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Old 18-06-2021, 08:22 AM
garymck (Gary)
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A new DSLR or Mirrorless?

Hi,
I currently have a Nikon D7000 camera. I don't use it much as It's way to heavy to carry for happy snaps and holiday pics (I carted it all over a trip to Turkey and swore I'd never do it again!!). I've never really used it for astro stuff as I've always had a dedicated cooled astro camera, and besides, it needs an additional special cable to be able to do exposures over 30 seconds, not just a usb.

I would like to think about moving to a new camera with a use case of 50/50 normal/astro use (astro use would be both nightscapes and DS objects. Would I gain much in astro performance with a new camera, particularly a lightweight one, that was suitable for domestic use? Or is the D7000 still good enough for decent astro use?

So if the requirements were:
light weight
good for astro
cost up to 2k

I'm not wedded to Nikon, so other brands considered, what do you think? Camera suggestions please...

cheers
Gary
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Old 18-06-2021, 08:42 AM
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mura_gadi (Steve)
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Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Canberra
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Camera compare website

Hello,

Handy little link to compare cameras below.

Sorry, I have no idea but from what I have been looking $ for $, maybe DSLR with the extra years of development, as mirrorless is still newish... But a full sensor camera at a decent pixel pitch for $1.2-$1.5k is unreal.

I have been looking at the Z5 for an intro camera. The Z5 is around $1500 depending on your kit, but I am after a full sensor camera for "newb with no idea" for around $1500 or less. From what I have read, serious people would go straight to the Z6, just 2k and under at body only.

Camera Compare:
https://www.digicamdb.com/compare/ni...s-nikon_d7000/

Try astrophotography sites that allow you to choose the camera used, telescope aperture, f ratio's etc. Look at your top 6 objects taken with a similar scope and the D7000, then try the 2k upgrade camera option and see if its worth the price of entry.



Steve
Ps. The Nikon Z series also does a full spectrum camera UV-IR which looks awesome, no idea how much extra for the function. (the pictures of flowers at UV-Visible-IR are incredible, makes you realise why insects use both)

Pps. The Z5 compares well to the old nikon-d610 but with new generation benefits.

"The bigger the pixel pitch, the further apart they are and the bigger each pixel is. Bigger pixels tend to have better signal to noise ratio and greater dynamic range" - The Z5 has a 25% larger pixel pitch, the Z series is full sensor so 133% larger than the D7000 and 10 years newer. Ten years is an eon in computer/electronic terms...

The reason I base most of my cameras off the D610 was from a youtube video on $6000 v $600 worth of astro gear. Well worth a watch and considering they had tracking issues with the $600 it compares surprisingly well imo.

Last edited by mura_gadi; 22-06-2021 at 06:34 AM.
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Old 27-06-2021, 08:03 AM
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gregbradley
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For nightscapes the Z6 from Nikon is the one that is most highly rated.
Any lens will adapt to Nikon. A big plus.

Sony A7111 also does well but there were some reports of the vignette correction leaving hexagonal zones in the image. Turn it off.

I use a Sony A7r111 which is still an amazing camera and Canon EOS R(a) (modded the same as the EOSRa). Its very good but lens selections are limited.

Canon 6Ds and 6D2's that are modded are common and a modded 6D can be had surely for $1500. I don't know that the newer cameras have advanced that much for astro. More in the conveniences like tilting back screen, magnified view for focusing and things like that. 6D2 with its tilting screen may be the go. A non tilting screen would make nightscapes and focusing very difficult.

An EVF in a mirrorless with magnified view and a tilting screen makes focusing a whole lot easier.

Don't just evaluate the camera also evaluate the lenses available.

Canon used to be king when it came to lenses now its Sony. The best lenses out there are usually Sony ones.

My Zeiss Loxia 21 F2.8 lens is about as perfect as a nightscape lens can be. But it only works on a Sony so it won't work on a Canon.

Currently Canon really relies on Sigma Art or Samyang for astro lenses.

Voigtlander APO lenses on a Nikon Z6 is pretty close to perfection at the moment. I am not sure if Voigtlander makes Canon mount versions of their lenses.

Greg.
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