Best Camera for Astrophotography | 2024

The best cameras for astrophotography are an essential tool for a challenging discipline. Photographing the night-sky can be a wondrous thing, and it’s very possible that once you get the bug for it, you’ll be hooked for life. However, getting an image that shows off the night sky can be a tricky thing – it requires patience and technical precision. You can’t just point upwards and hope for the best. 

So, we’ve picked out the cameras that will make it a little easier for you to capture fantastic astro images. Whether you choose to shoot with the camera mounted to a telescope for deep-sky imaging, or just plan to use a tripod in your back garden, these are the best cameras to buy.

Ideally when picking an astrophotography camera, you want something with a nice big sensor that can deliver crisp, clean images in low light. You want access to plenty of wide-aperture lenses, and to be able to shoot in RAW format for post-processing. Many will point to a full-frame mirrorless camera or DSLR as being the best pick, and we’ve included plenty of these in the guide. However, if you’re on a budget, this may not be practical, so we’ve also added a few smaller-sensor cameras that punch above their weight. Finally, for those with deeper pockets looking for something more premium, medium format cameras with their extra-large sensors can produce absolutely spectacular astro imagery if handled correctly. 

Read on as we help you get started with the best cameras for astrophotography…

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Best Mirrorless Camera for Astrophotography

We’ve started out by looking at mirrorless cameras, which offer a lot to the prospective astro shooter. Lightweight but powerful, modern mirrorless cameras run the gamut from top-end pro shooters to smaller, more entry-level models. Mirrorless cameras tend to be very versatile, great both for starry sky images and deep-sky shooting. With big ranges of lenses and the latest up-to-date features, a mirrorless camera is an excellent place to start when it comes to astrophotography.

We’ve included a few different options in this part of the guide. A full-frame sensor is fantastic if you can get it, and we’ve made sure to pick some full-frame options that are relatively sensibly priced. However, it isn’t the be-all and end-all, and there are some cameras with smaller sensors that offer a lot of creative extra features for astrophotographers. So, we’ve included more to get you thinking about what you might need.

Pros:

• Broad dynamic range
• Does well at high ISOs
• Very good battery life (and can run indefinitely off USB power)

Cons:

• Menu system can be complex
  
  

This isn’t the newest camera in Sony’s A7 line, with the A7 IV having made its debut a couple of years ago. However, the main upgrades in the A7 IV were a higher-res sensor (which astro shooters don’t necessarily want) and a more sophisticated autofocus system (which astro shooters don’t particularly need). So, the cheaper A7 III is probably going to be the better choice for a lot of astrophotographers. 

With impressive dynamic range and excellent high-ISO performance, the Sony A7 III delivers the goods when it comes to night-sky photography. Previous generations of Sony cameras were infamous for “eating” stars – smoothing them out with over-zealous noise reduction – but this issue seems to have been largely corrected by the introduction of the A7 III. With dual card slots, the A7 III gives you a way to ensure your shots are backed up in the event of card corruption, and its batteries last extremely well.

Pros:

• Beautiful clear images
• USB-C hot charging
• 3.2-inch touchscreen

Cons:

• Screen not fully articulating
  
  

The original Nikon Z6 was a pretty excellent astrophotography camera, its full-frame sensor producing gorgeous images with excellent clarity, even in low light. The Z6 II is all that and more, with the addition of a few sensible upgrades, probably the most welcome of which is the additional SD card slot. Some reviewers felt it could have been a more comprehensive update from the Z6, but a lot of the things that were left unchanged (such as the cropped 4K video) aren’t too much of a bother for astro shooters.

With 24MP of resolution, the Z6 II is a more sensible choice for astrophotography than its high-res sibling, the Z7 II. It benefits from an absolutely superb range of lenses in the form of Nikon’s Z-mount – the S-line lenses in particular include a number of standout optics that are great for astro. Plus, you can use the FTZ mount adapter to field F-mount DSLR lenses too. 

Best DSLR Camera for Astrophotography

DSLRs have been beloved by astrophotographers for many, many years now, and there’s no reason not to consider them just because mirrorless has become the more popular format. A good full-frame or APS-C DSLR will capture fantastic images of the night sky, and their rugged bodies are well-suited to withstand a night spent out in a dewy field – which you’ll likely be doing plenty of if you catch the astro bug.

We’ve focused on full-frame DSLRs in this section of the round-up (check out our budget section below for an APS-C suggestion). While Canon and Nikon are the big dogs in the DSLR world, don’t count out Pentax, as their DSLRs contain a few clever astro-focused features that could make them the superior choice if you’re serious about star-shooting. Though then again, you may prefer the broader lens ranges of Canon EF or Nikon F. It’s a tricky choice!

Pros:

• Unique astrotracer system
• Body-illumination LEDs
• Good high-ISO performance

Cons:

• Big and heavy, even by DSLR standards
• Lens range not as big as Canon/Nikon
  
  

Pentaxians have something to boast about with the K-1 Mark II, and it’s something that got astrophotographers very excited indeed when it was first announced – astrotracer. This is a clever shooting mode that uses the K-1 Mark II’s GPS, compass and accelerometers to triangulate the camera’s position relating to the night sky. Then, it uses the built-in 5-axis Sensor Shift Shake Reduction system to compensate for the rotation of the Earth and track the movements of stars across the sky. With Astrotracer, it’s possible to take five-minute exposures of the night sky and get pin-point stars rather than smeared trails. 

In use, the system works really well, and gives much better night-sky shots than you’d get without it. Also useful for astro shooters are the LED-illuminated body points, allowing you to see and operate the camera’s controls even in the middle of a field on a pitch-black night.

Pros:

• Great-looking high-res images
• Excellent ISO range
• Backlit buttons

Cons:

• On the hefty side
  
  

It may be more than six years old now, but frankly, the king stays the king. The Nikon D850 is a powerhouse of an astro camera that captures brilliantly detailed images and handles noise exceptionally well throughout its broad ISO range. One particularly brilliant feature may sound like a minor thing to everyone but an astrophotographer – the backlit buttons on the body, which allow you to see what you’re doing without needing to turn on a head torch and ruin your night vision.

The D850 is built to withstand the rigours of professional use, so it’ll cope with a little dew on a night shoot. The range of F-mount lenses is enormous, putting plenty of cracking optics at your fingertips. Newer mirrorless cameras like the Z6 II and Z7 II may deliver similar functionality in lighter bodies, but the D850 is an absolute workhorse that will always get the job done.

Best Medium Format Camera for Astrophotography

Medium format is a tricky beast when it comes to astrophotography. One on the one hand, it seems like a no-brainer – a big sensor is great for drinking in as much light as possible, and medium format cameras have some of the biggest sensors going. However, a complicating factor is lens choice – medium format systems generally offer lenses with narrower maximum apertures than full-frame, APS-C or Micro Four Thirds, robbing you of a couple of stops of light. There also tends to be fewer wide-angle lenses, the kind favoured by astrophotographers for capturing sumptuous vistas of the night sky.

Still, it’s more than possible to capture utterly stunning night-sky imagery with a medium format camera if you know what you’re doing. A search online for astro shots with either of the cameras in this section of our list will reveal some absolutely superb results. 

Pros:

• Excellent image quality 
• Stellar high-ISO performance
• Retains an incredible level of detail in highlights

Cons:

• Limited selection of wide-angle lenses
• Unforgiving level of detail, highlighting imperfections
• Huge file sizes due to high-resolution
  
  

The Fujifilm GFX 100 II is a powerhouse of a medium format camera, offering exceptional image quality and stellar high-ISO performance. With its impressive resolution, it captures an extraordinary level of detail, especially in highlights, making it an excellent choice for photographers, even in challenging low-light conditions like night-sky shooting. While its huge number of pixels might not seem ideal at first for astrophotography, the detail retention at high ISO settings will give any astro enthusiast pause. 

The GFX 100 II's lens range is top-tier in terms of optical quality and performance. But, its selection of wide-angle lenses is limited, which isn't ideal for astro work. Despite this, if you can adapt to the narrower perspectives, the camera’s potential for astrophotography is immense.

Pros:

• Outstanding 100MP sensor delivers incredible detail
  Exceptional dynamic range, ideal for capturing highlights and shadows
  Built-in 5-axis image stabilisation helps in low-light conditions

Cons:

• Slower autofocus compared to competitors
• Expensive, making it less attainable for hobbyists
  
  

As medium formats go, the Hasselblad X2D 100C is a great option for astrophotography. Its 100MP medium format sensor, while producing enormous file sizes, captures exceptional detail and dynamic range. This ensures both faint stars and bright celestial objects are rendered with clarity. The camera’s 5-axis image stabilisation is particularly useful for long-exposure shots, reducing camera shake in low-light conditions.

Although the X system offers a limited selection of wide-angle lenses, the available options provide superb optical quality. And, while its autofocus isn’t the fastest, this isn’t a major issue for the slower, manual focus style of astrophotography. Also, you can make use of Hasselblad’s renowned colour science which will help you capture the skies how you see them.

Best Budget Camera for Astrophotography

Getting started on a budget? Not to worry – there are plenty of cheap cameras available that will provide excellent astrophotography opportunities for a fraction of the price of a full-frame mirrorless system. It’s best to go with an interchangeable-lens camera rather than a compact if possible – being able to change lenses will afford you much more flexibility, and provide a solid upgrade path when and if you decide you’ve outgrown your budget camera. 

As such, you may prefer either a DSLR or a mirrorless camera – we’ve included one of each in this section of the guide. Entry-level cameras are generally available bundled with lenses, but the kit lenses that tend to be included in these kinds of bundles often aren’t too useful for astro. So, you may want to buy the camera body-only, and then figure out which lenses you need from there.

Pros:

• Good-sized APS-C sensor
• Lots of EF-S lenses
• Excellent value for money

Cons:

• Basic feature-set
  
  

If you’re working to an ultra-slim budget when buying an astrophotography camera, a cheap APS-C camera is a good way to maximise image quality without spending too much. The Canon EOS 2000D is one of the cheapest APS-C cameras around, and while its feature-set isn’t the most impressive, things like a basic autofocus system aren’t going to be too much of a bother for the astro shooter.

With a large selection of EF-S lenses available, the EOS 2000D allows you to put together a setup without spending too much money. It’s got fairly solid battery life, and thanks to the Wi-Fi and NFC connectivity options, you can easily connect the camera to your smartphone for remote triggering functionality. Having 24.1MP of resolution also strikes a nice balance, giving you relatively clean, noise-free images in low light while still offering enough detail for making prints. 

Pros:

• Very affordable and beginner-friendly
• Wide range of lenses

Cons:

• Smaller sensor
• Might want an extra battery
  
  

This entry-level camera naturally isn’t going to give you the same kind of results as the full-frame mirrorless shooters in our opening section – but the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV is a capable performer that’s a solid choice for learning the basics. If you’re willing to learn a bit about image stacking, you can really mitigate the disadvantage of the smaller sensor, and having access to an enormous range of lightweight Micro Four Thirds lenses gives you lots of options when it comes to crafting your setup.

The battery life is CIPA rated to 360 shots – while these estimates tend to be conservative and you’ll probably get more out of it than that, packing a spare or two for a night’s shoot wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world. The camera charges via micro USB, but be aware that it can’t be used while it’s charging.

FAQs

What are the key features to consider when selecting a camera for astrophotography?

When choosing a camera for astrophotography, consider features such as sensor size (larger is better), low-light performance (high ISO capability), manual exposure controls, long exposure capabilities, and compatibility with interchangeable lenses.

Which sensor size is best for astrophotography?

Cameras with larger sensors, full-frame and medium format, tend to perform better in astrophotography due to their ability to capture more light and detail, resulting in reduced noise and improved image quality. However, it is possible to capture stunning astro images using APS-C or Micro Four Thirds-sized sensors. 

What is the importance of ISO range in astrophotography cameras?

A wide ISO range is crucial for astrophotography as it allows you to adjust sensitivity to light. Cameras with higher ISO capabilities produce clearer images in low-light conditions, common in astrophotography settings.

Can I use a smartphone for astrophotography?

While smartphones have improved their low-light capabilities, dedicated digital cameras or DSLRs with larger sensors and manual controls are generally better suited for astrophotography due to their advanced features and image quality.

Do I need a camera with long exposure capabilities?

Yes, long exposure capability is essential for capturing faint celestial objects and creating stunning star trail images. Look for cameras that allow exposures of several minutes or even hours.

What types of lenses are recommended for astrophotography?

Wide-angle lenses with low f-numbers (wide apertures) are ideal for astrophotography, as they capture more light and a broader field of view, allowing you to capture the night sky and its intricate details.

Can I use a camera with a cropped sensor for astrophotography?

Cameras with cropped sensors (APS-C, Micro Four Thirds) are still capable of producing excellent astrophotography results. They might require wider lenses to capture the same field of view as full-frame cameras.

How does the camera's resolution affect astrophotography?

Higher resolution cameras capture finer details in celestial objects, but this might also lead to larger file sizes. Balancing resolution with other factors like sensor size and noise performance is essential for optimal astrophotography results.