Best cameras for astrophotography in 2023: Shoot for the stars

Using the best cameras for astrophotography means you have the best chance of capturing some of the most beautiful photographs possible of our night sky. At Space.com, we've extensively tested and reviewed all the major brands and models, and we've compiled a list of the ones we believe are the best for capturing starry skies.

Above each camera's description, you'll see a list of retailers where you can buy that model and the most competitive prices, which can make your search easier. We've carefully selected a variety of versatile cameras that excel in different photography styles, with a special focus on their exceptional performance in astrophotography.

The best cameras for astrophotography need to have a broad dynamic range so you won't have any problems pulling out the brightest and darkest elements in your shot (also handy for landscape and portrait photography). They must perform well in unfavorable lighting conditions and have excellent ISO performance to reduce any unwanted noise in your images. Such capabilities also lend themselves well to indoor shooting at events such as weddings and concerts. For more of our favorite generalist cameras, head over to our best cameras for photos and videos guide.

Alongside our picks of the best cameras for astrophotography, we have also created a guide to the best lenses for astrophotography to really make your astro images pop. If you're looking for 'wow factor' results, pairing your astro-friendly camera with one of the best telescopes can take your astrophotography journey to the next level.

The quick list

Best cameras for astrophotography we recommend in 2023

Best dedicated astro camera

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One of the top-selling points of the ZWO Optical ASI 533 Pro camera is the ability to produce clean, noise-free images without having to use editing software. With zero amp glow to remove in post-processing, productivity increases — you can achieve cleaner and sharper images straight out of the camera.

If you favor monochrome cameras, the ASI533 might not be the ideal choice as it is only available in color. However, it still stands out with an 80% Quantum Efficiency and a speedy frame rate of 20 FPS, making it great at capturing light and performing incredibly well in low-light situations.

With its 9-megapixel square sensor, this camera might seem a bit unusual, but it's surprisingly capable. It excels in capturing low-noise images and boasts a broad spectrum of colors, thanks to its 14-bit ADC. This makes it an excellent choice for producing high-quality, noise-free pictures in high definition.

Comparable to most dedicated astro-cameras, the ZWO Optical ASI 533 needs an external power source to run the cooling system — you'll need this working if you plan on taking very long exposures.

Our ZWO Optical ASI 533 Pro review identified this camera as an affordable, user-friendly, dedicated astro-imaging camera. We struggled to find any negatives, scoring this camera top marks with five out of five stars.

• Read our ZWO Optical ASI533MC Pro review

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Best color astro camera

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The compact ZWO Optical ASI 183MC Pro is a fantastic dedicated astro camera. We've identified this full-color camera as one of the best at minimizing noise at long exposures, largely thanks to its onboard cooling system.

The ASI 183MC is a compact and lightweight astro-camera, tipping the scales at just 0.9 lb (410g) and measuring 62mm in diameter. But despite its small size, it packs a punch in terms of features. Boasting a high resolution of 20.48MP, minimal read noise at 1.6e and an impressive peak Quantum Efficiency of 84%, we think it delivers excellent performance overall. 

Additionally, it comes equipped with a full-color sensor, eliminating the need for extra RGB filters in your photography, simplifying your setup, and lightening your gear load. It is a serious astrophotography camera, and you'll need to have experience with dedicated astro cameras to get the most out of it. Read our in-depth ZWO ASI183MC review to see what can be achieved.

The ZWO Optical ASI 183 can shoot an impressive 19FPS at maximum resolution, which we think is perfect for solar or lunar images. The frame rate increases dramatically at a lower resolution and it's capable of capturing hundreds of frames per second!

The ASI 183 requires a laptop and dedicated software — with a USB-A 3.0 port, data is transferred quickly and efficiently. You'll also need a telescope and a 12V power supply to operate the cooling system.

• Read our full ZWO Optical ASI183MC Pro review

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Best mirrorless camera for astro

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The Nikon Z8, launched in May 2023 is Nikon's latest mirrorless camera, and it is an absolute behemoth in every respect. It's an astrophotographer's dream thanks to its expanded ISO 102,400 and a plethora of other astro-friendly features.

The autofocus system on this camera is both lightning-fast and incredibly accurate. It is excellent at accurately recognizing subjects' eyes, even in low-light conditions. It can detect subjects in low-light situations as dim as -7EV, which is as good as, or even better than nearly every other camera we've ever tested. In Starlight View (in menu d9), the autofocus detection range drops to as low as -9EV, which is the best we've ever seen, and we were blown away when we tested it out in our Nikon Z8 review. 

There's even a night vision mode, which we loved for astrophotography. This mode is customizable but automatically dims the screen and electronic viewfinder, and only uses red pixels to preserve your night vision. 

Even without the astrophotography functionality, we think this is the best camera available on the market full stop; there's no other camera (that we've come across) that can perform so well on such a variety of different shoots. It's a hefty investment but it will last you a lifetime of photography.

• Read our full Nikon Z8 review

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Best Sony for astro

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The Sony A7R IV features a 3-inch LCD screen with an increased resolution of 2.36 million compared to the older model's 1.44 million dots and has a whopping 61MP sensor, which is the highest megapixel sensor of any mirrorless camera to date.

As evidenced in our Sony A7R IV review, this camera has exceptional performance and image quality all-round. While the new Sony A7R V which we've also reviewed is a fantastic camera, we think the A7R IV is the better astro option for now because the V has noisier high ISO performance and costs more. Also, with the addition of the new AI-powered autofocus system, the battery life on the V is significantly less than on the IV, meaning it might not be as reliable for long nights of shooting the stars and cosmos.

This camera can capture amazing details in both bright and dark areas, which makes it ideal for astrophotography and, in our opinion, difficult to beat. When using a high-sensitivity setting like ISO 6400, you can use the images without seeing any noticeable noise. However, if you boost the ISO higher than this, you will start to see more noise, which is to be expected. Although, now that some of the best photo editing apps have pretty impressive AI denoise capabilities, it makes this camera even more usable for astrophotography.

When you capture massive 61-megapixel images, they take up a lot of space on your computer, and processing them can be demanding. We found that the buffer did struggle when we shot using drive mode, however, you can get around this by switching to lossless compressed RAW files or by using a faster card in one of the slots.

The A7R IV doesn't have a fully articulating screen (something they've majorly improved in the Sony A7R V); however, it does tilt so you can still capture stunning images without needing to bend down into uncomfortable positions.

Now that there's a newer model, we're expecting the Sony A7R IV to be included in the Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals this year — it's even on offer in one of the early deals. Keep your eyes peeled on our deals hub to see if it gets reduced even more!

• Read our full Sony A7R IV review

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Best rugged option

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The Nikon Z6 II is the upgraded version of the impressive Nikon Z6. If you're upgrading from a beginner model, recording video or you plan to shoot various styles in addition to astrophotography, we think the upgrade is definitely worth considering. If you can spare the extra dollars — as we found in our Nikon Z6 II review, this model benefits from a little more refinement.

The Z6 II kept the features of its previous version while adding some small but highly effective upgrades. The second memory card slot is particularly useful as a backup to give you more peace of mind when taking photos. The camera also has a faster burst rate, improved focus, quicker image processing and the capability to shoot 4K video at 60FPS

You have more in-camera control over long exposures thanks to the larger range of shutter speeds. The slowest shutter speed is a whopping 900 seconds (15 minutes!), so pair it with one of the best star trackers and you could get some seriously detailed astro shots. With excellent weather sealing, you could even capture images during heavy rain or dust storms if you wanted to!

• Read our full Nikon Z6 II review

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Best entry-level full-frame

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The second most affordable entry into Canon's full-frame mirrorless system and the lightest mirrorless Canon body available, this camera, as we found in our Canon EOS R8 review, is a surprising winner in astrophotography and excels at handling high ISO noise.

If you're a photographer looking to get into Canon's full-frame mirrorless system without splurging on the most expensive models, the Canon EOS R8 is a compelling choice. Being a full-frame mirrorless camera allows you to maximize the complete field of view offered by RF-mount lenses, unlike APS-C crop sensor cameras that use only a portion of the lens's field of view.

Something the Canon EOS R8 does lack is in-body image stabilization, which is one of the reasons why this camera is so affordable. That said, the lack of IBIS won't affect astrophotographers as you'll always be using a tripod when taking long exposures of the night sky (and many full-frame lenses have image stabilization themselves for shooting during the day).

Saving money by purchasing this camera instead of more expensive models works well when photographers are considering purchasing the best lenses for astrophotography which are generally big, fast lenses like the Canon RF 28-70mm f/2L USM or Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS USM.

• Read our full Canon EOS R8 review