Product images of the upcoming EOS Ra have appeared.  It's very likely we'll see this camera very shortly.

The EOS-Ra is an EOS R with a sensor modification that allows for h-Alpha wavelengths to pass through unimpeded by the IR cut filter that sits in front of the sensor.  Normally a stock IR Cut filter that digital cameras employ has around a 2-3 stop loss at the h-Alpha wavelength of 656.28nm.

Why is this good for astrophotography? Atypically emission nebulae emit this wavelength, and as well, the Sun's atmosphere (take proper precautions if you try this!).  Letting more of this light to reach the sensor allows for better contrast and detail when it comes to nebulae and deep sky astrophotography.

Since the EOS Ra is modified to pass more light of the 656nm wavelength, white balance and colors will be a bit off for normal photography.  You can, however, use a hot mirror filter that screws on the front of your lens to correct the filtering for normal color photography.

Update:

Preorder the Canon EOS Ra here

It appears like Adorama has launched the EOS Ra.  From Adorama we see that it has an enhanced magnification mode that allows up to 30x liveview magnification to allow for more accurate focus when shooting the night sky as well as the filter modification.

Canon’s first full-frame mirrorless camera dedicated to deep sky and night sky photography

Capture the intricacies of a starry night sky with the new EOS Ra camera — Canon’s first full-frame mirrorless camera dedicated to deep sky and night sky photography. Building on the success of the EOS R, the EOS Ra offers 30x magnification in both the viewfinder and in Live View shooting for more accurate focus.

 

Some of our articles may include affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you.

Go to discussion...

Share.

53 comments

  1. Also, the RF to EF adapter with a drop in filter is a great solution for IR-filtering instead of front filters for the EOS Ra. (only works for EF lenses though, but for all of them).
  2. According to my own sources Canon will also release the Canon EOS BRa for boudoir photographers and the Canon EOS aRRR for pirates.
    I hope the pirate edition comes with a skull and crossbones camera strap! And the boudoir one with, er, ...a leather strap?
  3. This is a great announcement. It is the specialist elements of the Canon system which are about to bring me back from a few years with Fuji - the newer T/S lenses with more advanced movements and this astro-specific camera really show that Canon cares about the needs of every photographer. I really like the way they have thought about the new RF 2.8 zooms, like the 70-200 and lost a lot of size and weight making the most of mirrorless too. Bravo, bravo.
  4. Also, the RF to EF adapter with a drop in filter is a great solution for IR-filtering instead of front filters for the EOS Ra. (only works for EF lenses though, but for all of them).

    Is this drop in IR filter something that already exists or are you saying it would be logical to offer it that way? If that’s all you meant, then I totally agree.
  5. I would like to see a sample from an Astro camera taking regular shots. Just curious as the look. If it more or camera looking or something else.
    Reasonable request. At the Adorama site they mentioned:

    "With a 30.3-Megapixel, full-frame CMOS sensor and Digic 8 image processor, the EOS Ra produces stunning image results, day or night."

    Which looks like marketing to me. Nothing concrete.
  6. I think this model makes sense.

    The EOS 60Da was released in 2012, seven years after the 20Da. Seven years & a new mount later, I'm not surprised there's another astronomy model coming out.

    My guess is Canon makes good money on a very little investment in those models (probably very little beyond the IR filter, e.g. change model number in ROM), and leaving customers who shoot astronomy without an upgrade path when their camera goes out of maintenance is bound to piss them off and lead to negative PR.
  7. It will be interesting to see just how correctable to “normal” color this camera can be with a drop in filter. If pretty close with a standard post processing prescription, then it could end up in more kits than seems to be expected.
  8. There may be a lot of universities and collages, not to mention advanced amateur astronomers, interested in this. My own alma mater had a small store room filled with telescopes, and other equipment including a few cameras, that students could book out or use for astronomy assignments.
  9. Looks like Adorama has removed the page, I'm getting a "404 Not Found" error clicking the link. Likely they accidentally put it up before they'd intended it to be public.
  10. For some one who has never done deep sky astrophotography (but has had a lifetime interest in space). What would you ideally use this with?
    Any recommendations on a suitable telescope with tracking ability? (auto alignment if possible).
  11. Any recommendations on a suitable telescope with tracking ability? (auto alignment if possible).
    It is not required to go full out on astro gear to capture deep sky images. I got myself a Fornax Lightrack II portable tracking mount and use my Sigma 150-600mm lens, which is still a combination I could take out into the field when I want to escape the light pollution. I haven't done that yet, but I'm pleased with the results so far.

    For less extreme focal lengths, a more inexpensive tracking mount like a Skywatcher Star Adventurer or something from iOptron are good choices as well. If you really want advice in a telescope, I'm not sure I would seek it in this forum. It's a pretty niche topic and I believe there are more fitting forums for it.

Leave a comment

Please log in to your forum account to comment