Night photography

[Red Poppy]

Are there any cameras that take photos of the moon and stars?

[toriaj]

Yes! Check out the many moon threads here. I just posted some moon shots in this thread: http://www.dcresource.com/forums/showpost.php?p=230832&postcount=1602
There are even ways to attach your camera to a telescope, if you're interested in taking your astrophotography to the next level.

To be able to take pictures of the moon that are "incredible," you will probably want a high-end point & shoot camera, or a DSLR (read: more investment in money, time, processing, and practice.) If you're looking for a point and shoot, check out the Canon S3, (and I know Fuji and Panasonic have some good offerings too.) For a basic DSLR, consider the Canon Digital Rebel XTi, or the Nikon D40 or D80.

Most importantly: you need to have manual focus and a tripod. You need to have manual controls on your camera, so you can adjust the settings yourself. If you want to be able to get star streaks, you will need the ability to have ultra-long shutter speeds (from 15 seconds to 30 minutes, or even hours.) You need a long zoom (telephoto lens) of at least 10x optical zoom on a point and shoot (digital zoom doesn't count) or 300mm on a DSLR lens.

[Red Poppy]

Thank you for answering my query. I am amazed at your photos. I am assuming you took them with a D50 and the appropriate lens::)

[toriaj]

Thanks! Yep, I have a D50, and used my 70-300mm Sigma. It's an inexpensive lens, around $200.