DSLRs Vs Dedicated Astro Cameras (2021)

 Hey everyone my name is Rafal here with  OPT, and in this video we're going to be   covering the main differences between DSLRs  and dedicated astrophotography cameras. But before we get into any of that if you  guys are enjoying the content and don't   want to miss out on the tutorials  astro news and OPT announcements,

 it really does let us know that you guys are  enjoying these videos. But without further ado,   let's get into the main differences between   these two types of cameras and why one  might be more useful to you than the other. Chances are you or someone you already know owns  one of these cameras DSLRs are the camera that   most astrophotographers start with because  well they already own one. Most DSLRs are   either full-frame aps-c or micro four-thirds  sensors, which means they fit perfectly with   most telescopes and lenses alike. They come  with their own power source which can last   several hours on a full charge, but if you want  to remove that worry of losing charge during your   imaging you can buy dummy batteries instead which  will give the camera non-stop power all night. 

DSLRs can store all the images you  capture on their own memory cards and   you have the option of changing the camera  settings either through the camera itself   through an app. If your camera supports  bluetooth or wi-fi or through a computer,   as long as you have the right driver  installed for that camera and you can   see all the settings you're changing through  the lcd monitors that most dslr cameras have.   And of course DSLRs are cameras for every aspect  of photography as well.

 You can take incredible   deep sky images first and then some awesome  photos of star trails with the same camera. But what are some disadvantages from using  them first and foremost. Noise yes, one of   the largest factors to producing a good astro  image is minimizing that nois. But when you're   using a camera that isn't specifically created  for low light photography then you're gonna   get a lot of noise in your images, especially if  you're shooting during those warm summer nights. Yes, that noise can be removed in  post but then we're talking about   eating up more processing time and you're  gonna lose some of those fine details. 

It's best practice in astrophotography to  have your image look as clean as possible   before you start processing. DSLRs also need  to take dark frames, flat frames and bias   frames for every imaging session if you  want to get the best out of your image,   and that's because the temperature of  their sensor changes during every session. Now one other thing to think about with DSLRs  is that they are usually larger and heavier   than astro cameras. Because these cameras  come with everything you need built in,  

 they have more hardware inside and therefore  produce more heat and more weight. If you're   working with lighter mounts you  might want to be careful that your   camera isn't coming close to the maximum  payload capacity your rig can handle. And then there is the sensor itself. Most  DSLR sensors have infrared filters installed   on them to block out those wavelengths  but this is astrophotography - you want   those wavelengths especially for  deep sky targets like nebulae. Can you remove this filter - yes, but those are  modifications that can get pretty expensive and   yeah sure there are some YouTube tutorials  that show you how to do it yourself,   but unless you know exactly what you're  doing you shouldn't open your camera. Also, once you take that filter off it won't shoot   the same in the daytime anymore and  your colors will be slightly off.

   So unless you plan on using your camera just  for astrophotography we don't recommend it. Finally, if you want to use a light pollution  filter or other filters with your DSLR,   you don't have a lot of choices. Clip-in  filters are usually the best option   but getting them to sit properly can be  tricky and they only exist in a few brands   You could get a filter slider but then you're  adding more weight onto your image train. So now let's cover dedicated astro  cameras and right off the bat you can   see how different these cameras look. There  are no buttons no screens no slots nothing   just a sensor on the front and a  couple of plugs on the back and   that's because astro cameras are designed  to be completely controlled from a computer. You normally hold a dslr  when you're taking a photo,   so it makes sense to have all  those controls at your fingertips,   but with an astro camera they need to be connected  to a computer in order to change the settings. 

  Now most astro cameras have this gap right  here and that's to split between the sensor   and the cooling fan which is one of the biggest  differences between dslrs and astro cameras. These   cameras come with built-in cooling systems to keep  the temperature of the sensor as low as possible. And that is how important it is to keep  your camera's temperature low. And while   we're on the topic, astro camera sensors are  designed differently depending on what target   you're trying to capture - so if you're  trying to image small bright targets like   planets or clusters then you'd want to go  with a smaller sensor and smaller pixels.   Otherwise if you're looking to image deep sky  objects like nebulae or galaxies then you'd   want larger sensors with bigger pixels so that  way you're gathering as much light as possible. So I mentioned with DSLRs that getting filters to  cooperate with them isn't a stroll in the park,  

 but with astro cameras you have a ton of  options to choose from and most of them   either come with one and a quarter inch or two  inch nose pieces that are threaded for filters,   or they will have a connecting ring  attached to the front of the camera   which is also threaded for filters. And  since most filters are designed for similar   cameras there's less to worry about when  making sure they are compatible together. So yes, astro dedicated cameras can  definitely help you get better images   but what are some of the downsides to using  them? Number one these are specialty cameras   only designed with one purpose in mind so don't  expect to get a decent shot of the spiral galaxy   during the night and then some cool portraits  with the same camera - it just won't work. And finally like I mentioned, astro cameras  are designed to be plugged into a power source   so you'll need an external battery to run  them - but obviously if you're looking at   dedicated astrophotography cameras then you've  already taken all that into consideration. Either way both types of cameras are useful  for capturing some epic shots of the night sky,  

 and the good news is that if you  have any questions on things that   we may have missed in this video give us a call.   Number is right here - we have experts that are  ready to answer anything you're confused about. Otherwise, that just about wraps it up for this  comparison. We do know there's a lot that goes   into the pros and cons and specs between the two,  but we just decided to focus on the main ones. Let us know what you guys thought of this video  in the comments below, and last but not least   if you haven't done so already hit  that subscribe button and ring the   bell for notifications because we  have videos coming out every week!   And we want you guys to be the best astronomers  you can be! So thanks again for watching guys,   my name is Rafal here with OPT and we'll  see you in the next video. Clear skies! 

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