DSLRs Vs Dedicated Astro Cameras
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- čas přidán 15. 12. 2020
- DSLRs or astro dedicated cameras? Astrophotographers use both to capture the night sky, and while many have their preferences, those looking to get started might wonder which type is better? We break it all down for you here! Enjoy!
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#astrophotography #dslr #intro #introtoastrophotography #vs #dedicatedastrocamera #opt #opttelescopes - Věda a technologie
Thanks, guys. Thinking of getting into astrophotography and this video (watching 3 years later) is one of the best I've seen so far. Short, but has a lot of info packed into it.
OPT is just an outstanding retailer and organization! Your image tutors and tutorials are the best! Thank you!
Thanks so much, we truly appreciate that!
Great video. Simple, quick, and informative.
Another VERY helpful video. Thank you! Both are great cameras, and you did a great job of explaining the differences between the two.
Thank you so much Ginny! As long as we help the community, provide answers and make someone's life a little less stressful with making a decision... then we did our job!
Great, detailed explanations! I appreciate this!
Very informational for us newbies, thanks!
Great job on this video!
I do already have a DSLR and will probably stick with it for multi-use convenience. Just gonna have to deal with the extra processing required. Thanks for the tips!
Its our pleasure. DSLRs can produce some amazing images as well. While dedicated astro cameras have an advantage for astrophotography, DSLRs are more than capable to capturing some really epic shots
D850 here with some really nice glass.. so i might have to stick with my DSLR also... but now i'm thinking that a dedicated Astro might be a better move.
Awesome Video Thank You!
Something you don't mention is that you CAN use an astro modified DSLR, so long as the modification is "full" spectrum and not Ha. All you simply need to do is use a UV/IR filter, either screw or clip in. I got my camera modded to "full" because the idea of IR photography interested me and I could simply use a UV filter and take those images.
thanks for the video. how do we focus the image with dedicated astro camera? thank you.
Short and all aspects covering video. Thank you, Rafal.
You're very welcome!
Lots of information for me as a newbie. Seen a guy somewhere on CZcams using his DSLR hooked up to a laptop for an imaging session. Not sure how to do it .Many thanks for the video.
Love this content keep em comin'!
Thanks IAN!!! OPT misses you
Not a fair comparison. Both have vastly different price tags which is the biggest deciding factor for most people in this hobby. You can buy a cheap second hand DSLR which has a larger sensor that can give superior images than a brand new small censor ZWO camera. DSLRs are perfectly fine at doing astrophotography, this isn't the 90s, tech has come a long way. Anyone struggling with a 500 gram DSLR has bigger issues with their focuser and mount.
A great video there, but I didn't notice anything about cost difference. In the UK, I can purchase a used astro-modified DSLR for less than £250, cheaper if I was brave enough to do this myself, but cooled dedicated astrocams are generally much more expensive. I would also say that in my experience, I need to take flat frames for each session, but if there is not much temperature variance between imaging nights, then darks and bias frames are not really required for every night ( just use previous night's calibration frames). Dedicated cooled astro cams will always require flat frames same as DSLR's. Keep the great videos coming guys 👍
Great comparison between DSLRs and astronomy cameras...personally for me, the jump up to an astronomy camera took my astrophotography to a brand new level!
Its a total game changer! Sure it's a little more work, but the pay off is 100% worth it
Good comparison. But, although you mentioned that already owning a DSLR or mirrorless you might just want to use it since you have it. So, what about thousands of dollars of glass you have with it? In my case a GH5, and about 10 or so lenses. Is it possible to use a camera lens with an astrocamera? My camera lenses give me flexible focal lengths I do not get with my C8 or other telescopes. If I move to an astrophotography dedicated camera, can I somehow mount my micro four thirds lenses and continue using them for astrophotography and have the best of both worlds?
Really pleased to have found this channel as I'm keen to try some astrophotography for the first time, BUT, you keep showing a mirrorless Lumix (I have a G85)---while talking about DSLRs. I have read elsewhere; with considerable disappointment, that the Lumix isn't so good for astrophotography and was thinking of getting a secondhand Canon Rebel specifically for this. Help! (much appreciated)
Great comparison
I'm shooting very happily with a Canon ESO Ra, but am having a hard time finding a second one. (BTW, Your info about limitations to filters with a DSLR is not at all in line with my experience...my t-bracket is threaded, so I use all my L.P. filters easily) Besides the noise can you help me understand why I should make the switch to a OSC??
Do you know of a infrared sensitive camera
that will live output in HDMI to a computer
monitor without using a laptop? I need one
for live viewing the moon, Jupiter, Saturn
ext.. i already have 1.25" ir pass filters
Great video!!! I plan on making the jump to a dedicated astronomy camera next year!
Its a total game changer! Its a tad more work, and a slight learning curve, but the pay off is worth it 500x over
@@OPTTelescopes Excellent! I am leaning towards the ASI294MC Pro or the ASI533MC Pro.
What would you recommend to pair with a WO Redcat 51?
Very informative!
Thank you so much Stacey!!
Informative👍👍👍
Good comparison with DSLR & dedicated astrophotography camera, my personal point of view is DSLR you can use it as a stand-alone camera for astrophotography, the downside is of caused been explained in the video, but using an dedicated astrophotography camera you will required a full set of supporting equipment liked laptops, power supplies and filter wheels etc. The whole set up is not only very complicated and only meant to be used by season astrophotographers, and is not very user friendly comp[ares to DSLR. I personally would prefer modified DSLR body with infrared filter removed, because DSLR is a stand alone camera.
But nevertheless, if we astronomers will be able to create an astrophotography camera with stand alone features like the DSLR, I believed this will be a welcomed sign for all of us, may be I should go to the drawing board and start to design my own stand alone astrophotography camera with WIFI control by smartphone or laptop instead of laptop which is heavier and not too easy to carry around.
More videos? Yes!
What is the name (model) of the astro camera which is used in this video ?
What did i get myself into this time...
What kind of external battery do u recommend?
Thank you for this video. It was very informative. I have a potentially stupid question: If you DON'T have a Telescope or even a tracking mount, is the Astro camera completely useless? Asking because I currently use my DSLR on a tripod and with a 300mm telephoto lens, taking short exposures and adjusting every few minutes. It's hard work and I do get good results, but not too great. I was wondering if an Astro camera work WITHOUT a telescope. Even for some widefield shots.
Is the dedicated Astro cam completely useless? Yesn't. I don't have one of these with cooling, but I got a cheaper, but still similar one for something called Autoguiding. I have a really small lens for it, which can be used mainly for Meteor showers or when star trail pictures are a main goal. So they can't be used without a tracker. The question is, if you plan to do astroimaging, what's the point? DSLR's are great, dedicated cameras are expensive as hell and mainly help when all your other gear is already where it should be. It's a good upgrade to maximase picture quality, signal to noise ratio and step your game up. Without a telescope it would be quite hard to find some good/useful lenses for it. And without a tracking mount it's just wasted money. If you want to advance in astrophotography I can tell you this: Go as far as you can with your DSLR. Start upgrading everything else first. If you are on a really tight budget and rather on "only occasionally" photographer I can wholeheartedly recommend you an Omegon mini track Lx3. It's an mechanical star tracker (don't need battery) and with around 200€ pretty cheap, you will get much much much better results with you cam this way and don't need an telescope, just your lens. There are ofc better Star trackers, like the IOptron and Star Watcher ones, if you wanna go more serious down the line (they can carry small telescopes or can be used with telephoto lens). I started of like you, with nothing but a DSLR. Now I've got some heavy gear rig and still use my good o'l DSLR. I can also generally advise: always do as wide field at possible (at the point where you are) so you can keep exposures longer. A fixed lens might be beneficial, the nifty fifty (Canon 50mm EF lens) is very cheap, but gives great results. Also you can upgrade you DSLR down the line by Astro modification (taking the built in IR filter out), so the camera is more sensitive for H-Alpha Nebula. Can be done by services or by yourself (modified mine by myself, took some 6 hours, but worth it). So in conclusion: is it completely useless? No. Is it nonsensical? Absolutely. Spending over a thousand on gear that one can't use properly just doesn't make sense.
If you have any questions left, feel free to ask.
I just want to bring up a small video or still on my Macbook Pro as I am viewing. Watch while I scan the skies. No, competition, no mine looks better than yours! No just have family and friends over or my wife and I seeing creation as it is happening on my Celestion 9.25 EdgeHD
What budget camera is best for great viewing? The scope is expensive enough. 😄
Thank you for answering pleaae
I’m looking at purchasing an astro camera, but don’t want to spend too much ( I’m stage 5 renal failure ) and it’ll be short term use. What cost range would I need to get a good photo? Can anyone recommend something a beginner can afford and use easily enough? Thanks
How does someone thumbs down this? It was informative!
polaroid users maybe?
Likely a bot or an accident xD
Could be turned off by the over simplifications, but honestly if you aren’t a technical expert this would be a very informative video.
Maybe because both cameras are made in Communist China and therefore $ goes to support genocide, mass sterilization and concentration camps like an Asian Nazi Germany. (According to the US State Dept, CDN and UK Governments and CNN and many more sources.
@@bryandixon4071 Over simplifications and exaggerations
2:39 How does a person connect a DSLR to a Losmandy & Vixen dual dovetail saddle?
For example to the ZWO AM5.
Intresting Comparision 👍🔭
Thanks!!!
This guy is good. Real good.
Does anyone know if an I use a ZWO with Mac?
Did i miss my question ? Can i plug one of these red cameras into a Canon or Nikon lens?
I have a question. I am starting astrophotography and i want to capture deep sky objects like andromeda galaxy. Which one is better?
if youre starting out, dont even think... better yet dont even look at dedicated astronomy cameras. They are an entirely new league of Astrophotography.
Start with a DSLR, a lens and maybe an EQ mount.
For Deep Sky Astrophotography..which is better? Mirrorless APS-C or Mirroeless Full frame ?
Very few telescopes will illuminate a full frame camera.
How can i connect zwo with macbook?
If anyone know please comment below
I’m a beginner guys please help me out
How about eclipse photography?
What's the price of this dedicated camera?
The cooling, and especially mono astro dedicated cameras are great.
BUT, what many people don't mention is: You can get extremely similar results in quality with a modded DSLR vs astro dedicated OSC. The difference is way smaller than many seem to believe.
If you are starting out and want to save some money - 100% go with a DSLR and modify it, you will be surprised. Especially as a beginner you won't be limited by the camera, but rather your tracking and skills to edit your images.
Don't be fooled to think you NEED to go astro-dedicated for amazing deep sky imaging. The only thing you need is proper calibration frames and enough integration time with proper settings, as well as the most important one: Have your DSLR modified to remove the stock uv/ir-cut filter.
You don't mention the make and model of your telescope. It appears to be an 8" newtonian with a focal length of 1000mm. The softness of your images with the ASI2600MC is probably due to the significant oversampling due to its small pixel size, 3.75um. A better size for the focal length is actually the cheaper D700's 8.42um.
If not using a Telescope and just a variety of lenses how would you use a astro dedicated camera
you... dont. You can use cctv lenses on some ZWO cameras but thats about it.
You could just use different software than LR that can handle noise better and use automation like zapier and literally just click 1 button. Processing takes slightly longer than straight out of camera however if you're accounting for storage, filing and backup automation is way faster.
Connect Memory Card - Zapier (1 time automation setup) - Photoshop/Topaz Ai (1 time setup action) - Done.
At the Zapier level you can run an alternate path simultaneously to backup files upon download. Basically save to PC, Google drive, Google photo, LR and Dropbox at the same time with 1 click while it runs your editing software for Denoise and custom Astro Action, save low res for web, save hi res for backup and store to multiple cloud or hard storage locations even down to folder allocations while you sip coffee and read a book. You're basically off-loading your custom workflow to automation.
can i have that red one please
One advantage of DSLRs with APS-C or Full frame, that similar sized sensors on an astro camera is also astronomically more expensive. So if you want the same size of sky captured as your DSLR, make sure you have a thick wallet.
By the time you buy a DSLR and get it modded, it cost even more then buying a dedicated astro cam. Which is already full spectrum sensitive and has 3-4x better quantum efficiency with much much less noise. Not to mention, a dedicated astro cam weighs 5x less and can shoot continuously with no buffering in between Images letting you capture twice the amount of data in the same amount of time. I started out with a R5TI, then a bought a 60da, I finally got an ASI071 pro color camera and I felt like an idiot for not just getting a dedicated astro cam to start. They are an absolute leap forward in performance and quality of images. If a DSLR is what you have, they get you in the game, but they do not hold a candle to dedicated astro cam for speed, performance and quality.
@@guitargod1882able that's a lie though, you can just get a used dslr like a canon t3i or canon 60d for 200-300 and mod it yourself for free or have someone mod it for you for an extra 100 bucks. Then you have an Astro modified camera which is like 1000 then you need a computer with you at all times, more gear for it to work well, and programs which is a lot of work for a beginner and overall, not a good option
H-Alpha mod on the DSLR/M only needs WB shift. Easy!
I have the 23 year models mirrorless😊
I'm using a GH5 because, as you say, that's the camera I have. I know it's not the best as it's infamous for high noise at higher ISO's. I prefer to go to a dark /darker site, and though I'm interested in the ZWO cameras, the thought of taking a camera and a laptop with 1-hour battery life at best, or camera/ASIair/iPad and then finding a way to power them seems a bit much right now. My backyard is not terrible but the neighbor has this crazy bright LED light with no cover or direction. It should be a crime.
We think its always important to make the best from what we have, Your GH5 is more than capable of getting some great images. As far as noise is concerned, just be sure to capture more images for stacking, as well as your darks and bias calibration frames. That should help dramatically.
You can always use the ZWO camera at home with the right filters like the Radian Triad Ultra or L-eXtreme!
Idea for next video - “how to use your Astro camera with regular lenses” 😂😂😂
A down side to a dedicated astro cam is spending $2500 on a camera that constantly leaks oil onto the sensor.
👍👍👍
Modded my DSLR. I did not like the experience... really scarry and hard... but damn... for nebula, you don't have choice. MAke my pic second level!
I have a cooled canon 60D central DS and im wondering what ugrade will be worth for my kit camera wise..
Check out Astro Cameras.
DSLR favours greatly portability and your wallet. Like any specialist pursuit, the further you go the more expensive it is, the smaller the return - think racing cars, from your paddock basher all the way through to F1.
Name is cannon rebel t100 from walmart 😮
Technically the lumix is a mirrorless camera, not a DSLR 8-)
i want to get a camera that can work with my projector to put the sky over me onto my ceiling. i would love to see a meteor shower or a thunderstorm in the safety and comfort of my home. Thank you
ASI2600 : 2000$
EOS CANON XXXD : 500$
I would have a astro camera, but I have'nt enough money for that...
It kinda bugs me that he is talking about a DSLR all the the but keeps showing a mirrorless camera 🤬
Seriously, don’t try to modify your DSLR yourself. I tried. I broke it. And I bought a ASI2600 instead.
You guys left out almost all of the advantages of a dedicated astro cam. No buffering in between images, calibration frames last forever other then flats.2- 3 times higher quantum efficiency for much lower noise readout. 5x lighter on your image train. Not to mention they are just as affordable as any of the good DSLRs now days. Even a non cooled dedicated astro cam which is in the $500-$800 range will smash a DSLR in a shoot out any day if the weak. There's no comparison really. I wish I would have just gotten one to start and not waisted my time and money on a DSLR for sure.
Thanks for the feedback! You listed some great benefits of dedicated astro cameras. We wanted to focus on benefits that can be easily understood by the casual DSLR owner. That would exclude things like calibration frames, quantum efficiency, and other more technical terminology. But they are all benefits in themselves as well.
My D3400 body weighs less than 400g. The lightest zwo asi is 60g, the heaviest is over 700g. Most asi cams are somewhere around 230g - 550g. If your mount is sensitive to a 400g difference then there is something seriously wrong with your mount / focuser. And the old "dont exceed 50% of your mounts payload for Astrophotography" myth was never true to begin with btw.
You can not beat a DSLR when it comes to ease of use and amount of things you can use it for. Realize that beginners and even some of the best use DSLR's. If youre being bottlenecked by a DSLR then go ahead and switch, but 95% of the time that wont happen. Calibration frames should be re-done periodically.
What would a beginner do if you give em a Rokinon 135mm, an asi183pm, a tripod and a SA GTI? Right, theyre not gonna do anything due to not being able to in the first place. Out in the field theyre gonna need a car battery with bms, an inverter, power adapters, an eq mount, a scope, etc. While for beginners, DSLR is used Body + Lens + Tripod (optional) + Tracker (optional).
Master the simple before taking on the advanced.
Someone got a tinder notification on that phone
Astronerds need love too :)
My guy im 13 and i did the IR mod its not that difficult. 😂 anyone with a braincell and 2 hands and 2 evenings can do it with no problems 😀👍
You missed the most obvious difference: a DSLR will cost 1/4 of the dedicated unit. Game over, thanks for playing.