You’ll find the Celestron NexStar 8SE sitting at the top of our Best Telescopes for Deep Space buying guide and in the best-computerized telescopes section of our more general Best Telescopes guide, and for good reason.
Celestron’s NexStar range of computerized telescopes is a firm favorite at Space.com, so we’re pleased to share that it’s currently on a discount of 15% at B (opens in new tab)&H Photo (opens in new tab), Adorama (opens in new tab) and Amazon (opens in new tab) which have all reduced the price on these GoTo instruments by 15% for a great Black Friday deal.
Setting the Celestron NexStar 8SE up is a breeze. The clever SkyAlign technology takes the hassle out of alignment, helping you to begin your night sky observing, or astro shooting quickly.
Given its ease of use, we recommend that this fantastic telescope can be used by the entire family — from the young beginner to the more seasoned skywatcher. Some prior knowledge would be advantageous, but you can use a planetarium app such as Celestron’s Sky Portal app if you need to.
The NexStar series is so versatile, and with ample accessories available, that skywatchers can also push their astrophotography, whether they choose to get serious with lunar and planetary imaging or want to dabble in wide-field photography of deep-sky targets, the NexStar 8SE will fit the bill. The smooth tracking of the motorized mount is perfect for those beautiful long exposures.
The NexStar 8SE does require 8 x AA batteries, so investing in a good battery charger, like this 16-bay charger (opens in new tab) and rechargeable AA (opens in new tab) batteries will save you more money in the long run.
The larger aperture NexStar 4SE is also on sale with 27% off at Adorama (opens in new tab) (that’s $100 less than Amazon’s current listing price), and the 6SE is $1099 (opens in new tab) at both retailers. There is no skirting around the fact that we have previously seen all of these instruments cheaper. They were all about $200 less in the 2020 Black Friday sales, but in the current climate of price hikes, it’s to be expected that you’ll now pay more for the same instruments, it’s best to grab any deal while you can. While still pricey, the NexStar series is excellent value for money given that it will last for years, if not decades to come.
All models offer excellent optics, thanks to a flawless lens coating so no defects like color fringing or coma ruin your observations. Views of globular clusters, nebulas, planets, the moon and galaxies are revealed with impressive clarity.
The NexStar’s database boasts 40,000 night-sky targets to explore at the touch of a button and a 25 mm E-Lux eyepiece, StarPointer finderscope, accessory tray, USB cable, star diagonal, astronomy software, the NexStar+ handset are all included in the price. You can read more of our thoughts about the Nex Star 8SE scope in our NexStar 8SE review.
Be sure to check out Space.com’s Black Friday telescope deals page or our guide to the Best Telescopes for more discounted telescopes. We also have a live Black Friday deal blog, posting all the best deals we come across as we find them.
The Sony A7R III has a bit of a cult following and is an excellent mirrorless camera for astrophotography, and it’s now got a deep discount of over $500 (opens in new tab) thanks to this Black Friday deal over at Amazon.
It’s packed with a full-frame 42.4MP image sensor that’s capable of capturing 4K HDR video and has a 3-inch touchscreen as well as an electronic viewfinder. At 9.6 x 6.1 x 5.6 inches and weighing just 1.45 lbs (657g) it’s lightweight and small enough to slip away in almost any camera bag. That means it’s easier to travel with the camera and take away to dark sky locations for astrophotography.
While we haven’t reviewed this specific model we’ve given its little sibling the Sony A7 III and newer variant the Sony A7R IV 4.5/5 stars in our reviews, highlighting their fantastic build quality and high-quality imaging. The price has dropped from $2,499.99 down to $1,998.00 which makes this mirrorless camera a steal on Black Friday.
The Sony A7R III has an ISO range of between 50-102,400 (expanded) to make it see in the dark. If you pair this with a wide-angle fast lens with an aperture of between f/1.4-2.8 then sharp, bright images of the night sky are a doddle.
It has up to 15 stops of dynamic range to capture the brightest highlights and deepest, darkest shadows and that makes it perfect for astrophotography because it allows photographers to edit their astro images with a great deal of flexibility when shooting in RAW format.
The A7R III has in-body image stabilization up to 5.5 stops so users can shoot this handheld even into twilight hours and in other low-light situations where a tripod would normally be necessary. It also autofocuses down to -3EV for decent focusing when the light is low (though, probably not low enough to autofocus on the stars).
Be sure to check out Space.com’s guide to the Best cameras for photos and videos or our astro-specific best cameras for astrophotography.
Vivo has steadily improved its camera game in recent years, with the X80 Pro in particular being one of 2022’s better camera phones. Now, the company has launched the X90, X90 Pro, and X90 Pro Plus.
The three smartphones all look very similar, sharing a faux leather back and an Oreo camera housing. All three devices also have a metal strip on the back running from left to right, complete with somewhat tacky “Xtreme Imagination” branding. These devices are also available in black and red colorways, although the vanilla X90 also comes in an ice blue color option.
The Vivo handsets also share a few features like a 32MP camera in a center punch-hole cutout, a custom V2 imaging chip, the Zeiss T* anti-glare coating for the cameras, Origin OS 3 atop Android 13, NFC, and Bluetooth 5.3.
Vivo X90 Pro Plus: The premium option
The Pro Plus model is undoubtedly the top-end model of the lot. It’s the only phone in the series to utilize the brand-new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, while also offering a 6.78-inch 120Hz OLED screen (3,200 x 1,440, E6), 4,700mAh battery, 80W wired charging, and 50W wireless speeds.
We also see interesting camera upgrades here. The Pro Plus brings a 50MP one-inch IMX989 main camera, a 50MP IMX758 2x portrait shooter (albeit fixed focus), a 64MP 3.5x periscope camera, and a 48MP ultrawide shooter (114-degree field-of-view). All cameras bar the ultrawide sensor offer optical image stabilization as well.
More reading: The best camera phones worth buying
There’s more to the camera side of things than just the hardware, though. Vivo says the X90 Pro Plus is capable of handheld astrophotography, a tilt-shift mode dubbed miniature blur, horizon correction functionality for shooting skyscrapers and other tall buildings, a lens flare portrait mode, and the ability to freeze subjects in low light.
Standard and Pro phones
Looking for something a little cheaper? That’s where the Vivo X90 and X90 Pro devices come in. The two devices share a Mediatek Dimensity 9200 processor, 120W wired charging, a 6.78-inch 120Hz OLED panel (2,800 x 1,260), and a conventional optical in-display fingerprint sensor.
There are several differences between the two models, though. The X90 Pro brings a 4,870mAh battery, 50W wireless charging and IP68 rating, while the standard device brings a 4,810mAh battery, no wireless charging, and an IP64 rating.
These differences extend to the cameras as well. The Pro model still retains the same 50MP one-inch main camera and 50MP 2x telephoto shooter as the Pro Plus. This opens the door for aforementioned features such as handheld astrophotography, tilt-shift, and subject freezing too. But it swaps out the 48MP ultrawide lens in favor of a 12MP shooter, and drops a periscope camera altogether.
Meanwhile, the standard device serves up a 50MP IMX866 main camera, 12MP ultrawide camera (108-degree field-of-view), and a 12MP 2x fixed-focus telephoto shooter.
Vivo X90 series pricing and availability
Expect to pay a starting price of 3,699 yuan (~$518) for the 8GB/128GB Vivo X90, going all the way up to 4,999 yuan (~$700) for the 12GB/512GB option. Meanwhile, the X90 Pro starts at 4,999 yuan (~$700) for the 8GB/256GB variant, topping out at 5,999 yuan (~$840) for the 12GB/512GB model.
Vivo X90 series: Hot or not?
116 votes
Want the Vivo X90 Pro Plus? Then you’ll be spending 6,499 yuan (~$910) for the 12GB/256GB base model, while the 12GB/512GB option will set you back 6,999 yuan (~$980).
Unfortunately, the Vivo X90 series is restricted to China right now. There’s no official word on a global launch but it’s worth noting that the Vivo X80 series saw a Chinese launch several months before the global release as well. So fingers crossed that we see a wider release in short order.
Save nearly $900 on the Nikon D850 this Black Friday with this incredible deal over at Walmart. A 45.4MP DSLR superstar the Nikon D850 can do it all. Though now a few years old it continues to perform excellently for astrophotography, wildlife, portraiture, sports, you name it. That’s why it features in our guide to the best cameras for photos and videos and is number one in the best cameras for astrophotography guide.
While B&H has a $500 discount on the Nikon D850 which matches Amazon’s $500 Nikon D850 deal, we’d recommend this incredible value deal over at Walmart while it lasts.
During our Nikon D850 review we gave it 4.5/5 stars and noted how the high-resolution stills photos provide a breathtaking amount of detail in astrophotos. It has an impressive dynamic range, too which makes editing in Lightroom or Photoshop a breeze.
What we love about this deal is that you’re unlikely to find it cheaper anywhere else this Black Friday so it’s worth snapping up as soon as possible before they run out of stock.
Nikon D850 (body only): was $2,996.95, now $2,104.95 at Walmart We suspect this whopping $892 saving won’t be around for long, so grab it while it lasts over at Walmart. The D850 really can do it all, is perfect for astrophotography and suits more generalist photographers who like to shoot a bit of everything. Fortunately, this pro-level camera can compete with even the best of today’s mirrorless cameras in terms of image quality and makes this huge discount even better.
View Deal
The Nikon D850 can shoot 45.4MP stills (which can be lowered if you need to save memory space) and 3840 x 2160 (4K UHD); 30p video which, although it doesn’t quite compete with the dizzying 8K heights of current mirrorless models, is more than adequate for most video buffs.
It has an ISO range between 64 – 25600 (extendable to 32 – 102400 equiv) so helps you shoot in the dark and takes F-mount lenses so is compatible with almost all of Nikon’s lens heritage (and Nikon-fit third-party lenses). A huge back catalog of lenses plus extreme performance, a rugged build, a tilting touchscreen and full weather sealing make the Nikon D850 one of the best DSLRs you can buy.
Be sure to check out Space.com’s best cameras for photos and videos and best cameras for astrophotography guides if the Nikon D850 isn’t your thing. Also, see our pick of the best lenses for astrophotography if you need some good-quality glass.
“Searching Beyond the Stars” by Nicole Mortillaro. Illustrated by Amanda Key
Amateur astronomer, author, science reporter, and Planetary Society member Nicole Mortillaro has an inspiring new book highlighting some of the remarkable women in space science.
“I was approached by [book publisher] Annick Press with an idea of writing about influential women in space and astronomy,” Nicole tells us. “But we didn’t want to do something that only looked at the work of women in the past. I suggested that we instead look mainly forward: to the women of today who are working to advance our knowledge about the Universe around us and who are an inspiration to the next generation of girls. Women’s contributions to astronomical research have long been overlooked, and it’s time we fix that.”
Save nearly $900 on the Nikon D850 (opens in new tab) this Black Friday with this incredible deal over at Walmart. A 45.4MP DSLR superstar the Nikon D850 can do it all. Though now a few years old it continues to perform excellently for astrophotography, wildlife, portraiture, sports, you name it. That’s why it features in our guide to the best cameras for photos and videos and is number one in the best cameras for astrophotography guide.
While B&H has a $500 discount on the Nikon D850 (opens in new tab) which matches Amazon’s $500 Nikon D850 deal (opens in new tab), we’d recommend this incredible value deal over at Walmart while it lasts.
During our Nikon D850 review we gave it 4.5/5 stars and noted how the high-resolution stills photos provide a breathtaking amount of detail in astrophotos. It has an impressive dynamic range, too which makes editing in Lightroom or Photoshop a breeze.
What we love about this deal is that you’re unlikely to find it cheaper anywhere else this Black Friday so it’s worth snapping up as soon as possible before they run out of stock.
The Nikon D850 can shoot 45.4MP stills (which can be lowered if you need to save memory space) and 3840 x 2160 (4K UHD); 30p video which, although it doesn’t quite compete with the dizzying 8K heights of current mirrorless models, is more than adequate for most video buffs.
It has an ISO range between 64 – 25600 (extendable to 32 – 102400 equiv) so helps you shoot in the dark and takes F-mount lenses so is compatible with almost all of Nikon’s lens heritage (and Nikon-fit third-party lenses). A huge back catalog of lenses plus extreme performance, a rugged build, a tilting touchscreen and full weather sealing make the Nikon D850 one of the best DSLRs you can buy.
Be sure to check out Space.com’s best cameras for photos and videos and best cameras for astrophotography guides if the Nikon D850 isn’t your thing. Also, see our pick of the best lenses for astrophotography if you need some good-quality glass.
A photographer captured the aurora lights and the Orion constellation in one spectacular image for the first time ever.
Roi Levi’s magical shot, taken in Iceland, was only achievable thanks to a new shooting technique.
Visible around the stars in the image is red hydrogen dust that was captured on a Canon EOS Ra, designed for astrophotography, with a special nebula filter attached, the H-alpha.
“I wanted to take things to the next level and do something no one has ever done before,” he tells PetaPixel.
“I decided to go Iceland and use the new filters and gear from my sponsors Optolong and Idas H-alpha filters and I had an idea to capture the aurora northern lights together with celestial objects,” he says.
“I just knew if I planned the image alignment right it will allow me to see Orion and the aurora in the same frame.”
Roi says he used the PhotoPills app to align his lens with Orion while on location near Vesterhorn mountain in Iceland.
Levi captured the two natural phenomena by shooting with the H-alpha filter and without the filter, meaning he never had to move the tripod.
“I used PixInsight for stacking 10 H-alpha frames and processing the image and then the final curve on Photoshop,” he says.
“There is a full colorful universe in the dark skies, and we need to know which filters to use to pull out these dim frequencies in the night skies and to properly expose the hiding gems of the skies for a much better landscape image.”
The shot was almost spoilt by cloud cover with only the Orion fully visible and the aurora dancing in between the clouds.
“Some will say it is even more special with the clouds behind,” he adds.
Levi’s efforts paid off as he was honored by NASA who picked it for their Astronomy Picture of the Day and was also recognized by the European Space Agency (ESA).
Talented Astrophotographer
Levi’s other photos from his trip to Iceland are also fantastic. The Israeli is a hyperlapse cinematographer by day and an astrophotographer by night.
He conducts photo workshops and is planning new photo tours with his special filters in Iceland.
“In 2023 we are making tours in California, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Yellowstone, Jordan, Israel, and Iceland.”
More of Levi’s work can be found on his website, Instagram, and Facebook.
Since its launch on Christmas Day 2021, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has been busy at work uncovering the secrets of the universe and revealing the majesty of the cosmos through breathtaking displays of astrophotography. Here at IGN, we’re curating and updating a gallery of the most spectacular and important JWST’s images as they’re released.
The JWST’s launch was the result of decades spent in planning and development, during which many billions of dollars were spent, and a metric ton of engineering challenges and setbacks were ingeniously and doggedly overcome.
The telescope now orbits the Sun at a distance of 1.5 million km in a region of space known as the second lagrange point. From here, the observatory can stay in sync with our planet as it makes its way around the Sun, while also keeping its all important sunshield orientated in the correct position to shade its delicate mirrors and instruments.
In its short scientific career, the vast 6.5 m (21.6 ft) golden eye of the Webb telescope has imaged cosmos in spectacular infrared detail, peering into the deep universe, and revisiting famous subjects such as the planets of our solar system, and iconic vistas including the Pillars of Creation.
Be sure to check out the gallery to see the most spectacular examples of the JWST’s astrophotography, and head to IGN’s science page for all the biggest space and science news.
Anthony is a freelance contributor covering science and video gaming news for IGN. He has over eight years experience of covering breaking developments in multiple scientific fields and absolutely no time for your shenanigans. Follow him on Twitter @BeardConGamer
CUMBRIA’S Dark Skies Festival welcomed more than 1500 people for their two weeks event.
The festival gave residents and visitors 30 events celebrating the night-time environment.
The events included stargazing and astrophotography, night trail running, canoeing, swimming, wildlife walks and forest bathing.
Events were led by knowledgeable astronomers from the north of England, and Cumbria-based activity companies.
Local businesses hosted dark sky themed events, including ‘The Inn on the Lake’ and ‘Another Place’ in Ullswater and ‘Near Howe Self-catering Cottages’ near Mungrisedale, supporting the visitor economy during its quieter period.
Sally Burchall, who is the Visitor Experience Manager with Forestry England, said: “We focussed our events at Grizedale and Whinlatter Forests, with local businesses helping to provide a wide range of inspiring activities alongside our own passionate staff.
“The diverse programme attracted a range of different audiences, from trail runners, families walking through the woods, to telescope stargazing for Calvert Trust guests with disabilities, with the help of the Cockermouth Astronomical Society.
“Cumbria provides a fantastic base for stargazing and night-time events in our forests, an offer we’re looking to expand with all of our business partners.”
The Dark Skies Officer for Cumbria, Jack Ellerby, of Friends of the Lake District, said: “Most events were planned for variable weather!
“I joined one on a rainy evening in woodland above Ambleside, led by Mindfulness guide Ruth from ‘At Nature’s Pace’.
“I’d had quite a stressful day, but after an hour or so in the dark I was completely chilled and felt very connected.
“You just can’t put a price on the physical and emotional restorative benefit of being in the outdoors after dark.”
The Dark Skies Festival started off the winter season, so do look out for lots more Dark Skies events over the coming months here.
I have said it before in my all-in-one, how-to-do-everything astrophotography guide—astrophotography is more accessible than ever before. Great gear can be purchased even on a tight budget, and the advancements with compact star trackers allow for even greater detail to be captured.
As I have also said before in my mega guide, use what gear you have now to get started. But, maybe you have reached the point where it is time to upgrade, or are considering really shifting your focus into astrophotography and want to have the best camera for that. Maybe even, you have a tight budget but still want a dedicated camera for astro. Well, here is what I would recommend for cameras in 2022.
First I must disclose that I have not been paid by any of the brands mentioned in the article to recommend one product over the next. These come from my experience, research, and testing, as well as a general consensus from the astro community.
Table of Contents
Pixel Scaling and ISO
Before I get started with my recommendations, it is important to note a few technical items which play into them. Chief among which is the ongoing debate between more megapixels and “less low-light capability” and fewer megapixels but “more low-light capability.” This topic is still debated on many internet forums today, but for the purposes of astrophotography (not video) resolution of a given sensor is not the only driving factor in noise. Read noise and quantum efficiency (QE for short, this means how much light the sensor is capable of converting into electrons, AKA signal) play a vital role, as does of course the optics you are using to gather that signal.
I want to keep this as brief as possible as the purpose of mentioning this here is solely for providing a foundation for my recommendations below. Yes, you can downscale a higher resolution sensor to represent the lower resolution sensor of the same sensor dimensions, and if all else is constant, the noise will be the same.
So you may ask then, why am I recommending the below cameras, why not just use the highest resolution sensor possible? There are a few problems with this. Higher resolution sensors require higher quality optics to fully utilize that extra resolution. Otherwise, the extra resolution may not be perceived, making it moot. Higher resolution files also require more processing power, hampering workflow.
The main issue is, if you are going to shoot and process with a higher resolution sensor and downscale to a lower resolution, what is the point of shooting with the higher resolution sensor, to begin with? Because higher resolution sensors require more work to ensure maximum efficiency, you would be better off saving your time and money and investing in a product that is already going to offer that level of noise ideal for astrophotography from the start.
With that out of the way, let’s move on to the actual recommendations.
Best Overall (and Nightscape) Astrophotography Camera: Nikon Z6 I/II
Nikon has received a lot of flack for their Z6 and Z7 series, in particular regarding the AF performance versus the rivals of Sony or Canon. The bodies are also now getting old and lack some of the features the latest and greatest the competition has. Look, I am not going to disagree with the fact that the AF is not quite as good as its competitors, but in astrophotography, AF is irrelevant. For all other reasons, the Z6 I or Nikon Z6 II excel as astro cameras in many genres from nightscape to deep space. The line has been my camera of choice for 3 years now going strong.
It has a 24-megapixel BSI full-frame sensor that, in my opinion, is excellent in read noise and quantitative efficiency, and it also has ISO invariance along with a dual-gain sensor.
The Z6 is also capable of adapting virtually any lens from any mount as it has one of the smallest flange distances, making it really easy to transition to from other systems. But, the mount truly shines with the new Nikkor S line lenses. I personally am blown away by some of the glass in the Z system. Coming from Canon L series lenses as well as Sigma ARTS (and also using Sony GMs), much of the Z system glass does a fantastic job at rendering beautiful star colors and shapes with minimal longitudinal chromatic aberration, coma, and astigmatism. Some are better than others for sure, but in my opinion, these are top tier, which is saying a lot considering older Nikon glass had some pretty bad distortions when it came to astro. I will not be going into lens recommendations in this article, however — just know there are some great options.
The Z6 I/II can also be easily astromodified for more response in the h-alpha wavelengths. Some bodies have issues with modification, but the Z6 does not. The Z6 is also compatible with a boatload of capture software for all of you deep spacers out there making it great for both nightscape and deep space alike, depending on your telescope/lens and target. The Z6 also does not have any sensor banding issues like some Canon sensors do, nor does it suffer from Star Eater spatial filtering like all Sony’s do (yes, Sony star eater is still persistent today, Stars are smeared out as exposure time increases, and many crowded star fields turn into weird snake/maze-like groupings). The only minor issue is some concentric ringing, but there is an easy fix for it (basically just use the histogram and expose to the left) and I also personally have never had this issue.
The Z6 I and II have the same sensor, but the Z6 I can be had for cheaper. I do not find the benefits of paying extra for the II necessary for astro, but if you plan to also shoot daytime work with the camera, you may find the better AF and second card slot of the II to be much more beneficial.
Best Budget Astrophotography Camera for Nightscape: Canon EOS 6D Mark I
DSLRs are not quite dead yet. In fact, I would argue that anyone looking to invest in a camera just for astrophotography should start off with a DSLR. In particular, when it comes to nightscape work, a full-frame camera would be great, but the mirrorless options are all expensive, even used. You would be better off saving the money by sticking to a cheaper DSLR and getting better glass up front. Fortunately, the current mirrorless offerings have made this camera particularly cheap — I am talking about the Canon EOS 6D Mark I.
The 6D is a full-frame camera with an extensive lens lineup that is hard to go wrong with. Even in 2022, this camera still shines. Despite a lack of ISO invariance and some sensor banding issues, the 20MP sensor has very low read noise. While there are some good Canon L series lenses out there that are great for astro work, I have seen better results from even cheaper 3rd party offerings such as the Sigma ARTs, Tamron, and Rokinon/Samyang glass which are all available for EF mount.
I have seen this camera dip below the $300 mark on used forums. You can also keep an eye open for the Nikon D610 which offers ISO invariance and access to the same 3rd party glass, but it is slightly more expensive sitting at around $500.
Best Astrophotography Camera for Deep Space: Multiple Choices
Choosing a deep-space camera is a whole other ballgame than nightscape. Deep space cameras need to be paired appropriately with the right Optical Tube Assembly (OTA) for appropriate sampling. If you are undersampling, it means the camera is not capturing the full resolution the telescope is able to provide. Oversampling occurs when light is spread over more pixels than required to reach the full resolution, which can result in much longer integration times than necessary. Sounds confusing? No worries, check out this online calculator which makes it easy to figure out.
Also, remember what I was saying above about how higher resolution sensors require better optics? This is a case for oversampling. There are also mono cameras and full-color cameras — those are discussed in depth in my astrophotography tutorial.
The bottom line is it would be inappropriate for me to recommend one camera over the other with so many factors at play. Instead, I am going to recommend a few of my choices as well as the community favorites which vary in price, sensor size, color, or mono which should hopefully make it easier for you to decide.
For Micro 4/3 chip sizes, I am going for the ZWO ASI294MC Pro for color, and the ZWO ASI1600MM Pro for Mono. Both have low read noise, cooling, and pair nicely with wider focal length telescopes to capture bigger targets. I have noticed some amp glow with the 294MC, but this is fixed easily by proper calibration frames.
The ASI294MC Pro color camera (left) and the ZWO ASI1600MM Pro monochrome camera (right).
For APS-C, the ZWO ASI2600 series (the ASI2600MC Pro color camera and ASI2600MM Pro mono camera) is hard to go wrong with. Both have very low read noise and high quantitative efficiency with the color sitting at 80% and the mono at an impressive 91%. Both are cooled of course.
The ASI2600MC Pro color camera (left) and the ASI2600MM Pro monochrome camera (right).
Stepping up to full frame is very demanding for deep space. It requires you have an OTA which is capable of filling a full-frame image circle, and you are ensuring you are sampling properly. Both ZWO and QHY implement the 62MP Sony IMX455 sensor in their top of the deep space cameras, but the ZWO has more driver support and is slightly cheaper. The ZWO ASI6200MC Pro is the color camera while the ZWO ASI6200MM Pro is the mono variant of the chip.
The ZWO ASI6200MC Pro color camera (left) and the ZWO ASI6200MM Pro monochrome camera (right).
Best Budget Astrophotography Camera for Deep Space: Nikon D5300 / Canon Rebel T3i
Fear not, deep space can still be done on a tight budget with more simplicity if these dedicated astro cameras are not for you yet! The Nikon D5300 and Canon Rebel T3i are hard to pass up. Spec and age-wise, you are probably questioning these cameras, but these DSLRs still rock! Both can be had with an astro mod already complete all for less than $300 and are widely compatible across the board with capture software and adapters for OTA hardware.
In deep space, accurate tracking is far more important than the camera itself, so you would be better off splurging on a good mount and saving some money on the camera if you are heavily budget restricted. These cameras will get great results and are fan favorites in the community with a ton of support. My first ever DSLR was a T3i and I can still vouch for how it got me into astrophotography in the first place.
Best Astrophotography Camera for Planetary and Solar/Lunar: ZWO ASI174MM
Planetary cameras shoot a lot differently than the deep space offerings mentioned above. They do not need cooling and large sensors. Instead, smaller sensors and high FPS are important specs. This is because these targets are imaged much differently than with deep space. Read my complete astrophotography guide for more info on how to do so.
Just like deep space cameras, there is a little bit of figuring out you need to do to match your camera with your OTA. You may also need to add in a Barlow (hardware that crops your field of view) to achieve the correct scaling.
Before we get started with my recommendations, however, I just need to note that ZWO just announced 3 new cameras at the time of writing. But, these cameras are not available to the masses yet and as a result, I have no way of knowing how capable they actually are. It would be wrong for me to recommend gear just based on specs alone without any use, so as a result this article is based on what is currently available. Down the road, these might be adjusted to reflect the new cameras, so stay tuned!
The ZWO ASI174 is a favorite in this field. It offers a 164 FPS capture speed, which is outstanding for planetary, solar, lunar, and even as an autoguider for deep space shooters. This is a fantastic all-around camera. But, it is a monochrome camera which may be a little tougher for beginner use. For that reason, I would also recommend the ZWO ASI385MC which has a slightly slower maximum capture rate of 120 FPS, but features a full-color sensor and is slightly cheaper. Take note however that sometimes capturing planetary data in color may be difficult due to atmospheric dispersion.
Final Thoughts
The ludicrously expensive and complicated barrier of entry into astrophotography is a thing of the past. The impressive capabilities of cameras today can be had for cheaper than ever before, and even older tech still does an excellent job for those looking to save a few bucks.
Software too has been improved so much that even using dedicated astro cameras does not require a degree in astronomy, and the variation of many different types of cameras is proof that you can shoot just about anything under the sun… or the stars… or even the sun itself. Ha!
About the author: Daniel J. Stein is a passionate nightscape photographer working full-time in New Jersey in his family’s commercial plumbing contracting business. The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. You can find more of Stein’s work on his website and Instagram.
