for Astrophotography

I recently wrote an article on

best lens for astrophotography

. I thought I would follow up with a discussion of the best Sony camera for night shooting. As a Sony shooter and member of the

Sony Alpha Imaging Collective

is a question I get asked almost daily. In my opinion, regardless of the model, Sony dominates the competition for low-light photography. My first Sony camera, and my first love, was the Sony α7S. It really is a low-light monster, and I've produced some of my favorite images with it. I love it so much that I have never been able to part with it, despite moving into the Sony α7R II, then the Sony α7R III which is now my main body, as well as the Sony α9 which is my second body. These "third generation" full-frame Sony Alpha bodies are night photography marvels that can achieve stunning results in extreme conditions.

Revolutionary functions for astrophotography

The α9 and α7R III handle low light extremely well. This generation of Sony cameras also has some amazing features that make night shooting infinitely easier than any other camera body I've worked with (and I've worked with most camera systems in my role as workshop instructor).

One advanced feature, and one that makes all my non-Sony friends kinda hate me, is a feature called light monitoring. I describe this feature as “night vision for your camera”. Essentially, it gives a live preview of your composition, which completely eliminates the cumbersome and tedious task of taking test shots to find your composition in the dark. It's so powerful that you can actually see the heart of the Milky Way galaxy in real time on your live preview!

Location scouting is an important part of good landscape photography. However, sometimes you don't have the luxury of researching a location in advance. On a recent trip to Iceland, the Northern Lights started dancing and my friend and I traveled 100 miles to find clear skies. When we got to a place I had never been, I used light surveillance to quickly find a compelling composition before the aurora faded. Light Monitoring is an absolute game-changer for budding and experienced night photographers.

This feature is available on the α7 III, α7R III and α9. However, it is only accessible if you assign it to a custom button. In the menu, navigate to the still image custom button, then select the button you want to assign to light monitoring (I'm using custom button 2), then switch between screens to monitoring bright. (You can read more about this in an article I published

on my blog

.)

Another huge change between older Sony cameras and the mark III generation (α7R III, α7 III, α9) is battery life. These cameras use the 'Z battery' which is rugged, cold resistant and can shoot longer than I can in a single stretch, especially in cold weather.

I was able to do timelapse with my two Sony α7R III and α9 in quite extreme conditions on a single battery. Once, back home in the Canadian Rockies, I was able to timelapse for 6 hours, capturing over 1800 frames, in temperatures as low as -20C on the Sony α7R III (for the record, I waited in my hot car while my camera was working in the freezing cold).

In Iceland, I quickly set up the α9 for a timelapse with the Sony 12-24mm f/4 – yes, I shot the aurora at f/4! The α9 captured over 1800 images overnight, and I still had 40% battery life left after shooting at sunrise. It was only -3°C that night, but after 12 hours of driving and shooting I ran out of power before my Sony battery!

Another extremely useful feature on all Sony mirrorless cameras is the electronic viewfinder. The ability to look up at the viewfinder, rather than looking back at the LCD screen, lets you see more detail in the scene in front of you, as well as when reading, as it blocks out light and glare. This feature is especially useful in bright light conditions, when glare affects your ability to see detail on the LCD screen. I also use the viewfinder to focus on the stars for night shooting. For anyone with vision issues like me, this feature is also a game changer.

So the question remains: which camera would I recommend for astrophotography? All Sony cameras handle low light incredibly well. I have to say, I'm a fan of the Mark III generation because the battery life and light monitoring really set you up for success. Since I've gotten such amazing results for astro images with every Sony body I've ever used, I'd say the best astrophotography camera would be the one that fits your budget and your camera needs. daytime shooting.

If you're a sports photographer with a thing for astro, the fast-shooting α9 with extremely precise autofocus is the camera for you. If you're a landscape photographer and sell your images, the α7R III's resolution will blow your viewing pixel needs. And, if you're just upgrading to a full-frame camera, the α7 III is also a low-light beast that won't break your bank account.

As for my α7S, I don't think I will ever sell it. This little camera's battery struggles in the cold and it has no light monitoring. But it still produces incredibly sharp images on the darkest nights. Maybe it's time to pass it on to my son. Maybe he'll find what I did under a sky full of stars.