Which Canon DSLR should I buy?

[Yellow dwarf]

I’m thinking of starting Astro-photography in the future, and everyone seems to recommend a canon dslr. But which one? There are so many, and people seem to suggest a 1000d or 450d, but I don’t know which to choose?

[scitmon]

What objects are you looking to photograph?  Photographing large nebula is very different to imaging planets for example.

If you are looking to do long exposure DSO's such as emission nebula then Canon DSLR's are a very good beginner option.  You may even want to consider buying a modded one if you are solely using it for astrophotography.   

[Yellow dwarf]

I’d would only use it for astrophotography and I’m looking to image deep sky probably with the skywatcher 130pds.

Edited April 7, 2021 by Yellow dwarf
Typo

[scitmon]

Canon DSLR is a good starter camera then.  As for which one, depends on your budget but they all will do a good job.  I've seen a few in the classifieds recently, you may want to look there.  I would also recommend looking at https://www.cheapastrophotography.com/Available-Cameras.html and see what your budget can get you.  The next step up would be a cooled camera which starts at around £800, so if you start getting close to that I would look at those instead.

Edited April 7, 2021 by scitmon

[Yellow dwarf]

Cool, thanks for the advice!👍

[barbulo]

I’ve recently bought a CANON EOS 600D unmodded, and I’m happy with it. It seems is a popular model for astrophotography.

You can find some on eBay with low shutter count for around 200€. You can astro-mod it later if you want.

[AbsolutelyN]

The 600d seems very popular. My input would be if you are planning camera lens based wide field / landscapes then the full frame 6D is superb. Not many scopes can cope with full frame though so 600D probably better for telescope based imaging. Also recommend MPB for second hand canon bodies/lenses. 

Edited April 7, 2021 by AbsolutelyN

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

I've just bought a used mint condition and low shutter count 450D for <£60 on Ebay. Happy with it for that price. I believe the 600D is very popular, especially because of the flip screen.

"What is the best?" really comes down to how much you want to spend and how deep you want to dive in. In my case it's not spending much to have a dabble.

Trevor Jones started with a 450D and hosts a very popular Youtube channel:

https://astrobackyard.com/canon-rebel/

 

[rnobleeddy]

I've had a 450D and a 550D. Both worked well. I didn't directly compare, but at least anecdotally, the 550D seems a little less noisy. As long as you dither and don't worry about darks, I was happy with the results.

I'm sure the later sensors are a little better, but primarily, more recent cameras appear to have better video facilities and better/flip out screens. I don't know how useful they are, but I presume the video mode can be used to decent effect on the moon.

I'd recommend checking out used prices on eBay. In addition to the comments above, I got a 550D for £75. It costs ~£100 to have it modded. I don't see why you'd buy a second hand one  here or on astrobuysell for more than this, but they're routinely advertised for quite a bit more.

 

[FenlandPaul]

I have both the 1000D (stock) and 450D (Astro-modded). Both great little performers but for my money the 450D has been the better one. Noise is well contained at ISO800, especially if you do darks.

Im fairly new to all of this so I’m sure the considerable experience on here will help you!

[ddm4313]

I have a 700D and 450D, 700D has a flip screen and is more modern also better specifications, good for daytime too, I would suggest 700D. 

[discardedastro]

I'll leave the Canon discussion to the experts, but if you're thinking about imaging deep space objects then do consider a dedicated astro camera.

Secondhand cooled CMOS/CCD cameras can be had for £500 or less sometimes depending on how old a sensor you can tolerate, and will have a much lower noise floor than any DSLR for long exposures. But obviously they're not any use in daytime, so not necessarily the best bang for buck depending on what you want to do! They do also have the advantage of an unfiltered sensor window and easier software control/integration with common software. If you want to do any narrowband imaging then this is pretty key, though you can astro-mod Canons to achieve similar outcomes.

[Andy56]

I second ddm4313. The flip screen is a real back/knee saver.

I chose the 600D above some of the other cheaper s/h ones because of this.

[Tan Zhi Qi]

On 07/04/2021 at 21:26, Yellow dwarf said:

I’d would only use it for astrophotography and I’m looking to image deep sky probably with the skywatcher 130pds.

I'll be following this post as I'm getting the same scope for imaging and also in the midst of considering what Canon DSLR to get. 

[wxsatuser]

If you can manage it go for a more modern version, the later the better.

The later models have far better noise performance than the older models.

[Yellow dwarf]

The 600d seems a good choice as a starter dslr then. I’m not really looking at cooled cmos/ccd cameras as that seems like a purchase I would make if I really got into astrophotography, where as a dslr is more versatile. A canon 600d and  a 130pds seems like a cheapish entry into astrophotography, if only mounts weren’t so expensive(I’d probably look at getting a second hand eq5).

 

Thanks for all the advice, it’s really helpful.😀

[steppenwolf]

2 hours ago, Andy56 said:

I chose the 600D above some of the other cheaper s/h ones because of this.

This would be my choice as well as I have found this camera to be an excellent all-rounder and that tilt screen makes is very much easier to view at the often strange orientations that we astronomers get involved in!

[Tan Zhi Qi]

1 hour ago, wxsatuser said:

If you can manage it go for a more modern version, the later the better.

The later models have far better noise performance than the older models.

Any suggestion for a budget DSLR?

[Alien 13]

9 hours ago, Tan Zhi Qi said:

Any suggestion for a budget DSLR?

A used Canon 60D is a big improvement on the 600D and not that much more expensive on sites like MPB photographic or WEX, better still if you can push to the 70D.

Alan

[Tan Zhi Qi]

@Alien 13 thanks for the suggestion. Does the Canon 60d have any flip screen like the 600d?

[Tan Zhi Qi]

By the way what advantages does the Canon 60d have over the 600d? Thanks in advance. 

[Corncrake]

13 hours ago, Tan Zhi Qi said:

Does the Canon 60d have any flip screen

Yes, and very useful it is. Except when it forgets which way up it is supposed to be !

There is a microswitch in the hinge mechanism that is a bit sticky sometimes so needs a couple of flips to get it reset.

Edited April 11, 2021 by Corncrake

[Alien 13]

12 hours ago, Tan Zhi Qi said:

By the way what advantages does the Canon 60d have over the 600d? Thanks in advance. 

The 60D has a better build quality, lots more features inc the 1:1 video crop mode for Luna/Planetary imaging and it uses the Canon "pro" battery so its life is much longer. The sensors are similar but the 60D version includes dual pixel AF system.

Alan

[Corncrake]

20 hours ago, Alien 13 said:

 better still if you can push to the 70D.

   and it has Wifi which I would find useful, so I am contemplating an upgrade !

[Alien 13]

Yes the WiFi on my 80D is very useful, can change all the settings/use live view for focus so all I need now is a SW AZ GTI mount and I would never have to leave the house 😀

Alan