Canon’s mirrorless EOS Ra
Canon EOS R
US price: $1,799
Canon EOS Ra
US price: $2,499 usa.canon.com
What we like
Excellent red sensitivity in the Ra model 30× magnification for precise focusing Excellent battery life
What we don’t like
Lacks dark frame buffer No built-in intervalometer 4K movies are cropped 1.8×
IT SEEMS THAT EVERY seven years, astrophotographers have reason to celebrate as Canon issues an astronomical version of one of their current cameras. The new EOS Ra is the third astrophoto camera offered by Canon, following its ground-breaking 20Da in 2005 and seven years later the 60Da.
We already had a test underway of Canon’s mirrorless EOS R when rumours began flying of the astronomical ‘Ra’ model. Using an early sample of the EOS Ra, we put both versions of the EOS R through their paces under the stars.
Red sensitivity
In the days when film was the dominant photographic medium, we coveted the few colour emulsions (remember Kodak Ektachrome 200 or Fuji Super G 400?) that recorded reddish hydrogen-alpha (Hα) nebulosity that permeates the Milky Way better than other films. In the digital age, most general-purpose cameras perform poorly for picking up emission
