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.