One of the main considerations when choosing an astrophotography camera is whether it comes with a color or monochrome (black & white) sensor. There is a large selection to choose from either way, although a good number of relatively inexpensive beginner imaging cameras often come in color only.

While a color camera may be easier to master, a monochrome astro-imaging camera is nice because you can shoot in black and white, or you can add an external color filter wheel to the system and image in color. In fact, some monochrome cameras come with an internal filter wheel! Regardless of whether the filter wheel is internal or external, most of the time you will need to buy the filters themselves separately. That is usually best, however, because there is a huge selection of imaging filters to choose from, including the basic LRGB (Luminance, Red, Green & Blue) filter set as well as narrowband filters that allow you to explore particular wavelengths of light alone or as a group.

While this is a huge subject, here is the takeaway: A color camera is a good choice if you want to end up with color images but don't want the added expense and learning curve of a monochrome camera and filter wheel. However, a monochrome camera will grow with you as you add accessories to expand its capabilities.

The magnification factor, also known as "power", is listed as the first number given in a binocular's name, like 7 x 50, 8 x 40, etc. In the first example, these binoculars magnify an image 7X more than if you were looking at that image with the "naked eye". When talking about zoom binoculars, the magnification is listed like this: 7-21 x 50. That means the binoculars have a zoom mechanism that takes the power from 7X to 21X as far as the eye can see. Please note that it doesn't matter whether there is spacing between the numbers or whether the "X" is upper- or lower-cased.

Don't always assume that more magnification is better! The more power, the harder it is to keep the image stable when hand-holding binoculars. Most people can comfortably hand-hold up to an 8X (most popular for birding), but after that, you may or may not need a tripod for a shake-free view...it depends on your own steadiness and how long you plan to view.