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Good Camera for basic astrophotography

Apple15pie

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Apple15pie

Apple15pie

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Hi Guys

Recently my camera (Samsung Digital Camera, nothing fancy) broke, giving me an excuse to upgrade to one better suited for Astrophotography...

I mainly used my camera in the last stages of its life for long exposure night shots, using my tripod, of constellations, and would like to get more photos like this, maybe some star trails and things like that. The problem is that my camera (and the one i was looking at as a replacement) has 16s as its longest shutter speed, personally i don't think this is enough. I am not interested in attaching my camera to my telescope as my humble heritage is not suited to this, however i would perhaps hold the camera up to the eyepiece to take a few snaps of jupiter, for example

So any advice or recommendations on cameras to get for this, so far i have just been walking around shops trying every camera to see what its longest shutter speed is, quite time consuming :(

As you can see I'm not very advanced in this, so any help/advice/recommendations are extremely welcome :)

Thanks

Dan

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Skipper Billy

Skipper Billy

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I use a Canon 1100D (which has been superseded by the 1200D now) and for the money its a very capable camera. Low noise and easy to use.

Any camera with a  bulb setting will keep take exposures as long as you keep the button pressed but a remote timer will only set you back about £15 from eBay then you can just tell it to take x frames at x length and sit back and watch.

The remote operation software that comes with the camera is excellent.

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Bizibilder

Bizibilder

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You don't state a budget??  Even so I would suggest that you could get an entry level DSLR camera - that will give you all the "adjustments" that you need and will allow you to take exposures of any length you want to (60 seconds as a "preset" or, using the "bulb" setting, any length you like.)  An adapter to connect to your scope will only cost a few pounds if you eventually choose to do that.  You can, of course, still use the camera and lens(es) for "ordinary" photography.

You can look at prices here: http://www.camerapricebuster.co.uk/Canon/Canon-Digital-SLRs

If you decide to go this route then you can ask for further advice on the forum.

The problem with "compact" cameras is that they are designed for "snapshots" and are really not suited for any astro-photography applications.

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Apple15pie

Apple15pie

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Yeah I realised I didn't put a price after i posted :p silly me... I guess DSLR is the way to go then, as all 3 of you have suggested them, but i think that the Cannon 1000D is more in my price range... I think over £200 is pushing it a bit, but if it is a bit over and worth it I could reluctantly increase the budget (I am a student and feel bad for asking for too much money from my parents :/ ) 

Would it be worth it getting a Bridge camera? or should i go straight for a DSLR?

Thanks again :)

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Apple15pie

Apple15pie

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Thanks for all the help guys, but a full DSLR looks a bit pricey and quite daunting really, most cost more than my telescope itself!! What about bridge cameras, or even compact cameras. I know these can be a large step down, but I think this is necessary for what i want... 

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greyhaven

greyhaven

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You did not mention if you were going for wide field AP or were considering prime focus or a focal AP.  The Canon 1100D can handle all three types but you still have to in prime focus or a focal, purchase the means of connecting your camera to your scope.  With prime focus AP you don't need a camera lens so you can purchase just the camera body and T adapter and scope adapter. If you're going for a focal AP you will need a means of holding your camera to the eyepiece (something like the "Steady pics adapter" and any digital camera not just a DSLR can be held at the eyepiece. Should you want to do more that Moon, solar or planetary AP then a means of tracking your target needs to be considered.  Planning your purchases so that your purchases dovetail with your eventual goals will help keep cost in line. AP is a fun hobby but having your ultimate goal insight and a plan mapped out to get there will save you from spending a lot of money on items that won’t translate into your final plans. Welcome to the wonderful, wacky world of AP.

Grey

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Apple15pie

Apple15pie

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Hi all, 

I don't think i would use the camera with my scope as i only have a little dob, and i think wide field would be more of my thing, I will look out for deals etc, especially for the cannon 1000D upwards, but i still find the thought of a DSLR a bit daunting... How long would the ideal shutter speed be (apart from bulb)?

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ollypenrice

ollypenrice

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It's a no brainer in favour of a basic Canon DSLR in my view. They are the best supported in astro-related hard and software. There is nothing daunting about them.

The secret in astro imaging is the stacked multiple sub exposure technique so the free Deep Sky Stacker software is a popular take off point.

You might read Making Every Photon Count as well. (By Steve Richards, available from FLO.)

Olly

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greyhaven

greyhaven

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The camera, on a tripod, being used for wide field AP most likely would need exposures of 30 seconds or less if you were not attempting to show star trails. A lens of 50mm would give you a field of view large enough to show wide expanses on the night sky. ISO's 400 or 800 would allow star captures under a dark sky. The Moon and planets wound be acceptable targets through your Dob. The planets would require the camera's ability to do AVI's at a frame rate of 20/25 frames per second and suitable programs like Registacks (free) for processing. Web cam AP is cheap and allows for good quality planetary images, a great way to get your feet wet.

Grey

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Astrosurf

Astrosurf

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I've used a 1000D. A good camera but a little noisy above 1600 ISO. Darks did help but if you can get a lower-noise one, like the 1100D or above, that might be better.

Alexxx

That was supposed to have been 'above 800 ISO'. My edit didn't take!

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