Canon has announced the EOS Ra, a mirrorless camera specifically aimed at users who want to capture stars and emission nebulae under a night sky, for example. This camera is based on the existing EOS R system camera.
The EOS Ra is a modified version of the EOS R, released at the end of last year. The most important change is a modified optical low-pass filter that, according to Canon, allows relatively much light from the hydrogen-alpha spectral line to reach the image sensor. As a result, the camera captures up to four times more of the red light in the 656nm wavelength than the regular EOS R. This enables astrophotographers to capture the red colors of nebulae, for example, much better.
The Nikon D810A and Canon 60Da are examples of the same type of cameras that are also specifically equipped to capture this infrared light from objects in space. The optical filters of regular cameras limit the transmission of long-wavelength red light to prevent regular photos from getting a red color cast. That made them unsuitable for capturing nebulae and gas clouds emitting light at the H-alpha wavelength.
In addition to the special low-pass filter, Canon’s new camera also has some other features specifically added for astrophotographers, including 30x magnification on both the electronic viewfinder and the LCD on the back. That is a lot higher than the maximum magnification that cameras usually allow, making it easier to focus more precisely on stars, for example. Furthermore, the EOS Ra should also be able to focus in low light; the high sensitivity of the autofocus goes down to -6 EV.
Furthermore, Canon’s new astrophotography camera is similar to the EOS R. The device has a 30.3-megapixel full-frame sensor, a tilting 3.2″ touchscreen on the back and an electronic viewfinder with a 3.7 million-dot OLED panel. the normal Canon EOS R costs about 2000 euros, while the EOS Ra will be released from December for a suggested retail price of 2820 euros.