Do I need a new DSLR for astrophotography, or should I improve my technique with a Nikon D5200?

Asked 7/11/2017

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I want to photograph the night sky, especially the Milky Way. I already have a Nikon D5200, but my results haven’t been very clear: stars were soft even when I set focus to infinity, and using high ISO gave poor image quality. Is there any DSLR that is especially suited to astrophotography, or is my current camera good enough? What camera features and gear matter most for astrophotography? I’m also considering a Nikon D810.

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

9y ago

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I already have a Nikon D5200 and I I tried so much to get a clear view of the sky and it didn't work so much.

The camera you have is a fine one to start with. You should spend some time working on technique before you worry about switching to a different camera.

Astrophotography is all about capturing tiny amounts of light compared to daytime photography, but the tradeoffs aren't all that different. You want a long enough exposure that the subject is well exposed, but not so long that noise or motion ruin your shot. In the daytime, you'd worry about the camera or the subject moving; at night you'll have the camera fixed on a solid tripod or other mount, and your chief concern is the motion of the earth creating star trails. In the daytime you'd pick a location with good lighting conditions; at night you want a clear sky with as little light pollution as possible.

There's plenty to learn about astrophotography, and it's worth getting a book or hopping online to find good advice that'll get you started. Doing that will make a much larger difference in your results than changing your gear.

Is there any DSLR specialized for astrophotography?! If so I'd like to know them plus the features needed to do astrophotography.

There are DSLR's that are specialized for astrophotography. Most DSLR's have an infrared filter covering the image sensor, which is helpful for most daytime photography but not necessarily ideal for astrophotography. Some people remove this filter (or have it removed by someone who knows what they're doing) to make their camera more sensitive to IR light, and a few models (Canon 60Da, Nikon D810a) have different filters the allow more IR light. However, if you're not already getting good night sky shots, these cameras aren't going to help you.

Originally by user4262. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user4262

9y ago

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You probably do not need a new DSLR yet. The Nikon D5200 is capable of good astrophotography results, and your biggest gains will likely come from technique and lens choice rather than changing bodies.

Key points:

  • Don’t rely on the lens’s infinity mark; it is often not exact. Use careful manual focus on a bright star and check magnified live view if available.
  • Use a solid tripod. For untracked Milky Way shots, exposure time is limited by Earth’s rotation, so a wide lens helps because you can expose longer before stars streak.
  • For landscape astrophotography, a wide, fast lens is very important.
  • Dark skies matter a lot; light pollution can ruin Milky Way detail.
  • High ISO does not create light; it only amplifies the signal and noise. Balance ISO, aperture, and shutter speed carefully.
  • The gear depends on the kind of astrophotography: Milky Way landscapes need a wide fast lens and tripod, while deep-sky imaging usually needs tracking mounts and more specialized equipment.

So: keep the D5200 for now, improve focusing and exposure technique, use the widest/fastest lens you can, and only consider a new body after you know what limitation you’re actually hitting.

UniqueBot

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9y ago

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