Save over $650 on this Olympus astrophotography camera

One of the our top-rated astrophotography cameras is massively reduced at Walmart.

The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II is one of the best astrophotography cameras that money can buy right now - but it doesn't come cheap. That's why we were so surprised to stumble upon this doozy of an offer from Walmart.

The retailer is offering the OLYMPUS OM-D E-M1 Mark III for just $1204.95 - a discount of nearly $600 from the MSRP of $1799. Weirdly, the Walmart page doesn't mark it down as a deal, but this is indeed a great discount on this lightweight astro camera.

Update: The price jumped up by about $60 since we first published about it, so we've updated the article accordingly. It was $1141.97, it's now $1204.95 – still a great deal.

One of the best features of the OLYMPUS OM-D E-M1 Mark III is its Starry Sky Autofocus, which means the camera is able to use an algorithm to zero in on the smallest stars visible for an impressively sharp picture.

There are two priority modes, too; one for accuracy, and one for speed. The former is ideal for tripods, but the latter means you can grab some great astrophotography shots with a handheld camera. Don't worry about your arm getting tired, either - the OLYMPUS OM-D E-M1 Mark III is impressively compact and lightweight.

That small size does mean the sensor is a little smaller, but with the wealth of features on offer we'd say it's still worth a look.

There's even a Live Composite mode that keeps the shutter open for six hours, adding exposure when lighting changes, and USB connectivity is ideal for keeping the battery topped up while out and about.

You will need your own lenses, however, as this deal is for the camera body only.

Looking for more of the best cameras around but taking photos of nature instead? Be sure to check out our picks for the best wildlife photography cameras.

Lloyd Coombes freelance tech and fitness writer for Live Science. He's an expert in all things Apple as well as in computer and gaming tech, with previous works published on TechRadar, Tom's Guide, Live Science and more. You'll find him regularly testing the latest MacBook or iPhone, but he spends most of his time writing about video games as Gaming Editor for the Daily Star. He also covers board games and virtual reality, just to round out the nerdy pursuits.