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Best DSLR for astrophotography?


Astrokev

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I saw my name mentioned here...

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Don't bank on it though, Maurice is not an ordinary astrophotographer!

Ok, here's my point of view on the subject. If you solely want to pursue deep sky astrophotography and you want to do that from your back garden or - even better - an observatory shed, go the mono astro CMOS/CCD camera route as @ollypenrice pointed out. However, many benefits of the DSLR are often overlooked:

- More versatile than a dedicated CMOS/CCD camera: deep sky, nightscapes, time-lapses, star trails, solar and lunar photography, eclipses, polar light, daylight photography...

- Can be used/operated stand-alone. Low power consumption. Especially beneficial for mobile astrophotographers (like me, the 'extra-ordinary' astrophotographer ?

- Modern DSLRs have low dark current; no need for cooling.

- No fuss with (third party) adapters to get the sensor at the correct distance from field correctors (flatteners/reducers); just use a (wide) T-mount.

I have experience with several cooled CCDs (QHY8, ST-8300, Atik 11000). Due to returning issues with Windows glitches (USB and driver errors) and sensor fogging, I switch to 100% DSLR photography around 2013.

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Since I already have Nikon glass, it would seem sensible to get another Nikon, but I'm aware that Canon are (arguably) ahead of Nikon. So, what model should I consider?

The ongoing Coca Cola - Pepsi discussion. Stick with Nikon. The cameras of these leading brands are equally matched. Today Nikon may even be ahead of Canon, but next week... who knows? The so-called 'star eating' issue is obsolete with current Nikon models.

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The D810 and 810A are reportedly designed for astrophotography - I believe due to higher H-alpha sensitivity, but I'm not sure what other benefits these offer, or whether these models can be used for daylight photography (would daylight use give a strong red bias?). I'm also not sure of the difference between the standard and "A" version.

The D810a is a limited model specially designed for astrophotography. It is indeed more sensitive to H-alpha/near IR (the hot mirror filter cuts the light just past the H-alpha line). It also has some additional on-camera options, like longer built-in exposure times. You can find extended reviews by Alan Dyer and Jerry Lodriguss on the web. The D810a can be used for daytime photography. No obvious red shift. I guess only professional photographer might notice it and consider it as a concern. Even the preset white balance settings work like a charm. In principal any IR modded DSLR can still be used for daylight photography, as long as it's not a full spectrum mod (removal of the hot mirror). You do, however, have to make a custom white balance. 

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Also, how does this model compare to Canon?

I've switched from a Baader IR modified Canon 5D MKII to a Nikon D810a. The latter performs better (less (read) noise in the 'shadows'). Of course the Nikon D810a has newer sensor technology. I still consider the 5D MKII as a very good DSLRs for (deep sky) astrophotography.

Important notice: DSLRs work best for deep sky photography when you dither between exposures. Dither a least 10, preferably 15 pixels on the main sensor. You have to calculate/make a wild guess/experiment what this means for your the dither settings of your guide cam. I dare say dithering without using dark frames works better than no dithering using (mismatched) darks. In principal, a good masterdark need at least as many darks as lights (sub-exposure), otherwise, you'll be injecting noise. You can, of course, always make of bad pixel map out of several darks for cleaning hot and cold pixels.                    

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21 minutes ago, mftoet said:

I saw my name mentioned here...

Ok, here's my point of view on the subject.           

Thanks Maurice for your thorough reply and sharing your knowledge. There's a lot for me to think about there!

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