I'm struggling to decide on a camera, sensor size, mirrorless or SLR...Think you can help? ;)

[TimmyD11]

So I would consider getting one of the less expensive full frame cameras, probably at about $1500 US. But it looks like an original Sony A7 mirrorless can be had for cheaper if one can be found (new). Although astroNikon a advises against Sony?

And that original version is probably pretty old now, huh?

Are any APSC cameras BETTER than some of the less expensive full frame cameras? (Obviously less money or I could just bump up my budget for full frame DSLR as well)

 

[chuasam]

Sony A7S II best for low light

 

[astroNikon]

Sony A7S II best for low light

There's a BIG problem with the SONY's for astrophotography and one of their firmware updates.
Just google "Star Eater" and you'll see the internet is littered with this problem. It's not resolved yet either with the latest patch.
==> sony star eater - Google Search

except for the a9 !!

I actually was highly considering getting a SONY, except it would be 75% astro work .. and this problem is BIG.
Except the a9 .. but the a9 is unaffordable.

 

[chuasam]

Sony A7S II best for low light

There's a BIG problem with the SONY's for astrophotography and one of their firmware updates.
Just google "Star Eater" and you'll see the internet is littered with this problem. It's not resolved yet either with the latest patch.
==> sony star eater - Google Search

except for the a9 !!

I actually was highly considering getting a SONY, except it would be 75% astro work .. and this problem is BIG.
Except the a9 .. but the a9 is unaffordable.

 

[astroNikon]

Don't look now,
but the End of the World is COMING !!

 

[TimmyD11]

So 60 second exposures with APSC vs 15 second exposures with full frame.

Care to elaborate on that? Is that a big deal? Do stars move much during that time?

Does this cause other issues?

I'd do APSC and perhaps mirrorless but since I am having a hard time deciding on ANY camera my goal could be the least expensive camera that can do astralphotography well. I reckon if it can perform well for this it has the ability to do pretty much everything else quite well.

 

[TimmyD11]

How about instead of getting an expensive camera like the 80D or 6D I get a t6s or t7i and a fast wide angle lens? (Make up for things on the lens end)

Now APSC for Canon has a crop factor of 1.6 but is there any effect on aperture? If theoretically I get a 1.4 or 2.8 lens does that remain 1.4 or 2.8 or does that get effected or altered by an APSC camera as well?

 

[astroNikon]

So 60 second exposures with APSC vs 15 second exposures with full frame.

Care to elaborate on that? Is that a big deal? Do stars move much during that time?

Does this cause other issues?

I'd do APSC and perhaps mirrorless but since I am having a hard time deciding on ANY camera my goal could be the least expensive camera that can do astralphotography well. I reckon if it can perform well for this it has the ability to do pretty much everything else quite well.

"care to elaborate?" No, not really. But read this ==> https://petapixel.com/2015/01/06/avoid-star-trails-following-500-rule/

"Does this cause other issues?"
Truthfully, I wouldn't worry about it if I was you. You are just starting out.
Many ppl ask for the "best" just to go for the cheapest in the end as they had no idea about everything.
When you get around to using your camera on a $5,000 telescope by then you'll know a lot more about the camera equipment and everything involved.

Just, at the present moment, don't get a SONY mirrorless.
You can wait, and they hopefully will fix the problem in the near future.
Or, the SONY a9 mirrorless apparently does not have the problem.

Or go with a DSLR but also factor in mirrorslap. The D3x00 and d5x00 are fine cameras too. I'm just really, really picky and have done tests with them in the past. Generally most people won't notice anything.

 

[TimmyD11]

I have been away from photography for a while but I was a somewhat knowledgeable amateur with 35mm film. My current lack of knowledge has more to do with the technology of current cameras.

So I'll repeat again in case it was missed: Can I do well with astrophotography with a mid level enthusiast APSC camera and a fast wide angle lens or would that be very inferior to a full frame camera?

 

[astroNikon]

So I'll repeat again in case it was missed: Can I do well with astrophotography with a mid level enthusiast APSC camera and a fast wide angle lens

Yes.

 

[Designer]

Now APSC for Canon has a crop factor of 1.6 but is there any effect on aperture? If theoretically I get a 1.4 or 2.8 lens does that remain 1.4 or 2.8 or does that get effected or altered by an APSC camera as well?

No.

Yes.

No.

Frankly, you're into the weeds already, so if astrophotography is important to you, start by finding out what other astrophotographers use, and get that.

 

[TimmyD11]

I wish I could know that Canon "matched" the Nikon D7200. Otherwise, if I opted to discard my Canon lenses I'd just get the Nikon D7200. Unless Canon caught up this seems to be the best bang for the buck APS-C DSLR at the moment.

 

[cherylynne1]

The Canon 80d is the closest they've come to competition for the d7200. If you type "Canon 80d vs Nikon d7200" you'll come up with dozens of websites exploring the pros and cons of each. Generally speaking, Canon struggles to keep up on paper with Sony/Nikon sensors, though Canon users often argue that Canon is more ergonomic and user friendly, and provides more pleasing skin tones. It's a matter of taste, which is why trying out both in a store is so important.

If you've decided to go with a DSLR over mirrorless, I agree that the d7200 is probably the best bang for your buck. It's a stellar camera, top of its class for years until it replaced itself with the d7500.

 

[TimmyD11]

Also I think I'd like Canon's in camera HDR better than Nikon's...other than that the Nikon seems to be the better camera.

In camera HDR plus having a few EF lenses a s a "head start" VS the overall better camera if I were just starting out and cheaper.

 

[cherylynne1]

It's my understanding that most serious HDR work is done using exposure bracketing and post-processing HDR, but I'm not an expert on the subject. Perhaps someone else can chime in.