Five Camera Astrophotography Comparison - Canon EOS R6, EOS RP, Sony a6500, Canon EOS 6D, Rebel T3i 

Thanks! I may have to do some more videos in this vein.

Thanks, man

Well said. And while I have access to the R6 whenever I want, I honestly prefer the portability of the A6500 in a lot of cases. The stabilization is noticeably better as well. You do not have to break the bank to catch shots that you'll love.

The R8 has the same sensor as the R6 Mark II. If you go with that, it’s about 1K less on cost than the R6. So getting a good lens or going with the 16mm f/2.8 RF lens, then you’d have great captures for astrophotography landscapes with a fast lens.

I'll be darned! It says EOS R right on the body, but you are correct. I opened up the files in CameraRaw and sure enough, it says EOS RP. Nice catch! It looks like the differences between the two are not entirely negligible either. While most things are the same, the actual EOS R has 30.3 MP compared to the 26.2 MP on the EOS RP. This would have been an easy thing to have noticed if I had double checked everything, but I just took the owner at his word. He works in my office, so I'll have to question him about that today 😄 Thank you for pointing this out. Good eye, my friend.

Curse Canon for the deception and the disgraceeeee! 😂 good eye indeed

Props to you for the perseverance. I think that working with what you have is a big part of learning the craft. Upgrading is so nice after you've been limited, but those limitations can stretch your creativity and really teach you how the devices work fundamentally.

I acknowledged the lens concern in the video. Again, I'm not a millionaire, I'm just a guy who had a bunch of cameras one weekend. That being said, I was able to complete a new comparison earlier this year using the same lens, so keep an eye out for that video coming soon. I've had a couple of people mention the Pentax now and how it handles stars. I'm surprised I hadn't come across that information before, but it definitely sounds like something I need to look into. Thanks for that tip.

Important question, but the answer will vary. Depending on the type of astromod you have done on your camera, there are a number of what are called "in-body filters" or "clip-filters" that can be purchased to work in place of the coatings that were removed from your camera's sensor for the modification. For the EOS RP used in my videos, I believe this is the filter shown: www.astrogear.net/products/astronomik-owb-type-3-clip-filter-eos-r-xl

The 600D is the same model featured in this video as the T3i. I did a lot of astrophotography on that camera before moving on, but it was well worth it to upgrade. If you were just getting started, I'd say keep playing around with what you have until the shortcomings drive you to want something better, but if you've already done some Milky Way and you're serious about trying out nebulae and planetary imaging, it would be time to upgrade. In both of those cases you'll need either a star tracking mount with a telephoto lens, or an autotracking telescope with a T-ring adapter. I talk about this a little bit in my Eagle Nebula Shootout video from this year. The 600D is, for the most part, going to be too noisy and too low resolution for those categories. But that doesn't mean you'll have to break the bank. A secondhand mirrorless camera, even at the APS-C size, will give you a huge leap in noise control, and will likely bring 4K video to the table, which is necessary for good planetary imaging. I went to the Sony a6500 after the 600D and loved it (still do), which you can get for under $500 in the used market right now. But there are lots of other great options out there too.

That's an interesting head to head. Some will tell you to go with the EOS R, but it really depends on your priorities. The EOS R is a full-frame sensor, while the a6500 is an APS-C or crop-sensor, which means the Canon has a larger surface area. That being said, I can tell you from experience that the a6500 does well at 24 megapixels, and in all my testing the Sony is still better at low light than the stock Canon EOS R. In daylight, you can definitely argue that Canon has the better color science, but the Sony is FAR superior at image stabilization, a major consideration if you ever plan to take pictures or videos handheld. With either camera, you'll most likely want a lens adapter at some point, so I can't really give either an advantage on lens availability, but I do like the image stability in Sony lenses better. I personally wouldn't trade my a6500 for an EOS R, but for people who must have full-frame, I understand why they would.

Great question, but the answer is a little involved. I inherited an astronomy telescope a few years ago and eventually purchased a T-ring adapter for connecting a DSLR. Honestly, with just a basic telescope and a professional camera, you can get some excellent shots. But I still wanted to take it further, so I eventually upgraded to an 8-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope (the focal length equivalent is about 2000mm). Lastly, I began using image stacking software (Registax) to combine detail data from dozens of photos in order to produce the extremely high detail photo you saw at the end of the video. Maybe at some point I'll have to post a quick tutorial on how to do all of that, because it really is a lot simpler than you might think.

@@DesmondButler i thought the picture was taken with a very expensive camera with a good lens. But now, after your answer, everything makes sense. I think i need to buy a telescope. Thanks for your elaborated answer and time. Greetings from Chile.

@@songomis8326 Very happy to have helped! Good luck with capturing your moon shot!

You could certainly try it out, but it may not produce the results you want given the age of that sensor. With the low megapixel count and low maximum ISO, its going to have a really hard time with details at night. I'd still be curious to see what it could do, but keep my expectations low. For the kind of astrophotography we discuss in the video, a telephoto lens is not ideal though. You'd definitely want a wide lens for exposing the milky way for multiple seconds.

Streaking is dependent on focal length. With a wide lens, you can expose for a longer duration. The images from cameras that capture more light will definitely look more washed out at the raw unedited stage, but those images produce dramatically more dynamic range, which is always the end goal. Once edited, the brighter images will exhibit far more detail in the most difficult to resolve areas like the gas and dust clouds of the Milky Way.

That looks like a pretty nice astrophotography scope. This video was about shooting wide for Milky Way, but I also did a comparison of nebula shots using a telescope: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-zZRckgZGfcc.htmlsi=Tc97Xe7fquSrLmeO Though I'm thinking your scope is probably better for photography than what I used 😅

I love that Sony offers a bunch of lenses with OSS for when I'm taking portraits or video, but obviously for astrophotography, stabilization isn't important. The two lenses I use most are the Sony E 16mm F2.8 (colloquially referred to as the "pancake" lens), and the Rokinon 12mm F2.0 NCS CS Ultra Wide for maximum field of view. The large aperture on that Rokinon is really awesome for gathering tons of light at multiple exposure lengths, and you can typically find one used for a very decent price.

Hey Mr Christianson, I think I remember you trying to learn more about this almost a year ago. I tried to explain this briefly in the video at about the 2:33 mark, but you can also learn more about it in depth here: www.spencerscamera.com/astro-conversions.cfm

As mentioned in the video, I tried my best to keep everything the same. Of the Canon cameras, only the 6D would not accept the EF-S lens as is, so I used a substitute with a narrower maximum aperture. To your second question, unlike other brands, Canon handles this automatically when it detects the lens type. Of course, this does result in a lower pixel count, but the R models still performed well in this comparison in spite of that. Thanks for the question.

@@DesmondButler Yes the R bodies automatically change to crop mode for the EF-S lens, but the R6 becomes an 8MP and the R becomes 12MP, only 40% of the resolution and you lose the full frame advantage for reduction in noise. I have shot astro with the rebel T7i, 6D, R & R6 and there is no comparison between the rebel crop sensor and the full frames.

@@toddbailey5198 Yes, as I already mentioned, pixel count is reduced. This video explores a comparison when using the exact same lens as often as possible given the random selection of camera gear I had access to. I think people can judge for themselves that in spite of the handicap, the Rebel does not hold up to the performance of the mirrorless models. It would certainly be interesting to do a comparison that adapts a full frame lens to the Rebel, but lenses and adapters aren't cheap. Hopefully if I do something like this again in the future, I'll have access to a few more pieces of equipment, at which time I'm sure the point you're making will be more emphasized. Thanks for the input.

@@DesmondButler EF lenses work just fine on the rebel EF-S mount no adapter required. Maybe a couple of cheap rokinon/bower primes with comparable fields of view like the 14mm on the rebel and 24mm on the full frames if the opportunity ever presents itself in the future!

Actually I was just thinking about this and the easiest might be if you could borrow a EF 16-35 f2.8 and shoot the rebel at 16mm and the FF's at 26mm, would be really close for your A6500 with the f2.8 lens as well. Anyway just thoughts, I know it's tons of work to do such a broad comparison. Thanks

That's a good question. I haven't personally done star trail pics on my Sony cameras, but I have done "bulb" setting for exposures longer than 30 seconds. I did it by connecting my phone to the camera over bluetooth and using the Sony remote control app, but I think you can also do it with the stand alone bluetooth remote. The a7 III would be a great choice for low light shots. I'm sure your 6D has been a terrific camera for you, but I think you might like the way Sony mirrorless cameras perform at night.

@@DesmondButler thanks for getting back to me, I have taken some great astro photo's with my old canon 6d also captured dragonflies in flight etc but they are very dated and i'm fed up of cleaning the mirrors etc inside it but it's a tank of a camera and have done its job for me over the years, I was not going to buy another camera as I have captured great shots but like I said i'm fed up of cleaning it, myself usually uses a intervalometer on bulb mode for about 15 to 30 mins instead of stacking and the star trails have come out great but not like if it photo was stacked... These days I have notice some cameras just got a built in intervalometer which ain't any good for me as I prefer an attached one but I have now noticed you can buy them for the Sony A7 III also it will be fun learning how to use this camera... Thanks for your time and information.

If it's the best camera you have available to you, then you can probably capture at least something. That specific model suffers from a lot of things that would make it difficult to use for night shots, all of which are directly related to its age. The maximum ISO is pretty low at 3200, and we'd have to assume that means a great deal more noise than modern cameras at that setting. I certainly wouldn't buy that camera in 2023, but if I had it in hand, I might try it out just to see what it can do. Make sure you keep it at the widest focal length, 24mm, and verify that your aperture is locked at f2.7 for the most possible light capture.

Great question! My Celestron NexStar 8SE is just barely too much magnification to get the entire moon in frame when attaching an APS-C Camera like the A6500, so I imagine the 6SE will work perfectly. All you need to do is buy a Sony E mount T-ring adapter, and you're all set!

@@DesmondButler thank you for the reply. I'm looking to be set up for camping with my daughter's. This will add a new level of experience and fun. Anything else I should get ? Is the wifi module necessary since I'll be in the bush most likely . Or any other accessory ? It's hard to find a video that goes well with what I have , ie. The a6500 and potential 6se

@@DesmondButler also any specific adapter you suggest?

@@AreEff1987 Once you get your telescope, you'll begin to familiarize yourself with how to align it with the stars. It takes some getting used to, but you'll figure it out. It's a lot of fun. For photographing the moon, though, you shouldn't even need alignment. Just point and snap. The moon is bright enough that you can capture it with pretty short exposures. As for the adapter, I have an aluminum one that is kind of a hybrid and its kind of old, but I think this should work for you: www.celestron.com/products/sony-e-mount-t-ring

@@DesmondButler what about filters

No lens filters of any kind are used in my comparisons.

www.spencerscamera.com/astro-conversions.cfm

Yes sir

I haven't ever used one yet, but I may have to test it out for night shots if I ever get my hands on one.

Hello, I wonder the same. Have you already tried that camera for astrophotography?

That is a tough one. There are advantages to the R1 with the astro-mod, but since you can have that done with basically any camera, I'm going to disregard that aspect for the moment. For me, it is between the R6 and the a6500. I own the a6500, but I do a lot more shooting with the R6 because it is my studio's camera. If I had done this shootout with a full-frame lens, the R6 would have done much better with the details simply because it is a significantly larger sensor. That being said, getting stable video with just my hands is nearly effortless with the a6500 and usually quite a task with the R6. And while it seems most people prefer the Canon color science, I honestly prefer the color that comes out of my Sony camera to the R6, especially when it comes to night shots. This video was limited for a comparison between those two, and honestly given their age and price gaps, its not really a comparison people would seek out. Nevertheless, I plan to do some more night shootouts this summer, hopefully with a couple more modern cameras in the lineup. I'd be interested to see what you think after I release that comparison. Thanks for the question!

@@DesmondButler thank you for answering, it means that they have their own advantages and disadvantages, so I might think more about what is best for me

@@zerachannel24 If you don't mind my asking, what is your price range? And will your focus be on night photography or something else?

@@DesmondButler I don't really have a problem with the price, maybe I prefer quality?? yes I focus more on night photography, and less for street photography

@@zerachannel24 If I had a large budget to go buy a new camera that was focused on astrophotography, I would most likely go with the new Sony a7R V. I've been doing some night shots with its predecessor the a7R IV and I have been extremely impressed. Here's a recent example: instagram.com/p/CrGnA07OWdV/ Sony cameras are just exceptional at handling low light situations, and this model features a 60 megapixel full frame sensor. I'll definitely be featuring it my next couple of videos. Hope that's helpful info though.

I could honestly see that, even in spite of the circumstances. It really was at a serious disadvantage with that restricted aperture. I wish I could have tested it in a fair way. I may have to find another lens with a wide aperture and give her another shot. Thanks for the response!

what? it costs $1000 used in Europe. Waste of money on an old camera..

1000$???? that is canon 6d2

@@user-bi6nd3wv3x unfortunately not.

Вы имеете в виду сони или кэнон? Я не знаю, слышал ли я это раньше.

@@DesmondButler Canon R. Его сравнивали с R6 и R5, у остальных цвета тёплые, но у Canon R они зеленят и это странно. Может это настройка такая.

@@DesmondButler даже у вас на видео Canon R имеет зелёный оттенок цвета. Это убирать можно?

@@user-dl5tt1pf3e Я не заметил, но да, это можно убрать в фотошопе, отрегулировав «баланс белого».

@@DesmondButler у вас на видео, где сравнение 5 камер я вижу, что у R единственного земля зеленая

That is correct, @philk.268 pointed this out in the comments last year. The gentleman I borrowed it from had no idea, but it is kind of silly that Canon prints the correct name on the body for every camera except this one.

I explain this in depth at the 2:33 mark.

Born this way 😎 JK. I try hard to be objective in these videos, but I feel like the results speak for themselves. Hard to beat the low-light performance on their backlit mirrorless sensors.

Me to and i dont have the luxury of a camera . He could do a video for that huh , dump truck

Which is why I verbally addressed it in the video, but good news: a little while ago, I performed an updated comparison using a full frame lens, and that video is scheduled to release very soon. I think you'll be surprised with the outcome.

I'm not sure who this comment was directed toward since you seem to be talking about things I never portrayed or mentioned. Multiple lenses were shown in this video, and none of them are doing what you're describing. The example pics speak for themselves as far as star sharpness, and if you watched the video it was plainly stated that they are raw. We also very clearly covered the fact that a lower number for aperture is ideal when describing those lenses. Furthermore, the Canon kit lens is a well established entry level astro lens, and about a thousand astrophotographer blogs back that up. The same goes for ISO 6400, very very common setting suggestion for starters. I guess you could shoot at 35mm if you wanted to, but you would surely have to take shorter shots than any of the lenses used in this video. Pretty much every astrophotography expert will tell you 20mm or lower is ideal.

@@DesmondButler you literally have noise in many of the pictures shown and you even talk about the noise, I am stating that while I get your showing a beginner level idea for the lens to use and settings, you should be giving out the information to make it better, so that's what I was doing, you don't even talk about the 500 rule and you tell people to use a crazy long exposure time, which is why you have so many streaks in your shots and why only your brightest of stars are in focus but even those you can see have a little movement. And 6400 iso is fine if you have a lens that doesn't have a good enough aperture. But you should then tell people, it's better to get a lens that is faster and shoot at the fastest f stop so you can bring down your ISO and that's what helps get rid of noise. But you don't say any of that. I on purpose wasn't making comments directly at you, I was making suggestions to make the pictures better if people want to learn how. And I used the 35 as an example to describe these things cus that's one of the most common lenses used. Also why on earth would you make a comparison video and not used ideal settings or lenses. If your gonna compare cameras to show people what they can get the best bang for the buck, then use those cameras the best they can do. You don't handicap some lol what a joke. If you have the money to buy a canon R but you are for some reason using a kit lens for a different canon, not even the kit lens that comes with the damn camera lol. An actual comparison video would be, hey this is a canon R it costs this much money and with its best setting on the lens built for it, this is what it looks like. But if you spend less money you can use this older 6d and this lens at its best settings and see if the difference is worth the money. But I could tell from how terrible your shots were that you were not gonna give a good example, the fact you chose to show sky photos with big white streaks in them and you think those are good shots. Haha. Maybe next time don't make things personal and understand the context of a comment.

Once again, its difficult to tell whose video you're watching. In addition to your imagined star streaks, you also seem to have heard things that weren't said. This never claimed to be a "how to" video; there are plenty of those here on RU-vid. It is only a comparison video. And, as you again seemed to have not heard, it was plainly stated that these are just a random assortment of cameras I had access to, not cameras I completely own. At the time this video was made, I didn't even have money to compare them all on the same full-frame lens (which I think would have been a much more interesting comparison), so the assertion that I had the funds for anything more than what is shown in the video is completely unfounded and flies in the face of what the actual video said for anyone who actually listened. It's unfortunate that you say that you took my reply personally when all I have done is respond to the statements made in your comments. To show that helpful input is welcome, perhaps you could share a link to a video that you think does a good job of introducing users to astrophotography or comparing only relevant camera models on a high budget, since you appear to wish that those were the type of video this was.

@@DesmondButler ignore the haters, they are not worth the effort 😉

@@DesmondButler Depends. I am now shooting at 28, 35 and even 85mm.... the latter was 4 seconds at ISO 10000, Canon R5, Cheap EF 85 f/1.8 I shot 70 for stacks, but the single shot that I processed was excellent. My appx times are 24mm 13-15 sec, 28mm 10-13 sec, 35mm 8-10 sec. ( lenses are 1.4) I shoot multiple angles for stitched pans, which allows me to have the foreground subject larger.....while still getting plenty of the galaxy. My current bodies: R5, 5D IV, 7D II. I'm thinking of buying a Spencer modded R5 from a reputable seller on fredmiranda (no one seems to want it, so he keeps reducing the price) or getting a used R6 for