I had to embark on several minutes of Google sleuthing last week to find out that the bright “star” I was looking at just after sunset was actually Venus – but an upcoming full-frame camera won’t just photograph the stars, but ID and track them too. The ArcBlue C24 is a full-frame astrophotography system that mixes a mirrorless camera with an integrated tracker together with the features of a smart telescope.
Smart telescopes help tell astro-beginners what they are looking at in the night sky, but lack the image prowess of a full-frame camera. The ArcBlue C24 aims to fix that by using a full-frame 24MP Sony sensor combined with a star tracker.
But the ArcBlue C24’s screen that helps not only ID but follow celestial objects across the night sky isn’t the only unusual feature about the camera’s screen. The screen can actually detach from the camera using a magnetic mount system. That allows creators to see the shots and browse the data without bumping the camera as it records – or tying up a smartphone with an app – as well as serving as a wireless remote control.
ArcBlue says that current deepsky setups typically require at least eight different devices and cables for what the C24 accomplishes in four devices and two cables. The camera is built for sitting inside a Pulsar Tri-Axis Harmonic Equatorial Mount – the astrophotography accessory that counteracts the rotation of the Earth for sharp long-exposure shots of the stars. A camera angle adjuster and a counterweight battery complete the setup.
Built-in storage and in-camera HDR stacking also help reduce the number of gadgets required.
The upcoming camera, however, is built for more than simplifying complex astrophotography setups. The 24MP full-frame Sony sensor can also capture in-camera HDR shots that take the sensor from a 14 EV dynamic range to a 29 EV dynamic range.
The camera’s dynamic range speaks to where the idea for the C24 came from. In a blog post, the start-up behind the camera explained that the C42 was built for “the worst lighting test you can give a camera:” a solar eclipse. The camera’s prototype dates back to 2015 and was used to photograph the eclipse in the US in 2017.
The camera’s sensor also has built-in cooling, as long exposures can introduce noise by overheating the sensor. The camera’s equatorial mount is designed to take sharp photos of stars in exposures as long as ten minutes, so cooling is a key feature for cleaner images.
The mirrorless camera is built with an interchangeable face plate system, which means the camera can be modified to support a variety of existing mirrorless lenses and telescopes. The camera will be available in versions to support Sony E, Canon EF, Nikon Z lenses and M68 telescope threads, while standard third-party adapters will open the camera up to lenses from other systems.
The start-up says that the support for existing lenses and telescopes works for ultra-wide astrophotography landscapes to telescope shots of distant celestial objects. While the C24 is designed to use fewer pieces than the standard deep astrophotography setups, the system can also be customized, including skipping the equatorial mount for a lighter nightscape kit.
The ArcBlue C24 was initially teased at the National Association of Broadcasters Show (NAB) in April 2026, but the company is now hinting on social media that the C24 is coming “soon” to Kickstarter.
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