These Sony cameras will bring the magical night sky to life.
Sony cameras are some of the most innovative on the market. They are packed with tech that can make your life easier, feature sensors capable of capturing immense detail, and perform miracles in low light situations. It’s these qualities that make Sony cameras excellent for astrophotography. If you want to capture the night sky and all of its wonders, the three Sony cameras listed in this article are the ones worth a closer look.
The night sky is really awe-inspiring. I remember the first time I took my camera out to try and capture the galactic center, and when it popped up on the LCD of my camera, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Today’s cameras allow us to see what the human eye cannot. We live in a world where city lights drown out the glory above us, and that’s a real shame. However, these three Sony cameras can bring the Milky Way to life with ease. As long as you have a sturdy tripod, a fast lens, and some patience, these Sony cameras won’t let you down.
Sony a7 III
Here are the pros and cons from our full review:
Pros
- The best battery life of any Sony or mirrorless camera we’ve tested
- A fair amount of resolution and versatility in the RAW files that can be realized with Capture One
- Nice feel to it
- Consistency with all the other cameras in terms of the menu system
- Autofocus can acquire a target in near darkness
- It essentially feels like a scaled-down Sony a9 and Sony a7r III
- Not a bad price point
Cons
- Mount and certain lenses may allow for dust to get in onto the sensor. It isn’t as tight as the a7r III.
Buy now ($1,998): Adorama
Pro Tip: If you have always wanted to capture stunning images of the night sky but don’t know where to start, you’re not alone. It’s easier than you may think, though. As long as you have a camera, a tripod, a fast lens, and a little patience, you can create images like the one above with ease. If you really want a thorough understanding of what you need to do, check out this beginner’s guide to shooting Astro landscapes. You’ll learn about settings, how to scout a location, and how to shoot the Milky Way, star trails, meteor showers, and so much more.
Sony A7r Mk III
Here are the pros and cons from our full review:
Pros
- Weather sealing
- Lots of RAW file versatility
- Sony a9’s autofocus
- Nice ergonomics
- The new battery makes shooting with it for prolonged periods so much better
- RAW files work fantastic with Capture One
- Touch screen capabilities for shooting
- Fast shooting capabilities
- Silent shooting abilities
Cons
- No one is going to actually use the Pixel Shift imaging mode because it’s complicated to work with and few people want to use Sony’s own software
- We’d love a top LCD screen
- We’d love to navigate the menus with the Touchscreen capabilities
- Sony got rid of the PlayMemories apps
- Wireless flash capabilities need to be enabled via the menu to use them
Buy now ($2,798): Adorama
Pro Tip: One of the biggest hurdles for astrophotographers to overcome is the amount of light pollution that can be found in the night sky, even when you travel many miles out into the countryside. The sodium lamps in street lights cause a nasty yellow glow that can be hard to remove from your images, but if you use a light pollution filter like the IRIX one pictured above, you can get remarkable results. We reviewed this filter and were amazed at the difference it made in our night shots. If you want to cut out light pollution and get sharper shots with more accurate colors, we highly recommend you pick one up.
Sony A7R IV
Here are the pros and cons from our full review:
Pros
- Improved ergonomics
- Blazing fast autofocus
- Excellent weather sealing
- Anti-flicker shooting
- Dual UHS-II SD card slots
- More resolution than most photographers need
Cons
- Limited touchscreen functionality: You still can’t navigate the menus or interact with the display
- Large file sizes (to be expected)
Buy now ($3,498): Adorama