Canon EOS Ra is one of the best mirrorless cameras (MILC) for astrophotography on the market right now. In this short overview, you will find the camera specification, sample astrophotography images taken with it, best lenses to use for astrophotography with this astro-imaging beast, and how to connect it to a telescope using external adapters.
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Canon EOS Ra Specification
- Modified filter for enhanced night sky recording
- Rf mount compatible with RF lenses and EF/EF-S lenses*
- 30 3 Megapixel Full-frame CMOS Sensor and DIGIC 8 Image processor
- Dual Pixel CMOS AF with 5 655 manually selectable AF positions**
- 4K 30P with Canon log and 10-bit 4 2 2 HDMI output
| Type | Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera (MILC) |
| Mount | Canon RF |
| Image Sensor Size | 36 mm × 24 mm (Full-frame CMOS) |
| Max Resolution | 6720 × 4480 pixels (30.3 Mpix) |
| Weight | 580 g (20 oz) without battery |
| ISO Range | 100 - 40000 |
| Connections | Bluetooth + WiFi |
| Magnification | 30x |
| H-alpha transmission | 4x more than standard EOS R |
Full frame sensor and 30x magnification are features I would really love to have in my compact travel Fujifilm X-T20 camera.
The bigger sensor — the better (usually).
The more magnification directly on the camera preview screen — the easier to perfectly focus your stars during the night.
Canon EOS Ra Sample Astrophotography Pictures
The truth lies not in the camera specification, but in the pictures that it can produce itself. And that's why you are here, right? Let's check out how the Canon EOS Ra performs in the area that it was designed and constructed for — astrophotography.
Orion Nebula
Jellyfish Nebula
Gear used for those two pictures:
Cepheus region
Gear Used for this Cepheus Picture:
More EOS Ra astrophotography images on AstroBin
- Modified filter for enhanced night sky recording
- Rf mount compatible with RF lenses and EF/EF-S lenses*
- 30 3 Megapixel Full-frame CMOS Sensor and DIGIC 8 Image processor
- Dual Pixel CMOS AF with 5 655 manually selectable AF positions**
- 4K 30P with Canon log and 10-bit 4 2 2 HDMI output
Best Astrophotography Lenses for Canon EOS Ra
If you plan to photograph the Milky Way without using a star tracker (equatorial mount), then you need a truly wide and fast lens. For those wide-field deep-sky shots, I would choose one of these lenses:
Canon RF mount
If you want a Canon RF mount dedicated lens, those are the picks I would consider to pair with this camera for ultra-wide-field astrophotography:
The first one — RF 15-35mm f/2.8 — is wide and fast enough (at 15mm f/2.8) to photograph the Milky Way on a stationary tripod without a tracker (yet it's always a good idea to use one!). The other two lenses — RF 28-70mm f/2 and RF 50mm f/1.2 — are also wide and fast, but the best results you will achieve when using them on a dedicated astrophotography tracker.
Canon EF/EF-S Mount
If you want something more affordable, yet still performing brilliantly, then consider those lenses:
Those Rokinons and Canon are EF-mount lenses, so you need a proper adapter to connect them to the RF-mirrorless type Canon mount:
Check out the short explanation of how to use Canon EF/EF-S lenses on the RF mount in this short video:
How to Connect Canon EOS Ra to a Telescope
If you want to connect your mirrorless Canon EOS Ra camera to a telescope for some deep-sky astrophotography, then you simply need a proper T2-EOS R adapter:
- The Vivitar T-Mount comes with a 1-year USA warranty along with a 1-piece bundle which includes a Circuit City microfiber cloth.
- Allows you to mount any t-mount lens with onto a Canon RP-mount camera body
- High quality all-metal anodized aluminum construction
- Smooth mounting surfaces allow for effortless attaching, Infinity focus allowed
- Compatible with t-mount lenses such as 500mm mirror, 500mm preset, 420-800mm and 650-1300mm
- Modified filter for enhanced night sky recording
- Rf mount compatible with RF lenses and EF/EF-S lenses*
- 30 3 Megapixel Full-frame CMOS Sensor and DIGIC 8 Image processor
- Dual Pixel CMOS AF with 5 655 manually selectable AF positions**
- 4K 30P with Canon log and 10-bit 4 2 2 HDMI output
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