Important thing to remember! Please read!

The GIOTTO 220 flat field generator is recommended to be used with aperture sizes from 182mm to 244mm. It is highly suggested to choose an illuminated flat panel diameter size that exceeds the aperture of the optical tube to avoid any risk of illumination dropping at the edges due to lack of coverage. Choosing a flat panel too small for the aperture can cause poor results of flat calibration since the illumination might not be completely uniform throughout the field of view. There is maximum internal diameter and maximum illuminated diameter. The illuminated diameter is the variable to consider what GIOTTO size would work best for the telescope being used.

• Flats capture the camera and telescope system's response to a uniformly illuminated white background field of view to reduce or eliminate vignetting and dust shadows in final images
• PrimaLuceLab's GIOTTO series of smart flat field generators emit uniform light source for capturing calibration frames
• GIOTTO 220 is recommended for aperture sizes from 182mm to 244mm, and can be attached to telescope using included plastic thumbscrews that don't cause damage externally to the OTA
• GIOTTO has a control panel with USB-C and WiFi connectivity, making it easy to use with a computer, smartphone, or tablet
• PLAY astrophotography software and dedicated ASCOM driver simplify the process of recording calibration files with GIOTTO
• Virtual HandPad allows for controlling GIOTTO via tablet, and saving preferred settings for future use
• GIOTTO can also be used as a remotely controlled motorized cap with the optional (sold separately) PrimaLuceLab ALTO telescope cover motor, for optimal positioning and automatic opening/closing of telescope.

Astrophotography involves capturing images of dim objects with extremely low light conditions. The quality of these images depends on several variables, including the equipment used, the atmospheric conditions, and the calibration frames captured during the imaging process. Flat, dark and bias frames are three important calibration phases that each address certain issues that can be caused otherwise.

Flats, also known as flat frames or flat field frames, are one type of calibration frame that plays an important role in astrophotography. Flats capture the response of the camera and telescope system to a uniformly illuminated white background field of view. This is done to reduce or in some cases eliminate any vignetting, a phenemenon where the edges of the image appear darker due to telescope optics (it can also be caused by an image circle too large or small for a particular sensor format, in which case flats will not work) and other factors, particularly when a user is conducting wide field astrophotography with a very fast focal ratio and a large camera sensor (at least full frame). A second benefit flat calibration frames provide is remedy from shadows that can appear as dark patches and lines in final frames due to dust in the telescope or camera sensor. While the goal should be to keep dust away from these optical and imaging instruments to begin with, effects from dust leftover can be remedied through flats.

By capturing flat frames, these imperfections and issues can be corrected during the image processing stage. The flat frames provide a reference image of a uniformly illuminated field of view, which can be used to normalize the intensity of the main image and remove the effects of vignetting and dust shadows.

To make executing flat calibration frames a walk in the park, PrimaLuceLab has created the GIOTTO series of smart flat field generators that can help capture these calibration frames for astrophotography. These devices emit a uniform light source that can be used to illuminate the telescope's field of view, creating the necessary flat frames for calibration.

The GIOTTO 220 flat field generator is recommended to be used with aperture sizes from 182mm to 244mm. To attach the flat panel to a telescope, the imager can simply use the included plastic (to prevent exterior OTA damage) thumbscrews to secure the GIOTTO 220 in place. This eliminates the need to hold the flat field generator in front of the telescope during calibration frames or to move the telescope to the zenith if it cannot be held in position by hand.

GIOTTO has a control panel with a USB-C port for connecting to a computer or a PrimaLuceLab EAGLE and also offers WiFi connectivity for wireless control using a smartphone or tablet with the included Virtual HandPad App. It can be powered easily with a 12V power source without the need for a separate power supply, making it convenient to use with an astrophotography telescope.

The PLAY astrophotography software is designed to control GIOTTO and other PrimaLuceLab devices, with a wizard that simplifies the process of recording calibration files. GIOTTO can also be controlled with other Windows astrophotography software via the dedicated ASCOM driver.

The included Virtual HandPad can be used to control GIOTTO without a computer, allowing users to adjust light settings and save preferred settings for future use.

Additionally, GIOTTO can be used as a remotely controlled motorized cap with the optional PrimaLuceLab ALTO telescope cover motor, which can be easily connected to most telescopes using the PLUS clamp to a Vixen or Losmandy style dovetail bar that is installed on many telescope designs on the market. If the dovetail bar is too short, replacing it will a longer one should do the trick! This design allows for optimal positioning of GIOTTO and ALTO to open and close the telescope automatically.