Canon EOS 60Da in Stock at B&H

[Canon Rumors]

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Astrophotography fun
Well, this subject is way beyond my level of understanding. However, the Canon EOS 60Da is now in stock at B&H for $1499. So if you’re into the stars, apparently this is the camera for you. Unless you’ve modified some other camera to do the same thing.

Canon EOS 60Da at B&H for $1499

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[Neeneko]

The interesting question will be, will astrophotographers care in any significant number?  Or will it be another 20Da which had more of a novelty/collector value? (To be fair, many astrophotographers got a lot of good use out of the 20Da, but it was still a pretty limited device and did not do anything a $100 mod couldn't do better)

[dstppy]

Well, does it take regular pictures as well as the 60D or is a mod required?

Does it have application beyond astrophotography (artsy IR shots etc)?

If you are good at taking those types of photos and know how to move product, the price tag isn't all that much (compared to everything else Canon announces these days).

[emag]

The 20Da was more than a novelty item in its day.  I think the 60Da will not sell as well as the 20Da did simply because there are so many choices for modification now.  I do astrophotography with a modded 40D and would consider the 60Da at 60D prices, the only way I'd pay a premium is if the sensors are individually selected to be better than standard stock in some way.  A refurb 60D and modification costs significantly less than the 60Da.  T3i even cheaper and with the same sensor and articulating LCD.  T2i cheaper still.  At $1500, 60Da is a non-starter for me. 
It sounds like the modification is mild enough to make the 60Da as useful for other purposes as the 60D, just needs a custom white balance.  Might appeal to some folks, but I can't imagine a lot of demand from folks like me who have been doing astro for a while.

[Neeneko]

Well, does it take regular pictures as well as the 60D or is a mod required?

Does it have application beyond astrophotography (artsy IR shots etc)?

If you are good at taking those types of photos and know how to move product, the price tag isn't all that much (compared to everything else Canon announces these days).

Hrm,.. Well, you probably could not get regular pictures again since I an not think of any combination of filters that could be added to the 60a's Ha filter to get regular pictures again.

I am not sure it would be all that good for conventional IR photography either since the filter cuts out the majority of IR too.  You would mostly end up with a lot of red...

[Neeneko]

The 20Da was more than a novelty item in its day.  I think the 60Da will not sell as well as the 20Da did simply because there are so many choices for modification now.  I do astrophotography with a modded 40D and would consider the 60Da at 60D prices, the only way I'd pay a premium is if the sensors are individually selected to be better than standard stock in some way.  A refurb 60D and modification costs significantly less than the 60Da.  T3i even cheaper and with the same sensor and articulating LCD.  T2i cheaper still.  At $1500, 60Da is a non-starter for me. 

*nods* I think for me it would take Canon producing a monochrome sensor to actually consider such an offering.   I gather there are several niche groups that would really like such an unmodified body ^_^

[lol]

Wasn't the 20Da one of the first DSLRs to get live view? It wasn't just a 20D.

Back to the 60Da, does anyone know what filter it has (or hasn't)?

To quote Canon:

Increased IR sensitivity for astrophotography (IR cut filter is modified to achieve a hydrogen-alpha (Hα) light (656nm) transparency approximately three times higher than the EOS 60D) allowing crisp, clear images of reddish, diffuse nebulae.

So, did they:
1: remove the IR block filter and replace it with clear glass, for much increased Ha and IR sensitivity
2: remove the IR block filter and replace it with a weaker acting one, for increased Ha and some IR sensitivity
3: remove the IR block filter and replace it with a sharper UVIR block, for increased Ha sensitivity without significant IR sensitivity.

They talk about increased IR sensitivity, which is not really wanted unless you are doing IR imaging, since the focal point of most lenses at IR is different from that for visible light.

[ZacharyLong]

Ok if I were just a casual astrophotographer and trying to get shots of the stars and Milky Way would a 5D Mark III or 5D Mark II serve me just as well with a full frame sensor? The description makes me think this is more for deep sky photography with a telescope, is that true or will it improve "regular" lowlight star photography?

[epsiloneri]

Ok if I were just a casual astrophotographer and trying to get shots of the stars and Milky Way would a 5D Mark III or 5D Mark II serve me just as well with a full frame sensor?

The 5Ds would serve you better. The advantages of the 60Da are (primarily) that it lets through more of the H-alpha radiation at 656.3 nm that is important when shooting nebulae, its lower weight (compared to 5D) and articulated screen. For stars and the Milky Way, the bigger sensor wins (unless you're specifically interested in capturing the HII regions and nebulae of the Milky Way, which can produce spectacular images).

An no, the IR filter is not removed, it is simply replaced by a filter that cuts off at a slightly longer red wavelength. The difference to 60D should be minimal for regular photography.

[ZacharyLong]

Thanks epsiloneri for clearing that up! That's sort of what it sounded like from the description but wanted to be sure before I rented one to try out