total solar eclipse. Our offices will reopen on April 11th at 10:00 AM local time. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Recommended Astrophotography and Nightscape Cameras.
What makes a great Astrophotography and/or Nightscape Camera?
What should you look for when choosing a modified astrophotography camera? We have a few recommendations and suggestions for you. As the old saying goes, "The best camera is the one you have with you." Well, we have more specific and detailed recommendations when considering which camera to purchase or have modified as an astrophotography camera.
Most important is build quality. Why spend hard earned money on something that will not last or won't handle everyday use. Or, with astrophotography, your camera must hold up to cold temperatures, long exposures, high ISO settings, prolonged use requiring larger battery capacity, specific functions for mirror vibration control and noise reduction, etc... Most major manufacturers produce great camera models but some are better than others. Simply said, weight comparative to size is one somewhat reliable way to determine if the camera is mostly plastic or if it was manufactured with more metal construction. Also, in most cases, you pay for what you get. You can't realistically expect a $300 camera to produce equivalent quality images as a $4000 camera. Personal budget is a consideration as well. We recommend buying a camera that you can afford but without cutting corners on quality.
Functionality limitations are a problem with some cameras. You don't want to spend money on a modification/conversion or camera only to be frustrated with the results because it doesn't perform well when shooting long exposures at high ISO settings. For instance, some cameras won't work very well with custom white balance settings after being modified. Some are very "noisy" when capturing long exposures. Some have limitations which can affect the use of RAW files and its ability to retain accurate white balance info/settings when importing to Lightroom, Camera RAW or Photoshop. Some cameras have built-in design flaws that cause problems for long exposures and/or high ISO settings. Others work seamlessly in almost every circumstance and almost never cause headaches when shooting or post processing.
Obviously, a camera brand that has a complete line of high quality and fully supported lenses or adaptability of quality lenses is important for nightscapes. Lens selection is less of a consideration if you plan to use your camera only attached to a telescope. Remaining functionality as a "normal" daytime camera is a consideration. Electronic viewfinder vs. optical viewfinder is something to consider. Articulating LCD, battery capacity, availability of accessories, software compatibility, lack of built-in functions, white balance capabilities, Wi-Fi and/or USB compatibility, etc... There are many other factors that need to be considered when choosing which camera is best for you. Over the years we have tested almost every make and model, kept notes and test results, considered personal preference and likability, and have compiled a list of the more recent camera models that we recommend for astrophotography and/or nightscape use. We strongly recommend choosing from our Highly Recommended section when selecting a camera for astrophotography or nightscape use. (* = Recommended for Telescope Prime Focus use.)
NEW!! The Sony A7R series cameras (I, II, III, IV, and V) are now Highly recommended for Visible + H-Alpha modification but still Not Recommended for FULL SPECTRUM. They have a design flaw that will create an infrared light leak after a FULL SPECTRUM modification has been performed. It will not cause any negative issues if modified with the Visible + H-Alpha internal filter option. Our new Visible + H-Alpha filter technology and our new techniques for modifying these Sony A7R Series models will allow Visible + H-Alpha modifications with ZERO negative light bleeding results!
Spencer's Camera & Photo now offers reinstallation of the Sensor Cleaning/Dust Reduction System for most Camera models . Simply select the re-installation option within the internal filter section when ordering your conversion/camera and the cleaning system will be reinstalled during the conversion process.
****The Dust Reduction System of most camera models is removed during the conversion process but can be reinstalled for an additional charge. If you don't opt to have the system reinstalled please be sure to disable this function within the settings of your camera. Failure to do so may result in a temporary camera error. If your camera displays a Dust Reduction System error you can still disable the function within the camera menu .****
Highly recommended Astrophotography and Nightscape cameras:
These cameras are proven to be the best models because of excellent performance at high ISO, long exposures, overall build quality, compatibility with software and accessories, built-in functionality, battery capacity, and expandability. For the best astrophotography results and performance we recommend that you choose from this list :
- Canon EOS Digital Rebel SL2 *
- Canon EOS Digital Rebel SL3*
- Canon EOS Digital Rebel T6i *
- Canon EOS Digital Rebel T6s *
- Canon EOS Digital Rebel T7i *
- Canon EOS Digital Rebel T8i *
- Canon EOS 70D *
- Canon EOS 77D *
- Canon EOS 80D *
- Canon EOS 90D*
- Canon EOS 6D *
- Canon EOS 6D Mark II *
- Canon EOS 5D Mark II *
- Canon EOS 5D Mark III *
- Canon EOS 5D Mark IV *
- Canon 5DS *
- Canon 5DS-R *
- Canon EOS 7D Mark II *
- Canon EOS M6 *
- Canon EOS M6 Mark II *
- Canon EOS R*
- Canon EOS R5*
- Canon EOS R5C*
- Canon EOS R6*
- Canon EOS R6 Mark II*
- Canon EOS R7*
- Canon EOS R8*
- Canon EOS R10*
- Nikon D500 *
- Nikon D600 *
- Nikon D610 *
- Nikon D700*
- NIkon D750*
- Nikon D800*
- Nikon D810*
- Nikon D850*
- Nikon Z6*
- Nikon Z6 II*
- Nikon Z7*
- Nikon Z7 II*
- Nikon Z8*
- Nikon Z9*
- Pentax K-1 *
- Pentax K-S2 *
- Sony A7 *
- Sony A7 II *
- Sony A7 III *
- Sony A7 IV *
- Sony A7C *
- Sony A7R (Visible + H-Alpha Modification only)*
- Sony A7R II (Visible + H-Alpha Modification only)*
- Sony A7R III (Visible + H-Alpha Modification only)*
- Sony A7R IV (Visible + H-Alpha Modification only)*
- Sony A7R V (Visible + H-Alpha Modification only)*
- Sony A7S *
- Sony A7S II*
- Sony A7S III*
- Sony A9 *
- Sony A99 *
- Sony A99 II *
Recommended Astrophotography and Nightscape cameras:
These cameras are great but simply are not quite as good as the "Highly" recommended cameras. They may lack slightly in performance, build quality, image quality, battery capacity, or other minor reasons. For the most part they will perform very well for Astrophotography or Nightscape photography.
- Canon EOS Digital Rebel SL1 *
- Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi *
- Canon EOS Digital Rebel T3i *
- Canon EOS Digital Rebel T5i *
- Canon EOS Digital Rebel T6 *
- Canon EOS Digital Rebel T7 *
- Canon EOS 40D
- Canon EOS 50D
- Canon EOS 60D *
- Canon EOS 5D *
- Canon EOS 7D *
- Canon EOS M3
- Canon EOS M5
- Canon EOS M10
- Canon EOS RP*
- Canon 1D X
- Canon 1D X Mark II
- Fujifilm X-E2
- Fujifilm X-E2s
- Fujifilm X-T1
- Fujifilm X-T2
- Fujifilm X-T10
- Nikon D90
- Nikon D3300
- Nikon D3400
- Nikon D5000
- Nikon D5100
- Nikon D5200
- Nikon D5300
- Nikon D5500
- Nikon D5600
- Nikon D7000
- Nikon D7100
- Nikon D7200
- Nikon D7500
- Nikon Z50
- Olympus OM-D E-M1
- Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II
- Olympus OM-D E-M10
- Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II
- Olympus OM-D E-M5
- Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II
- Pentax K-30
- Sony A6000
- Sony A6300
- Sony A6500 *
- Sony NEX-7
Not recommended for FULL SPECTRUM Astro-Modification (Great for Visible + H-Alpha modification):
- Nikon D3
- Nikon D3s
- Nikon D3x
- Nikon D4
- Nikon D5
- Sony A7R
- Sony A7R Mark II
- Sony A7R Mark III
- Sony A7R Mark IV
- Sony A7R Mark V
NEW!! The Sony A7R series cameras (I, II, III, IV, and V) are now Highly recommended for Visible + H-Alpha modification but still Not Recommended for FULL SPECTRUM. They have a design flaw that will create an infrared light leak after a FULL SPECTRUM modification has been performed. It will not cause any negative issues if modified with the Visible + H-Alpha internal filter option. Our new Visible + H-Alpha filter technology and our new techniques for modifying these Sony A7R Series models will allow Visible + H-Alpha modifications with ZERO negative light bleeding results!
The cameras listed within the "Not Recommended for FULL SPECTRUM" list have a design flaw that will create an infrared light leak after a FULL SPECTRUM modification has been performed. It will not cause any negative issues if modified with the Visible + H-Alpha internal filter option. An infrared emitting sensor built into the shutter mechanism will "bleed" light onto the imaging sensor and is detectable by the sensor once it has been modified to FULL SPECTRUM Sensitive. This will cause a very poor imaging result especially when shooting long exposures with high ISO settings. We do not recommend use of these Nikon and Sony models for FULL SPECTRUM astro-modification. They are great cameras for Visible + H-Alpha modification!!
The recommended list above isn't meant to be a complete list. It's simply a list of cameras we know you can use for astrophotography and will be happy with the results. If you are considering a certain camera and have questions concerning its functionality or quality, please contact us. (Which cameras are best for Infrared Photography? Here's our recommended IR camera list: Recommended Cameras for Infrared Photography)
As always, please contact us with any questions regarding this or any other product or service we provide: info@spencerscamera.com
Order an Astro-Conversion here.
