Best Astrophotography Cameras Within Budget

Would you love to start imaging the night sky, but have no idea which camera you should buy? It can be very confusing to find what will become the main tool in the astrophotography journey. In this blog, we will discuss our suggestions as to what camera you should get if you are target in Astrophotography. 

1.SVBONY SV605CC OSC Camera IMX533

If you're seeking an affordable yet high-performance camera for astrophotography, look no further than SVBONY SV605CC Color Cooled Camera. Perfectly suited for beginners in deep space photography, this astro cooled color camera boasts exceptional capabilities, including a maximum cooling temperature that can drop to 20 degrees below ambient temperature.

To help our astronomers understand its value better, we’ve compiled and summarized user reviews about the SV605CC.

Review Highlights

By Quentin Brandes, Sep 22, 2024

"I bought the SV605CC as an upgrade from my Canon 600Da camera. The quality is impressive! A one-hour exposure of NGC 7000 using the 600Da is very similar to a three-minute exposure with the SV220 narrow band filter and the SV605CC. This really highlights the performance of the SV605CC. I highly recommend it for its affordability and compatibility with the SV220 narrow band filter and astronomical telescopes."

By Kent, Jun 14, 2024

"I purchased the SV605CC because it was more affordable than other cameras with the same sensor. The photos are high quality and compatible with the software I use for automatic astrophotography. I’ve been using it weekly for several months and couldn’t be happier with its performance."

By Jeff, Jun 14, 2024

"I initially had issues with streaks on the first camera, but SVBONY’s customer service resolved it quickly. I used to miss many great moments in the sky with my DSLR. Now, using the SV605CC with Stellarmate on Pi4, the one hour of photos I took with this camera surpassed the results from eight hours with my DSLR. It's not a professional astronomy camera, but it's perfect if you're budget-conscious and want to take great photos!"

By DF, April 12, 2023

"I live in a Bortle 4 area where the skies are quite dark. After pairing the SV605CC with a 72mm ED telescope, I captured fantastic images of the M42 nebula and M81/M82 galaxies within an hour. Using SharpCap software for real-time stacking made processing easy, though I'm still learning to fine-tune the colors. Astrophotography is a hobby that requires practice, but this camera has made the journey enjoyable."

Sample Images Taken with SV605CC

Meade 8" SCT
Orion Sirius
Exposure approx. 4 hours
Thomas Chenault 
September 12, 2023

Skywatcher Heritage 150p SynScan Wifi AZ Mount
Svbony SV605CC astronomy camera
Sharpcap 4.0 / 50 frames, 6 seconds per photo (5 minutes in total)
Bortle 4
Sven Hessler 
January 13, 2023  

2.SVBONY SV405CC OSC Camera IMX294

If you’re on the lookout for an budget astronomical cooled camera designed specifically for beginners, we highly recommend the SV405CC Color Cooled Camera. With excellent performance tailored for deep space photography, this camera is ideal for those just starting their astrophotography journey.

The SV405CC is an excellent choice for budding astronomers eager to delve into astrophotography. With affordable pricing, user-friendly features, and impressive feedback from fellow users, it provides everything you need to start capturing stunning celestial images.

To assist potential buyers in understanding its capabilities, we’ve gathered user reviews of the SV405CC too.

Review Highlights

By Kristof Vandebeek

"I'm using the SV405CC with a 420mm F6 refractor. Although the sky was mostly cloudy, I seized a small gap before sunset to photograph the moon. I captured images using SharpCap (frame rate close to 20 FPS, ROI set to 2822x2822, temperature at -5°C) and processed them using Siril by 'sum stacking' the best 200 photos from 2000 frames. The final image has been slightly desaturated and cropped in Photoshop."

By Nicholas Barrowclough

"This photo of the Jellyfish Nebula (IC 443) was taken with an SVBony 80mm telescope (SV550 80mm: f/6, 480mm) and the SV405CC color camera. I used an SV705C and PHD2 for guiding, mounted on a ZWI AM5."

By Antonio Denis Montes

"Here’s my shot of the Rosette Nebula, consisting of 70 exposures, each lasting 180 seconds, supplemented by 50 flats, 50 darks, and 50 dark flats. The SV405CC was set to gain 121 and temperature at -5 degrees, paired with the Svbony SV550 80 APO telescope (f/6) and a SVBony UHC filter. The images were processed with Siril and Lightroom."

By Kaiden Bain

"My latest photo showcases the Rose Nebula, taken with an OSC camera using SHO filters. Capturing this took a total integration time of 29.5 hours with two filters. My setup included a UMi 17 mount, SVBony SV503 80ED telescope, and the SVBony SV405CC OSC cooled camera, guided by an Astromania 50mm Helical Guide Scope and a SVBony SV905C for Ha/O3 filtering."

By Jonatas Pinheiro

"The Rose Nebula is one of my favorites because it's easy to find. I'm still fine-tuning my equipment, but I experimented with new processing techniques to achieve this result. This first test photo used a homemade 150F5 telescope, equipped with a GSO coma compensator and Skywatcher EQ3-2 mount, along with the SVBony SV305 guiding camera and the SV405CC."

Sample Images Taken with SV405CC

Svbony SV550 122mm
SV209 1X field flattener
Svbony SV405CC
-10 C, 120 gain
SVbony SV220 Dual Narrow Band Filter
Astromania 2" IR/UV Cut FilterMount
Sky-Watcher HEQ5 ProGuide
SVBony SV106 60mm Guide -SV305
Sharpcap ProStacked
Bortle 6
Dudley Eirich

SVBONY SV503 80ED
SV193 Flattener
Svbony SV405CC OSC Cooled Camera
astromania 50mm Helical Guide ScopeGuide
SVBONY SV905C
SVBONY SV220
17.5 hours Processed
Kaiden Bain

SVBONY SV550 80mm
SC405CC color camera
SV705C and PHD2 as guides
ZWI AM5 mount
Nicholas Barrowclough

Hope that would be helpful to you all. Embark on your journey through the night sky and discover the wonders of deep space photography!