Best beginner dslr for astrophotography under £500?

[Olli]

Hi there

i am looking for a dslr and lens for under £500 I am a beginner and haven’t used a dslr before. I was wondering what the best choice is for daytime and astrophotography? I will be just using it on a star adventurer most likely taking widefield shots until I can save up for a small scope to mount on it. I have narrowed down to a couple of choices which are the 5600 , the 250d and the Sony a6000. I was wondering what other options would be the best? For daytime photography it won’t be anything special but want it to still take decent pictures. I’ve tried searching around but I’m still just as confused.  The only two main features that I need is a flip screen and Bluetooth/WiFi. 

 

i’m a bit stuck so would love to hear people’s opinions 

[Mr niall]

They're all the same it makes no difference which you pick. Any DSLR made in the last 15 years will give broadly comparable results for astrophotography.

The things that make a difference are things like Wifi and tilting screens which are very useful.

Canon has a wider range of lenses. Nikon generally have better features but are slightly more expensive. If you stick to those two main brands you will be safe as you will have connectivity to things like Backyard EOS and Canon Connect which are very useful.

I've got a 250d, its great, nice and compact and really intuitive to use. Its compact size and low weight is handy too and its a pleasure to use. But having said that, I upgraded from a 1300d which you can get used for about £175. In the daytime the 250d is much better, but at night (for astronomy) they are almost identical (250 is a bit more forgiving at high ISO).

It's the lenses and the time spent setting up and learning your system that make the biggest difference, not the camera.

The Canon EFS F1.8 50mm should be the first thing you buy!

edit: The sony a6000 is brill - but getting on a bit. And you have the least lens choice. I think the 5600 or the 250 is probably better value. The 200d is nearly the same as the 250d. If you try somewhere like MPB you might be able to get a bargain.

Edited August 7, 2020 by Mr niall

[Olli]

5 minutes ago, Mr niall said:

They're all the same it makes no difference which you pick. Any DSLR made in the last 15 years will give broadly comparable results for astrophotography.

The things that make a difference are things like Wifi and tilting screens which are very useful.

Canon has a wider range of lenses. Nikon generally have better features but are slightly more expensive. If you stick to those two main brands you will be safe as you will have connectivity to things like Backyard EOS and Canon Connect which are very useful.

I've got a 250d, its great, nice and compact and really intuitive to use. Its compact size and low weight is handy too and its a pleasure to use. But having said that, I upgraded from a 1300d which you can get used for about £175. In the daytime the 250d is much better, but at night (for astronomy) they are almost identical (250 is a bit more forgiving at high ISO).

It's the lenses and the time spent setting up and learning your system that make the biggest difference, not the camera.

The Canon EFS F1.8 50mm should be the first thing you buy!

edit: The sony a6000 is brill - but getting on a bit. And you have the least lens choice. I think the 5600 or the 250 is probably better value.

Hi

thank you for the detailed reply it’s much appreciated. I was a bit worried about the a61000 because of the lenses and the date so I was holding back on that one I’m glad you are enjoying the 250d. Is the 1.8g the nifty fifty lens I always hear people talking about?

[Mr niall]

1 minute ago, Olli said:

Hi

thank you for the detailed reply it’s much appreciated. I was a bit worried about the a61000 because of the lenses and the date so I was holding back on that one I’m glad you are enjoying the 250d. Is the 1.8g the nifty fifty lens I always hear people talking about?

Yes thats the one. 50mm F1.8 - pin sharp all the way down to about f3.

And spectacular in the daytime too. Perfect portrait lens - fabulous bokeh, brill in low light. And just about the cheapest brand new lens you can buy!

Here's a couple with my 250d. Just low res but you get the idea. The rose is with the nifty fifty (blurry edges applied by me not the lens!)

[Mr niall]

Here's one of Cygnus / sagitta with the nifty fifty. Not the most amazing shot but good edge sharpness at f 2.8

[Olli]

8 minutes ago, Mr niall said:

Here's one of Cygnus / sagitta with the nifty fifty. Not the most amazing shot but good edge sharpness at f 2.8

Those images are great!

[Ags]

Being mischievous, I would strongly consider spending my 500 on this...

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/zwo-cameras/zwo-asi-183mc-usb-3-colour-camera.html

[Ags]

With that ZWO camera you can do planetary imaging, EEA, and it's a better camera for DSO than any unmodified DSLR. Also, its small pixels are a better match for the small scope or camera lens you are likely to put on a star adventurer. 

I got a DSLR for Astro and thought I would use it for general photography too, but 99% of the time the camera I use is my phone. For Astro I now use an ASI 178 MM and I am much happier not constantly fighting with my DSLR.

[Mr niall]

1 hour ago, Ags said:

With that ZWO camera you can do planetary imaging, EEA, and it's a better camera for DSO than any unmodified DSLR. Also, its small pixels are a better match for the small scope or camera lens you are likely to put on a star adventurer. 

I got a DSLR for Astro and thought I would use it for general photography too, but 99% of the time the camera I use is my phone. For Astro I now use an ASI 178 MM and I am much happier not constantly fighting with my DSLR.

'Tis true and a good point. 99% of my daytime photography is with my phone.

[Olli]

On 07/08/2020 at 22:24, Mr niall said:

'Tis true and a good point. 99% of my daytime photography is with my phone.

250d arrived a few days ago and couldn’t be happier thanks for the help. I know those would be better but it’s going to be a while until I get sa and wanted to learn photography so would be a bit pointless for me. But maybe in the future I’ll look at one.