2020-05-01_Astronomy

62 ASTRONOMY • MAY 2020

With all the noise about Sony and Nikon

cameras over recent years, I was under

the impression that Canon had gone dor-

mant. I could not have been more wrong.

Not only has Canon been quietly creating

new innovations in camera lenses and

design, but they also have been working

to improve the overall quality of their

products. This is clearly evident with the

release of their new EOS Ra camera.

The camera is based on the company’s

mirrorless R model, with two significant

modifications. Instead of the usual 10x

magnification, the latest Ra model can go

to 30x, allowing you to obtain an

extremely precise focus on stars, espe-

cially when using a wide-angle lens.

Additionally, the Ra model sports a newly

designed filter that lets the emission line

of Hydrogen-alpha (Hα) at 656.3 nano-

meters really shine through. This leads

to a roughly fourfold increase in the

transmission sensitivity of Hα light —

enabling you to capture deeper, more

vivid reds — for the Ra compared to pre-

vious models, yet the window is so pre-

cise that the camera can still be used in

daylight. Though Canon officials “do not

recommend” using the Ra for daytime

applications, after two months of day-

time use, I have yet to see a bad picture.

The Canon Ra, like the R, has a full-

frame, 30.3-megapixel CMOS sensor with

an individual pixel size of 5.36 microns.

The large pixel size

helps it strike a

good balance between resolution and

light sensitivity, as each of the Ra’s pixels

absorbs more photons than the smaller

pixels found in many other camera sen-

sors. The Ra’s electronics incorporate the

latest DIGIC 8 image processor, which

has powerful noise-suppression capabili-

ties. Images taken in extremely low-light

situations and then stretched to look nor-

mal show very low noise — on par with

the best cameras currently available.

The Ra is a thoroughly modern cam-

era, with most of its main controls acces-

sible via touch screen. This makes

adjustments at 2 a.m., when you are half-

asleep, a breeze. The rear screen also

articulates into any position, unlike

many other screens that have limited or

no movement. When you’re not using

the camera, the screen can be folded

so its glass face is on the inside, pro-

tecting it from damage. And,

unique to the Canon R series, when

the camera is turned off, the shutter

closes, protecting the delicate sensor

inside from dust and other contami-

nants. This also means that changing

lenses while the camera is off does not

expose the sensor to the environment.

Canon optical engineers also enlarged

the Ra’s front opening to 52mm. The

larger opening facilitates lenses that are

sharper to the edge and have less vignett-

ing, helping keep images crisp all the way

to the periphery. Lenses that are dedi-

cated to the R series bear the “RF” desig-

nation; the RF 70–200mm f/2.8 is a

prime example. You can, however, still

use older EF lenses with a short adapter,

and you can order the adapter with a

built-in filter housing. Canon also offers

polarizing and variable neutral density

filters that you can insert into the adapter

With 30 megapixels of resolution, a full-frame sensor,

and a mirrorless body, the EOS Ra camera can

help you reveal the night sky in all its glory.

TEXT AND IMAGES BY TONY HALLAS

Canon’s new astro

WE

TEST

One of the most

striking features of the

Canon Ra is its vari-angle

LCD screen, which makes it a

breeze to view your target no

matter where the camera

points. In this case, the target

is the Orion Nebula seen

through a 200mm lens.