Please Recommend DSLR for Astrophotography

[Gina]

I have done some astrophotography with my present DSLR - a Sony A200. The problem is that it doesn't have "live view" ie. you cannot view a live image via USB and computer. So I have found focussing very awkward. I bought my Sony second hand at about half the new price in mint condition and for most general purposes I have been delighted with it. I used a Pentax film SLR in the old days and getting a digital SLR was very good. In some ways it's a pity I bought it before coming on here but I thought it a good buy.

So I'm looking into buying a DSLR to devote to astrophotography for the wider celestial objects (with webcam for planetary) for when I can afford it. (It may have to compete with a bigger scope ) As this will be devoted to imaging, I won't want the extras you'd want for general use. I'm hoping that could save a spot of dosh.

Could I have some recommendations for suitable cameras, please?

Thank you

[Merlin66]

A modded 1000D body and a TC-80 type remote control would be a good starting point. They come up s/h regularly.

[Gina]

Thanks Merlin

[Carbon Brush]

Hi Gina. A second to Merlin's recommendation.

In fact I like them so much I have one astro modded and one for daytime use.

I'm too stupid to make the menu changes between the two applications. Especially in the dark and cold!

[Spikey]

Hi Gina,

I've tried the 400D & 1000D for astrophotography and both are very good.

To be honest I use the 1000D purely for astro now even though it is un-modded and the 400D for daytime photos.

Although live view is useful I sometimes find it a bit tricky to see the focussing image properly with the ED80 when the bahtinov is on. So I now take 5 sec exposures and adjust the focus accordingly. I also always use APT now for controlling the Canon camera as it is just so easy to use and has lots of astro related features.

[Photosbykev]

Modded Canon 1000D connected to a laptop running APT would be a good way to go. If you use AF lens for widefield you can use the AF feature that APT has to get a very good focus. If you connect the body to a scope then a mask and the liveview in APT will nail the focus as well.

[yesyes]

Totally agree. an EOS 1000D and APT is the perfect combination. Or any other Canon EOS that has LiveView.

For astophotography EOS is the way to go because they have much better software support for AP than other manufacturer's DSLRs.

[swag72]

Another modded 1000D user here - Although I fancy it won't get much use now I've got a CCD! The 1000D has live view and I always used it with EosUtilities. The live view was great with the bahtinov mask to help attain focus. It's also one of the lightest DSLR's which was a big bonus in my book, especially if you want to try to keep with the stock focuser.

Don't forget that you will need a field flattener / Reducer with the DSLR as the chip is rather on the large size.

[Gina]

Thank you folks for all your replies Sound like the Canon EOS 1000D ticks all the boxes

[RikM]

I use a 1000D and APT as well. Works very nicely indeed.

[Chris]

Chuffed with my 1100D was going to buy the very good D1000, but found out that the D1100 was only an extra 20 quid and you get a lot for a little extra: A better chip with lower noise at higher ISO's, better light sensitivity (ISO6400), 10% bigger live view screen which is always a good thing to have right?, 43g lighter also good if you pushing the limits of your mount, slightly better dynamic range, better resolution 12.2 vs 10.1 mega pixels, and the 1100 has movie mode.

Chris

[ollypenrice]

Couldn't you use a Bahtinov mask to focus with your present camera? I'm not arguing against the Canon, just wondering. Even if you didn't have live view I would have thought that quick exposures on a bright star would give you the info you need. Since I use CCD I don't have much first hand DSLR astro experience but I remember a guest using an early Bahtinov with a 20Da and just knocking off successive quick test shots till the Bahtinov pattern was right.

Olly

[Bizibilder]

Hi Gina - I'm just going to put the dampers on the 1000D! These are now out of production and hence quite expensive if bought new - from the few shops with remaining stock. The replacement is the 1100D which is under £300 for the body only: Canon EOS 1100D Body from £299.00, UK Specialist Price Comparison Site, Camera Price Buster

I must admit that I use a 1000D and find it excellent (mine is unmodded as it has to be used for "ordinary" pictures as well!). The 1100D has all the features you need.

[Gina]

Yes, the 1100D seems to be cheaper new. Two points from above...

1. Movie mode - the 1000D spec I read said it DID have movie mode.

2. Someone said the 1100D didn't have mirror lock-up - find that hard to believe. Surely the mirror must be locked up for video mode.

[RikM]

The 1000D definitely doesn't have movie mode.

You can hijack the liveview feed via EOSmovierecord, but it is not that great.

[AlanP]

Hi Gina just to back up the others I have just got the 1100D and I have a 500d as well, the 1100D is slightly lighter and as far as mirror lock-up is concerned you can't use it with a timer anyway and for DSO's I use APT or an independent timer that plugs into the camera, very cheap off Amazon and brilliant. I am sure that the other guys on here will put me right if I am incorrect with the mirror lock up though.

Alan

[yesyes]

A friend of mine bought a 1100D for AP. We tried to get mirror lock-up working with APT but couldn't. A bit of gooleing has revealed that the 1100D doesn't have mirror lock-up.

I also read somewhere (I think it was on here) that the video mode of the 1100D requires focus confirmation from the lens. So for using it without a lens you would need an AF confirmation T-Ring that has some electronics in it. With a standard "metal-only" T-Ring the video mode won't work.

[Gina]

Hmmm... I see. Evidently the choice between 1000D and 1100D needs some thinking about. Seems there are pros and cons of both.

[Stephen]

(snip)

[yesyes]

Yes, but since the 1000D doesn't even have a video mode, that video restriction of the 1100D doesn't sound so bad. At least you could do video if you get a slightly more expensive T-Ring.

And I don't really use the mirror lock-up on my 1000D. A sub 1 sec vibration seems insignificant compared to, say 60 or 90 sec exposures.

[RikM]

I don't use the mirror lock-up with mine either.

[Gina]

I agree that a short bit of vibration shouldn't affect a long exposure and if you want short exposures I guess video mode is better - fed straight into Registrax? Seems to me that video mode is effectively mirror lock-up - continuous output from the image sensor. And yes, an electronic T-adapter is probably a relatively small outlay for the benefit provided.

So it seems to be coming down in favour of a 1100D·

[Tinkerbell]

If I have read the spec sheets right the 1100D has mirror lock up as a custom function.

[yesyes]

If I have read the spec sheets right the 1100D has mirror lock up as a custom function.

The 1000D does have it as a custom function (function 8). We were not able to find it on the 1100D and several forum posts (not on here) seemed to suggest that the 1100D doesn't have it.

I do hope, however, that you are right ;-)

Please post back if someone manages to find that function. ;-)

[Photosbykev]

It isn't really surprising that mlu is missing from the 1100D, it's more surprising that Canon chose to include it on the 1000D. Its target market is as a very cheap entry level DSLR, once you get hooked into a system and need more features you upgrade.