Buying my first camera for night sky photos

4 years 5 months ago #677520 by AstroNate
Hello, I'm not very knowledgeable at all with cameras and photography, so I was hoping to find out a little more on what kind of camera/what spec(s) I should look for to take just fairly decent photos of a starry night sky. I'm planning on going to a dark sky park soon, and like I said I don't really need like a top-of-the-line camera, I just want something good enough to take some pictures with a little better quality than what my phone would give, and be able to see the stars in the photos clearly, that isn't real super expensive. Thanks!


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4 years 4 months ago #677531 by Nikon Shooter
You have apparently a limited budget that should take you
to ambitions closer to infinity… is that right?

Fairly decent photos of a starry night sky… with a little better
quality than what my phone… is that right?

Able to see the stars in the photos clearly, that isn't real super
expensive… what is your budget?

Definitely, you are contemplating 24+ MP, that shouldn't be too
difficult to find used. What focal length are you planning to use?

Light is free… capturing it is not!
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4 years 4 months ago #677561 by garyrhook
Define "super expensive"?

Any entry level DSLR and a decent tripod will allow you to capture photos of the stars. Or mirrorless, or micro 4/3s, or... A larger sensor gives you better response to low light, as well as a wider angle of view.

You can buy a used system and save some money, but older sensors may not perform as well as newer sensors.

In other words, you have two competing goals here. But a modest DSLR and wide lens will likely run you several hundred dollars. That's the price of the entry point.


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