Camera for astrophotography

[Nemesis6]

I have been recommended a Canon EOS 20DA. At first I was going for a 10D, but I've been told that the 20D/A is specifically made for for astrophotography, having no IR filter. I can't seem to find any prices on this camera, though. Any and all advice appreciated!

[brianb]

but I've been told that the 20D/A is specifically made for for astrophotography, having no IR filter. I can't seem to find any prices on this camera, though.

You won't, it's been obsolete for about 5 years.

If you really want a DSLR for astrophotography, I'd reccomend getting a secondhand Canon 350D; cheap & versatile, plus if you really need extended red response (only necessary for hydrogen emission nebulae) it's easy enough to get modified.

[skye at night]

The 20 DA is now no longer made..

but is far from obsolete...

It is my camera of choice for astrophotography and some daytime work...

As well as the increased red sensitivity it has live view (long before the current dslrs) and extremely low noise..

other touches include a redlight illuminated display which of course does not interfere too much with night vision... and (for the time) a very high ISO range with again low noise even at 1200...

The pixel size on the chip also lends itself perfectly to AP ,,,

I dread the day mine stops working...

They can still be found second hand..

but yes , modded. 350.s or the nice little 1000 will do the job also.

Steve

[brendant]

Would fully agree with Steve that the 20Da is an excellent camera, and much sought after, but with the current range of Canon cameras is no longer the only option for astro. Canon sensor technology has evolved considerably since the creation of the 20Da (it's a testament to how good this camera was that it is still regarded so highly)

APS-C sized cameras such as the 40D or 50D modified are excellent cameras, lower down older versions 350D / 400D and the newer 450D / 1000D which have live view are also very capable. Newer versions such as the 450 / 1000 have very good noise control and no amp glow (as on the 350D)

For full frame a modified 5D MkII is an excellent option but be prepared to have a very deep pocket.

Brendan

[brianb]

The 20 DA is now no longer made..

but is far from obsolete...

They haven't made any for 5 years - but, far from introducing a replacement model, the image processing in newer cameras seems to be getting increasingly aggressive - even when recording "RAW" - making them less useful for AP. You're right, if you've got one, use it ... but I'd be very very dubious about buying a used one, no-one in their right mind would ditch one unless there was something wrong with it.

The newer cameras also seem to have increasingly sharp cutoff at the red end, making the sensitivity in Ha less than the older ones, whatever the ISO range says. Of course the anti-alias filter can be replaced by a less aggressive one, or removed altogether, but this makes the camera somewhat less useful for normal photography .... and, with due respect to DSLRs, if you want a camera for astrophotography and nothing else, go buy a cooled CCD camera - they outperform even the best "modified" DSLRs by a big margin.