Best Astrophotography Camera

The night sky can be a beautiful sight to look at. With the right camera, you can get the most breathtaking images of our universe. Taking images of the night sky is already difficult, due to the little light that is available. Thus, when you want to capture light from distant objects, this can be tricky for certain cameras to pick up. 

If you want stunning images of our cosmos, then you are going to need a camera that can keep up. As a result, we have done all the hard work for you. We have put together a guide to the best astrophotography camera that you can buy right now.

If you want to capture the best images of the night sky, you require a camera that can do this. Ideally, for this kind of photography, you need a camera that is perfect for low light conditions.

This is because you will be using this camera during the night when there is little to no light available. The goal of this kind of photography is to capture as much natural light as possible, without affecting the saturation or quality of your image.

There are lenses that you can apply to your camera to help you achieve the perfect image. However, below we have put together a quick guide on some of the things you should be looking for when purchasing a camera for astrophotography. 

Shutter Speed

The shutter, that you find on your camera, is responsible for controlling how much light is being let into your camera. Thus, when you aren’t taking any images, the shutter will remain closed.

By staying closed, this protects the sensors of your camera and stops your camera from taking pictures by mistake. When you press the shutter button, this is when the shutter is opened to let the light in. 

When you are capturing fast-paced action, then you want a quick shutter speed to be able to capture everything quickly. Yet, when it comes to astrophotography, you are capturing slow objects that are millions of light-years away. As a result, you want your shutter to remain open as long as possible to be able to take in all the light that the star or planet is producing. 

Hence, the longer your shutter stays open, the more details your camera will pick up on. When it comes to astrophotography, you are looking to take long-exposure images. Therefore, you want to be looking for a camera that has a wide shutter speed range.

You want to be able to capture as much light as possible. As the more you capture, the more details of your object will have. Thus, presenting you with a much clearer and crisper image as well.

Exposure time and shutter speed are related to one another. Therefore, you want a camera that has a wide shutter speed and exposure time. 

ISO Settings

For any new photographer, what the ISO is can be a bit confusing. What ISO is referring to is how sensitive the camera sensor is to light. When we look up at the night sky, we can see faint spots of light (stars) with our naked eyes. Yet, for a camera, they may struggle to pick up this faint light.

As a result, by increasing the ISO of your camera, you can help your camera be more sensitive. Therefore, they will be able to pick up really faint light much more easily.

So, when you are looking at all of these different cameras you want a camera that has a good ISO range, so you can change the settings when necessary. Thus, you can be reassured that your camera will be able to pick up faint lights that will help your images look clearer. 

The Size of The Image Sensor

In any camera, there will be a sensor. The quality of the sensors can vary depending on the camera. However, the size of the sensor is an important aspect of any camera that you must always look into. There are typically two sensor sizes that you will cross, which are full-frame and crop/APS-C.

When it comes to astrophotography, we would recommend looking at full-frame cameras. This is because these types of cameras capture a lot more light, and generally have a much wider and better ISO range. 

Thus, as we previously mentioned, the more light your camera can capture the better. Therefore, you want a camera with a full-frame sensor, as that will allow you to capture the most light possible. 

Types of Sensors

There are a couple of sensors in the camera to watch out for. Ideally, any sensor with a good shutter speed and ISO range will do you well. However, if you want to take much more detailed images of the sky, you may want to look into cameras with CCD or CMOS sensors. 

CMOS and CCD sensors are used for deep-sky imaging. This is where you take images of galaxies or distant stars. Both sensors are ideal for long exposure images. However, it must be noted that cameras with these sensors will cost quite a bit more. This is because these are seen as professional sensors. 

If you can afford it, we would recommend a camera with a CCD or CMOS sensor. This is because they can dramatically improve your picture quality and allow you to take crisper and clearer long-distance images. 

Megapixel Count

When buying a camera for any purpose, you should always look at the megapixel count. The megapixel count will affect how your images will look at the end. This is really important to astrophotography images. 

Hence, we would suggest having as high a megapixel count as possible, when it comes to your astrophotography camera. As the higher the megapixel count, the better the resolution of your images. This will also alter how your images will look when printed out. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Do You Need A Tripod For Astrophotography?

You don’t have to have a tripod, yet there is no denying that a tripod can help improve the quality of your images. A tripod can help reduce any shakiness to your images, as they keep the camera completely still while taking the images. 

Tripods don’t have to be expensive, as long as you buy one that is portable and stable, this will help you a lot. As a result, it is your choice whether to invest in a tripod, you don't have to have one.

Yet, if you are serious about auburn astrophotography, you'll want to produce the best images possible and a tripod will be able to help you with that. 

Can You Use A Smartphone To Do Astrophotography?

A lot of people have tried to use their smartphones to do astrophotography. Using a smartphone can be very hit or miss, whether the images will be any good or not. You’ll have to play around with the settings on your smartphone. Yet it doesn't always work.

We would suggest that if you are serious about astrophotography, you should invest in a good camera. As a camera will already have the proper settings and everything, you need to capture the most light to get the best-looking image.

We aren't saying you can’t use your smartphone, but it can take a bit more work and playing around with settings to get it right. 

Is Astrophotography Difficult?

Astrophotography is a very easy hobby to get into. However, it can take a bit of practice and effort to start producing high-quality images. However, if you take your time and practice you'll get the hang of it, i.e. where to look and what to do really quickly. 

Conclusion 

Taking images of the night sky can be a peaceful activity to do. The images you produce can be breathtaking. However, to produce top-quality images, you need a top-quality camera to help you.

Hence, we have given you a list of the best astrophotography cameras that you can buy right now. All of these cameras will allow you to take stunning images of the night sky including stars, planets, and the moon, easily. 

You will be able to produce crisp and clear images of our cosmos, with all the cameras we have mentioned above.