New Canon EOS Ra Camera Aims to Take Astrophotography to New Heights

The body of the Canon EOS Ra camera.
The body of the Canon EOS Ra camera. (Image credit: Canon)

Looks like astrophotography is a popular choice among camera makers these days. In the wake of a major Google Pixel 4 phone astrophotography upgrade announced last month, Canon has announced it is releasing a new mirrorless camera for astrophotography called the EOS Ra.

The new Canon camera promises four times greater transmittance of hydrogen-alpha light, which allows astrophotographers to better capture the light emitted by nebulas, large gas clouds in space.

Canon's EOS Ra includes a 30x maximum magnification, making it easy for users to make exacting manual-focus adjustments to capture far-away and dim objects.

Related: Beginner's Guide to Astrophotography

In addition to the camera body, Canon also offers an optional mount adapter to steady the camera for long-exposure images, and dozens of lenses (such as ultra-wide-angle or super-telephoto) to capture different angles in the night sky.

"As a group of photographers who are passionate about capturing what we can't see with our naked eyes, the new EOS Ra is designed for astrophotographers looking to capture vivid imagery of the night sky," Kazuto Ogawa, president and chief operating officer of Canon U.S.A., Inc., said in a statement.

The camera is expected to be available in mid-December 2019 for an estimated retail price of $2,499.00 for the body, not including lenses and accessories.

Canon EOS Ra Mirrorless Camera | $2,499
$2,499.99 at Amazon

Canon EOS Ra Mirrorless Camera | $2,499
Canon's new EOS Ra available in 2019 is designed to allow enhanced night sky recording, among other astrophotography features. 

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Elizabeth Howell
Former Staff Writer, Spaceflight (July 2022-November 2024)

Elizabeth Howell (she/her), Ph.D., was a staff writer in the spaceflight channel between 2022 and 2024 specializing in Canadian space news. She was contributing writer for Space.com for 10 years from 2012 to 2024. Elizabeth's reporting includes multiple exclusives with the White House, leading world coverage about a lost-and-found space tomato on the International Space Station, witnessing five human spaceflight launches on two continents, flying parabolic, working inside a spacesuit, and participating in a simulated Mars mission. Her latest book, "Why Am I Taller?" (ECW Press, 2022) is co-written with astronaut Dave Williams.