DSLR’s - Do I need a full frame ? Can any model be Modified ?

[Neiman]

Hiya, have absolutely no idea where to begin finding a camera for Astrophotography. And by that I mean - I know I want a canon but am unsure which to buy. It will be a second hand one. Does it need to be full frame ? Can any and all models be modified ? Is a higher pixel count the way to go ? What are the important things to look for in a DSLR ?

any help would be great.

Thanks

Neil

[PlanetGazer]

Good question, can't wait to hear the replies.

I've read that there are special DSLR made for astrophotography named D610 Nikon . Not sure about it though, and it's pretty expensive.

[alan potts]

I full believe any Canon model can be modified but even though old now I would not want to start pulling mu 1DS mk 2 apart, you don't need full frame though that is nice, APS C like 40,50,60 D models etc would give very god results and is kinder on scopes and flateners, though you would still require one.

As for buying, look for one on here. 1200D 1300 D etc

[tooth_dr]

Hi Neil

You are definitely asking all the right questions! Canon are no longer at the forefront of astro imaging.  There are incredible images on here from Nikon and Sony cameras, which have new sensors.

It definitely doesn’t need to be full frame, and a lot of optics will struggle to produce a good star field right to the edge of a full frame sensor.

Buy an already modified one and get ready for a lot of fun

[wxsatuser]

You don't need a modded camera for true colour images.

[wxsatuser]

5 minutes ago, tooth_dr said:

Hi Neil

You are definitely asking all the right questions! Canon are no longer at the forefront of astro imaging.  There are incredible images on here from Nikon and Sony cameras, which have new sensors.

It definitely doesn’t need to be full frame, and a lot of optics will struggle to produce a good star field right to the edge of a full frame sensor.

Buy an already modified one and get ready for a lot of fun

That's Sony out then.

[barkis]

Here is a video of how to modify a DSLr Camera for Astro. Photography. However. 
things have changed a lot since those days,  and cameras today can do the job well without the need to modify them.
It can be a delicate process, but with care, it can be done.
You will get many replies here, and you must choose what you think suits you best.
Ron.

 

[wxsatuser]

1 hour ago, Neiman said:

Hiya, have absolutely no idea where to begin finding a camera for Astrophotography. And by that I mean - I know I want a canon but am unsure which to buy. It will be a second hand one. Does it need to be full frame ? Can any and all models be modified ? Is a higher pixel count the way to go ? What are the important things to look for in a DSLR ?

any help would be great.

Thanks

Neil

The main thing that counts is the QE and the high ISO implementation.
Full frames tend to have bigger wells, higher QE and better ISO implementation.

The negative as already pointed out is that scopes have to cover a bigger frame, it's not normally cheap to do this.
Camera lenses would be better but in the end the best ones are not cheap.

[geordie85]

What's your budget? If its definitely a dslr you want then I'd highly recommend the canon 600d due to the flip out screen which is a massive help when framing and focusing. There is one on ABS at the moment. 

If you're willing to spend a bit more, you can get a dedicated cmos camera. There's a 183c in the classifieds on here at the moment for a very good price. 

[DaveS]

Covering a full-frame (ie 24 x 36 mm) won't be cheap, despite what manufacturers would have you believe, according to Olly, even the Tak 85 Petzval won't do it, and if you have that budget then you'd be looking at the real thing, not a DSLR.

I'd stick to APS C or below.

[Neiman]

Thanks peeps for all the replies, I eventually want to use the ZWO asi mc pro. But until then I figured on getting a canon DSLR and either modified or modable ( is that even a word ) ? I also want the DSLR to have a flip out screen for easier viewing. I have not got a scooby doo about photography - so that’s photography AND Astronomy that to have to learn, but I watch and listen and ask. Would also like to get a 2nd Hand one with low shutter count. As for budget I’d like to spend a couple of hundred - £300 ish but if I get lured by something I think I want / need - who knows what I cools end up spending on the bloody thing.

 

[MarsG76]

I agree that APS-C is most likely a better size to use for AP.. full frame will have much more edge distortion. Another thing I think is better is the size of the pixels. I personally use a modded old Canon 40D. I compared it to a DSLR (7D) which has lower pixels and the 40D was a better performer for AP.....so the bigger pixels are definitely a plus... another bonus is that those older cameras are very cheap to buy.

[PlanetGazer]

1 hour ago, Neiman said:

 - so that’s photography AND Astronomy that to have to learn, 

 

If that's the case, then waiting to learn one of them first could be a better option. For both the budget and your patience

[Neiman]

2 hours ago, PlanetGazer said:

If that's the case, then waiting to learn one of them first could be a better option. For both the budget and your patience

Yeah, could be the way to go - then again, practice, practice , practice

[michael8554]

Don't discount full frame just because the edges may not be fully illuminated. 

There's a very simple procedure that deals with that, it's called Cropping. 

The original Canon 6D has very low noise at higher ISO,  and the big pixels make it more sensitive, but may not match the image scale of short FL scopes. 

But the 600D is very good value. 

Michael 

Edited August 25, 2019 by michael8554