DeepSkyCamera Pro is a powerful app for astrophotography using your smartphone. It's an advanced version of the free app, DSC Free, and offers many exciting features to help you capture the beauty of the night sky.

With DeepSkyCamera Pro, you can take stunning photos of the night sky, whether you are using a telescope mount or shooting with your smartphone directly. The app supports both the RAW format and JPEG format, allowing for flexibility based on your needs. You can explore photo live stacking, which allows you to combine images for better clarity and detail. This works with both tracked images, where the phone is mounted on a telescope, and untracked images taken from a stable surface, like a table or chair.

One of the standout features is the viewfinder live stacking function. This allows for a maximum shutter speed of up to 10 seconds, breaking the usual limitations of just 1 second. It's essential for seeing dark objects like M51 and M57 clearly in your viewfinder when connected to a tracking telescope. The app also can create live star trails, animated star trail videos, and timelapse videos in MP4 format. These features use AVC and HEVC codecs to ensure high-quality results.

Using DeepSkyCamera Pro, you will be able to capture long exposure astrophotography images similar to those taken with DSLR or CCD/CMOS cameras. The photos taken are stored in the DNG format, which can be processed later using popular stacking software. When you use photo live stacking, the app displays vital information, including the number of frames taken, rejected frames, exposure time, integration time, processing time, and shifts in the x and y axes, as well as the rotation angle.

The primary goal of photo live stacking in DeepSkyCamera Pro is to enhance astrophotography by stacking images from the night sky. However, it can also handle images taken during the day, provided you change the appropriate settings in the app—consult the DeepSkyCamera Pro manual for detailed guidance.

For quick photo sessions, the preview live stacking function is available. This function allows stacking directly from the viewfinder, which is particularly helpful since many smartphones cannot support slower shutter speeds of over 1 second without risking camera sensor stability. Phones frequently restrict maximum shutter speeds to around 1/3 second or ½ second, which may be insufficient for capturing more subtle dark objects.

It's important to know that astrophotography requires some expertise. DeepSkyCamera Pro is designed for users who understand RAW files, stacking software, and image post-processing. This app is not meant for those looking for an easy, one-click solution to get beautiful pictures without effort. Instead, it empowers astronomers and astrophotographers to capture impressive images with the right knowledge and tools.

To run DeepSkyCamera Pro, your device should meet the following minimal requirements: Android 6 or higher, 3 GB RAM minimum, and 64 GB of flash memory. Adequate RAM is crucial, as the app performs heavy memory operations during routines like RAW photo live stacking. While DeepSkyCamera Pro can work on Android 6, it’s best experienced on Android 8 or higher, with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of flash memory recommended for seamless performance.

You can also install DeepSkyCamera Pro alongside DSC Free. Both apps operate independently, meaning updates to one will not affect the other. Before purchasing DeepSkyCamera Pro, we recommend trying DSC Free first to ensure compatibility with your device. If DSC Free works well on your phone, DeepSkyCamera Pro will too. You can find a comprehensive compatibility list on the DeepSkyCamera website as well.

For further assistance and detailed steps, the DeepSkyCamera Pro manual is available online, providing essential information to maximize your astrophotography experience with this app. With DeepSkyCamera Pro, you’re equipped to explore, capture, and enjoy the wonders of the night sky.