5 Best DSLR Cameras for Astrophotography (August 2020)
Whether you have just entered amateur astronomy or have been scanning the universe all night, being able to take pictures of the images you observe can greatly improve your experience.
The human eye is an evolutionary feat, but it cannot observe some of the hidden wonders of the universe, even though conventional telescopes. On the other hand, cameras can capture detailed images of the universe, from long-exposed nebulae to multi-wavelength views of galaxies and stars.
Camera technology has come a long way, but Aster Photography still needs modern equipment. SLR cameras are the most popular choice, mainly due to their excellent features and reasonable price range, but there are many options and features to consider before making a decision. In this guide, we will introduce everything you need to find the best astronomical DSLR camera!
Full frame and crop sensor?
There are two specific types of imaging sensors in SLR cameras: full-frame sensors and crop sensors. The full-frame means that the sensor size has the same size as the 35mm film format (the standard analog format used in film since 1909). Crop sensor (most commonly APS-C) refers to any sensor with a size smaller than the standard 35mm. Both formats have their own advantages and disadvantages, depending on what you want to shoot.
Generally, full-frame cameras perform better in low light conditions and provide better image quality. They also provide a more aesthetically beautiful depth of field, often called bokeh (bokeh) (defined as "the way a lens renders bokeh focus").
However, although you can see the universe in brilliant glory, they have a wider field of view, which means you won't get the same magnification (close-up) as a crop sensor. In addition, the larger sensor size, therefore, means that they are much more expensive than crop sensor cameras.
Although crop sensor cameras cannot provide the same quality, they are generally considered a better choice for many astrophotographers. They provide a narrower field of view, a greater magnification, and are lighter than similar products and much cheaper. Crop sensor cameras can observe almost any object in the universe, but their main attraction is that whether it is viewing the moon’s craters or distant star clusters, they provide astrophotographers with a closer personal view of the universe.
In general, there is no clear objective answer to which format is better to use. Both ultimately boil down to budget, which you will observe, and personal aesthetic appeal.
Functions required for astrophotography
DSLR cameras are complex devices with many working parts. Your camera needs some special functions for astrophotography. First, you need a long shutter speed range so you can take long-exposure images.
Your camera will also require a higher ISO setting to handle the sensitivity of your camera sensor to light (enlarge the sensor to increase brightness). A higher ISO setting allows you to capture faint objects in more detail. The function to help control the mirror vibration and reduce the noise.
In addition to technical functions, other things need to be considered before astrophotography, especially the durability of the camera, whether a tripod is required, and whether the battery is sufficient. If you plan to spend a cold night to observe the stars, you need to make sure that the camera can withstand the cold weather.
If you use a telescope for astrophotography, a tripod is usually not needed, but if you just want to take pictures of the moon with a camera, consider using a sturdy tripod. The last thing to consider is how long your session will last-you don't want to shorten the session time due to a low battery. Most cameras have enough battery power, but it is always a good idea to make sure to use a larger battery (or carry an extra battery) for a long time!
What can you shoot with a DSLR?
Due to the versatility of digital SLR cameras, they are usually the first choice for astrophotography. You can use DSLR to capture various objects in the earth or universe (within a reasonable range). Compared with other types of cameras, digital SLR cameras are also the relatively cheap-combining quality and cost into a neat little package that suits most astrophotographers.
What you can observe with a DSLR camera depends on its function and whether you use a telescope. Just using a tripod and camera, you can capture the details of the planets in the solar system, such as the rings of Saturn, Mars, or Jupiter. If you have a telescope, you can take long exposure shots of many deep-sky objects, including galaxies and star clusters.
DSLR price schedule
As we mentioned earlier, the biggest difference in price comes from the size of the sensor, the cost of a full-frame sensor is much higher. We have only outlined two price range categories for DSLR cameras below: mid-range prices and professional-grade equipment.
Each category provides some detailed information about the camera types and features that can be found in that price range. We omitted cheap or cheap cameras because if you are interested in legal astrophotography, you want to save on buying high-quality cameras.
Mid-range cameras: $500-$999-In this case, mid-range cameras just refer to the price, and cameras in this range themselves are very suitable for the needs of most beginners to intermediate amateur astrophotographers.
Cameras at these prices almost always come with a crop sensor (APS-C), usually offering a resolution of about 24 MP, a mid-range ISO, and a continuous shooting speed of about 5-6 frames per second.
Professional version: Above $1,000- For prices above $1,000, you will start to see more full-frame DSLR cameras and some high-tech crop sensor cameras. Cameras in this price range usually have a maximum resolution of 20 to 26.2 MP, a high (very high) ISO range, and a continuous shooting speed of 6 to 10 fps.
Other features include everything from a smart viewfinder and enhanced autofocus (usually not suitable for astrophotography, but useful for other applications) to a more durable design and Wi-Fi connection.
How to choose the right DSLR for astrophotography?
There are indeed many things involved in professional astrophotography. However, certain specific features are more important than others, including shutter speed, ISO range, image sensor size, and megapixel count.
Shutter speed: Astrophotography requires a longer shutter speed to correctly capture the image of the night sky. You need a camera with a shutter speed of at least 20-30 seconds.
ISO range: If you plan to make deep-space observations, you need a camera with a high ISO range. An ISO between 1600 and 6400 seems to be the best choice for many different DSLR cameras.
The size of the image sensor: The size of the image sensor is not as important for astrophotography as other forms of photography-it mainly come down to what you intend to shoot. The full-frame camera will provide better wide-angle shooting and higher picture quality, while the crop sensor will be good at capturing incredible details of specific distant objects.
Megapixels: Although megapixels are the main advertising point for most cameras, higher pixels do not necessarily equal better quality. Older advanced optical devices (such as the original camera of the Hubble Telescope) used less than 1 megapixel.
Best astrophotography DSLR cameras
1- D5600 DX-format digital SLR
D5600 DX-format DSLR is an excellent choice for beginners who are interested in astrophotography enthusiasts or intermediate users.
This is a sensor crop camera (APS-C) with a 24.2 MP sensor.
It has a continuous shooting speed of 5 fps, manual and autofocus, an ISO range of 100 to 25600, and long shutter speed.
With a high-quality crop sensor and long shutter speed, the camera excellently captures detailed long-exposure photos of objects in deep space.
The downside is that the ISO setting interval is larger than other similar models, and the setting jumps greatly (for example, from 1600 to 3200). Another problem is that the camera lacks settings saving options-you cannot save certain individual settings, such as ISO, aperture, or focus.
The D5600 DX-format digital SLR camera is fully functional and can be used for many different forms of photography. It does have some quirks, but overall, it is an excellent choice for beginners who want to hone their knowledge of astrophotography.
Best matching lens for astroshots: Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f / 1.8G
Pros
- high quality
- Ideal for beginners and intermediate
- Manual focus
- High ISO range
- Proper shutter speed for long exposure
- Able to see DSO clearly
- Long battery life
Cons
- Crop sensor
Type: Crop Sensor
Shutter speed: 30 – 1/4000 second
Image sensor: CMOS
ISO range: 100-25600
Megapixels: 24.2
Battery: Lithium-ion, 970 beats per charge
Weight: 1.2 pounds
2- Canon EOS REBEL T7i
For beginners interested in entering the field of photography, Canon EOS REBEL T7i is another excellent choice.
It has a 24.2 MP CMOS crop sensor (APS-C), a constant shooting speed of 6 fps, an ISO range of up to 25600, and a long shutter speed.
EOS REBEL is very capable of imaging bright objects, such as planets.
However, the downside is that this camera does not have a manual focus function, which may seriously hinder your astrophotography experience.
As we all know, when observing low-light objects such as DSO, autofocus is difficult to focus on. There is also no mention of how long the battery can be used, so additional batteries may be needed just in case.
Latch matching lens for astronomy: Canon EF 50mm f / 1.4 USM
Pros
- high quality
- Ideal for beginners and intermediate
- High ISO range
- Proper shutter speed for long exposure
- fps is slightly higher
- Can see the planet clearly
Cons
- Crop sensor
- May require additional batteries
Type: Crop Sensor
Shutter speed: 30 – 1/4000 second
Image sensor: CMOS
ISO range: up to 25600
Megapixels: 24.2
Battery: Lithium-ion, an unknown number of times per charge
Weight: 1.18 pounds
3- Canon EOS 6D Mark II Digital SLR
Canon's EOS 6D Mark II DSLR is an excellent choice for professional astrophotographers.
The camera has a 26.2 MP full-frame CMOS sensor, 6.5 fps continuous shooting speed, ISO range up to 40,000 (scalable in high settings), and excellent. shutter speed for astrophotography.
This camera is absolutely powerful and perfect for shooting amazing wide-angle views of the universe, planets, and DSO.
The autofocus function of EOS 6D Mark II occasionally has some problems, but in any case, it is not recommended to use autofocus for astrophotography!
It is equipped with a standard battery that can provide up to 1200 photos per charge, in addition to a battery handle, which doubles the service life.
Check the price of Canon EOS 6D Mark II DSLR here
Matching lens for astrophotography: Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
Pros
- High-quality build
- Ideal for professionals
- Manual focus
- High ISO range
- Proper shutter speed for long exposure
- Wide-angle view of planets and DSO
- The adapter can be used for battery backup
Cons
- Higher price
Type: Full-frame
Shutter speed: 30 – 1/4000 second
Image sensor: CMOS
ISO range: up to 40000
Megapixels: 26.2
Battery: LP E6N / E6, 1200 sheets per charge
Weight: 3.45 pounds
4- Canon EOS 7D Mark II DSLR Camera
EOS 7D Mark II DSLR is an early version of Canon 6D Mark II.
On the 20.2 MP CMOS crop sensor, its megapixel count is smaller, but the continuous shooting speed is higher at 10 fps.
The basic ISO range is 100-16000 and can be expanded to 51200.
It is good at observing objects in deep space, such as nebulae and galaxies.
It has a basic LP-E6N battery pack, and you can choose to add additional batteries with a handle attachment. Similar to 6D, the autofocus function will also encounter some problems (again, it is usually not a problem for astrophotography).
In general, although the functions of this camera are not satisfactory, the price of high-quality long-exposure images with a wide ISO range is cheaper than 6D.
Pros
- High-quality design
- Ideal for advanced users and professionals
- Durable body
- Manual focus
- High ISO range, expandable
- Proper shutter speed for long exposure
- Able to see DSO clearly
- Extend battery life
- Cheaper than 6D
Cons
- Crop sensor
Type: Crop Sensor
Shutter speed: 30 – 1/8000 seconds
Image sensor: CMOS
ISO range: 100-16000
Megapixels: 20.2
Battery: LP-E6N / E6, an unknown number of times per charge
Weight: 2.01 pounds
5- Nikon D750 FX-format digital SLR camera
The Nikon D750 FX-format digital SLR camera is the ultimate choice for advanced or professional astrophotographers looking for a high-quality camera with wide-angle capabilities.
It has a 24.3 MP CMOS sensor and EXPEED 4 image processor, which can perfectly blend low noise and fast frame rate.
It has a wide ISO range of 100 to 12800, can be optionally expanded to 51200, and can shoot continuously at 6.5 fps.
The D750 is great for capturing wide-angle views of the night sky, but it's also perfect for more focused images like Planet or DSO.
The D750 does not have any obvious problems-any problems that people encounter appear to be defective parts and the company will replace them.
Pros
- High-quality build
- durable
- Ideal for experienced professionals
- Manual focus
- High ISO range, expandable
- Proper shutter speed for long exposure
- Ability to view detailed information about DSO and planets
- Long battery life
Cons
- Higher price
Type: Full-frame
Shutter speed: 30 – 1/4000 second
Image sensor: CMOS
ISO range: 100-25600
Megapixels: 24.3
Battery: EN-EL 15 lithium-ion battery, 1230 shots per charge
Weight: 1.65 pounds