Canon 7D Mark 1

[PhilKB]

Hi there and apologies if this is the wrong section.   I’ve been observing with my two telescopes (a skywatcher mak127 and an heritage 150p) and am looking to take a few images just as a way of keeping the kids interested. I’m currently saving up for an HEQ5 but have been offered an original canon 7D mark 1 in very good condition at a low price and I was wondering if it was worth picking it up for practice and to learn the astrophotography basics with.  . I realise the 7D mark 2 is much better but a secondhand one of those would take a chunk out of HEQ5 fund.  

[Shimrod]

3 hours ago, PhilKB said:

Hi there and apologies if this is the wrong section.   I’ve been observing with my two telescopes (a skywatcher mak127 and an heritage 150p) and am looking to take a few images just as a way of keeping the kids interested. I’m currently saving up for an HEQ5 but have been offered an original canon 7D mark 1 in very good condition at a low price and I was wondering if it was worth picking it up for practice and to learn the astrophotography basics with.  . I realise the 7D mark 2 is much better but a secondhand one of those would take a chunk out of HEQ5 fund.  

I guess how cheap is cheap? Under £150 it might be worthwhile (you can buy at that price with a six month warranty from mpb). With a 7d you are buying features you don't really need (such as faster shutter speeds) for astronomy, and with those features comes weight - it is nearly twice the weight of some of the entry level models once you add in a battery. You might want to check what sort of payload your mount will handle. If this is just for astronomy, you might want to have a look for some more recent entry level models (of any brand) which will offer a better sensor.

[PhilKB]

Thanks.  That’s a good point, hadn’t considered the weight.