more frames.

ZWO Camera Angle Rotator

The ZWO CAA is supposed to solve the above problem by automating the camera rotation. The CAA can be controlled via a hand controller, ASI Air or any ASCOM software.

“ZWO’s new camera rotator, designed to meet the needs of astro imagers looking for that perfect image composition, its outstanding performance, simplified composition process, automated software control, making astrophotography composition easy.”

Key features

Here are some of the key features of the newly launched ZWO CAA:

• Compact and lightweight: The rotator weighs only 465g and it is 16.5mm thick. Its thickness replaces the standard ZWO adapter.
• High efficiency: For smooth and accurate operation, the ZWO CAA has a high-efficiency stepper motor that can be positioned precisely at the desired angle. Its sturdy internal structure ensures steady and accurate functioning with zero distortion during the complete 360° rotation.
• High positioning accuracy: ZWO CAA changes the camera angle with 0.02° precision at each stage. The ZWO CAA has a positioning accuracy of less than 0.1 degrees, with an adjusted angular error of no more than 0.1°.
• High rigidity and high load capacity: The ZWO CAA is very robust and can sustain torques of less than or equal to 25cNm (centiNm), ensuring operational precision and structural stability even under high load circumstances.
• High speed: The ZWO CAA rotates at speeds of up to 7.5° per second, minimising wait times.
• Multi-compatibility: The ZWO CAA is compatible with various telescope types and imaging software, including ASIAIR, ASIStudio, and ASCOM. It also supports manual control with a suitable hand controller.
• Easy cable management: ZWO CAA simplified cable management by requiring only one Type-C data connection for control and power supply.

Specification

Here is a quick round up of the ZWO CAA:

Resolution	0.02˚/step
Load capacity	>15cNm
Positioning accuracy	<0.1˚
Aperture	Ф48mm
Thickness	16.5mm
Weight	465mm
Rotation speed	7.5˚/s
Data interface	Type-C
Power	5V 300mA rms
Software supported	ASI Air, ASI Studio, ASCOM
Connection thread	M54F at the front, M54M/M48M optional at the back

Price and availability

The ZWO CAA is available to pre-order from the official ZWO website for $ 299 and shipping is expected to begin from mid-January 2025.

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