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There are basically three different
kinds of digital cameras.
-- Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) cameras or modify and cooled DSLR
cameras;
-- Dedicated Cooled Astronomical Charge - Coupled Device (CCD) Cameras;
-- Webcams.
DSLR cameras
have removable lenses with a wide variety of focal lengths from fisheyes
to super telephotos. They offer complete creative control over aperture,
shutter speeds and ISO. They have large digital CMOS sensors and IR cut
filter. Their lenses can be removed and replaced with an adapter that
allows them to be hooked up directly to the telescope where the scope
acts as the camera lens. The modified DSLR have special astro filter and
cooled chip.
CCD cameras.
These cameras are specially cooled to reduce noise, and are specifically
made for scientific and imaging purposes by manufacturers such as Santa
Barbara Instrument Group, Meade, Atik, Starlight Express, and Finger
Lakes, Moravian Instruments. They are made to be used through a
telescope, but adapters can be purchased that allow use with camera
lenses for wide angle shots. Astronomical CCD cameras require a computer
to be used.
Webcams. Web
cameras (AstroLumina, Meade, TS, Celestron) are usually inexpensive
cameras with color CCD or CMOS chips that are made to stream video over
the web. They have very small chips with tiny high-resolution pixels
that shoot continuous digital video. They work very well for
high-resolution planetary imaging, but not very well for deep sky
imaging. Web cameras require a computer to be used, too.
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