Photzy

HOW TO CHOOSE A LENS FOR NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY

Quick Guide
Written by Aaron Seefeld

HOW TO CHOOSE A LENS FOR NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY // © PHOTZY.COM 1

SPONSORED Advertise with us

Before you dive into this guide, here's a few other

free resources to help you learn photography:

What is Your #1 Photography Killer? 3 Free Photography Cheat Sheets Free Photography eBooks

Take this 30 second quiz to find out Grab 3 free photography cheat Free access to our library of 250+
the #1 thing holding your sheets that will help you downloadable (pdf) tutorials on
photography back. understand the basics. everything you can imagine.

Take Quiz → Download Cheat Sheets → Download eBooks →

Want quick photography tips?

Check out our friends at DailyPhotoTips.com they'll send you 1 solid photography tip
to your inbox, 5 days a week. So you can start your day right, with actionable tips to
help you on your creative journey. Subscribe now → (free for a limited time)

SPONSORED Advertise with us

 As the landscape gets swallowed by darkness
and the lights come on, there’s something
magical that happens. Trees and buildings fade
into the shadows, and the lights in the street and
sky make their presence known in the canvas
that surrounds us. The beauty of the night is
something to behold, but capturing that beauty
on camera with little to no help from the sun is
a tremendous undertaking. There are several
things we can do to compensate for the lack
of light, but choosing the right lens for the
job is one of the most important, and more
intimidating, tasks out there.

To not get your hopes up, I’m going to say this

right off the bat: I will not be recommending
any specific lenses in this guide. Every one of
us has our own set of requirements, priorities,
and preferences. The intention of this guide is to
help you decide what lens will work best as you
shoot outside of daylight hours.

In this guide, we’ll discuss the following:

• Things you need to consider before

researching lenses
• Qualities to look for in a lens used for
shooting in the dark
• How to choose a lens that will work for you
Photograph by Aaron Seefeld

HOW TO CHOOSE A LENS FOR NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY // © PHOTZY.COM 2

 WHERE TO BEGIN

There is a myriad of lens choices out there, and it Borealis or Aurora Australis, or the Milky Way, you’ll
can be overwhelming to wade through the list in probably want a wide to ultra-wide lens. Individual
search of your holy grail. Before turning to your constellations can often be captured with a wide
search engine of choice, it’s important to consider to standard focal length. Close-ups of the moon
a few things that will help you narrow down your require a telephoto lens, or even a small telescope!
options. Whatever you wish to photograph, make sure you
have a focal length that adequately frames your
What camera(s) do you own? subject.
This is a simple question, but it eliminates a number Also consider whether you might use this lens to
of options right off the bat. It sounds obvious, but shoot things in daylight or with artificial lighting.
limiting your search to options for your camera Some lenses that are great for night shots are manual
system keeps you from wasting time researching focus only. Focusing manually in the dark can be
lenses that won’t work. For example, if you shoot easier than trying to use auto focus, so that’s fine.
a full-frame Nikon DSLR, not only can you ignore However, if you want to use the same lens in the
lenses made for the other manufacturers’ bodies, but daylight, auto focus can be a huge time saver.
you can also ignore Nikon’s 1 NIKKOR and DX lines.
(Yes, I know that DX lenses work on FX bodies, but Recommended Reading: If you want to
why would you want to lose the benefit of the larger learn more about how to capture amazing
sensor when every photon is critical at night?) landscape photographs, take at look at Photzy’s
best-selling guide, Complete Landscape
What do you plan to shoot with this lens? Photography

Night photography is a vast subject, so think

about what you’re trying to photograph. If you
want to capture a moonlit landscape, the Aurora

HOW TO CHOOSE A LENS FOR NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY // © PHOTZY.COM 3

 What is your budget?

This is another question that can narrow

down your choices. If you’re like me and
can’t afford the flagship line of lenses
from your camera’s manufacturer, there
are less expensive options out there.
Many kit lenses are great for shooting
night cityscapes, moonlit landscapes with
star trails, or anything that doesn’t require
stopping motion. There are also some
more affordable prime and short-range
zoom lenses with fast apertures from
the major manufacturers. Don’t rule out
third-party and/or used lenses. You must
be a little more diligent to find a good
copy when pursuing third-party or used
options, but they can save a lot of money
and still produce excellent results.

Photograph by Aaron Seefeld

HOW TO CHOOSE A LENS FOR NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY // © PHOTZY.COM 4

 WHAT SHOULD YOU LOOK FOR IN A LENS?

Name brand or third party? The best way to collect as much light as quickly as possible
is to use a lens with a fast aperture and shoot it wide open.
In the past, third-party manufacturers like Sigma, Tamron, A wide aperture coupled with the highest usable ISO
Tokina, and Rokinon had reputations for having cheap on your camera will result in the shortest shutter speed
lenses that didn’t perform very well compared to their needed for a proper exposure. The smaller the f number
Nikon and Canon counterparts. Well, the times have the better; f/2.8 is often regarded as the benchmark for
changed. The third-party players have upped their game a fast lens, but there are many lenses that boast f/1.8 or
and have produced some excellent lenses now. Sigma’s faster.
Art line and Tamron’s G2 lenses are highly regarded in
the field. Tokina has been a steady performer with good Of course, like all things in photography, there are
alternatives to the camera manufacturers. In the last few tradeoffs. Depth of field is reduced as the aperture opens
years, Rokinon has put out some impressive fast lenses. up. This isn’t too much of a concern with ultra-wide to wide
The biggest knock on the third-party lenses has been focal lengths because infinity is only a few feet away from
quality control. If you can find a good copy of their lenses, the camera’s sensor, and your subject is usually beyond
you’ll have something that performs almost as well as a that. It may become more of an issue when shooting
lens from Nikon or Canon. If you get a bad copy, well, with a standard to telephoto lens. Reduced sharpness is
hopefully you can exchange it for another one. It’s harder a bigger concern. All lenses exhibit some degradation
to go wrong with the camera manufacturer lenses, but when shot wide open. The center of the frame usually isn’t
even the big names have some bad lenses, so you still affected too much, but the effects are more pronounced
have to be careful. in the corners. Pay attention to this and look for a lens that
produces an image that looks good to you.
Aperture
If you plan to shoot stars or the Milky Way, a fast aperture
Photography is the recording of light to your camera’s is crucial. You want the stars to appear as dots, not streaks
sensor or film. When there isn’t much of the precious in the image. Stars are always in motion and begin to
commodity around, you need to make every photon count. streak after 10-30 seconds, depending on your focal

HOW TO CHOOSE A LENS FOR NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY // © PHOTZY.COM 5

 length and sensor size. This is one area
where you have to balance a fast-enough
aperture with acceptable image quality.
Remember, acceptable image quality is
subjective.

If you shoot skylines, fireworks, or

anything that doesn’t require stopping
motion, you can get away with a slower
lens. The photo on the left is an example
of this. It was shot at f/11 to keep as much
of the scene as in focus as possible, and
a longer shutter speed was desirable to
capture multiple firework bursts in one
frame. I didn’t care that some of the
boats were drifting since they weren’t my
subject.

Recommended Reading: Want

to have a better understanding of
Depth of Field and how you can use
it to improve your photography?
Grab a copy of Photzy’s premium
guide, Beautiful Background Blur

Photograph by Aaron Seefeld

HOW TO CHOOSE A LENS FOR NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY // © PHOTZY.COM 6

 Flare control

I know what you’re thinking: “The sun’s

down, so why do I have to worry about
flare?” The sun may be down, but lens
flare can appear if you have a bright light
source in or just outside of your image.
Did you notice the weird blob above the
lift bridge in the image on the left? That’s
lens flare (and a poor attempt to smooth
it out) from a street light that was just to
the right of the frame.

Another type of flare that rears its head

at night is coma flare. Coma flare is the
phenomenon where point sources of light
that should appear as a dot or circle, such
as stars, get distorted into weird-looking
blobs. This happens in the corners of the
frame, but not the center.

Photograph by Aaron Seefeld

HOW TO CHOOSE A LENS FOR NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY // © PHOTZY.COM 7

 This image is a crop from the corner of one of
my images. The red arrows point to some of
the worst instances of coma flare.

Almost all lenses suffer from coma flare, but

there are a couple of ways to combat the
issue. Stopping the aperture down about one
stop is usually enough to make the issue go
away. I know I said that you want the widest
aperture you can get, but I also mentioned
that everything has a tradeoff. This is no
exception to that rule. If you have a lens that
opens to f/1.8, you can stop down to f/2.5
or even f/2.8 to reduce the flare, but still be
working with a fast-enough aperture for most
applications.

Another approach to reducing coma flare is

to use a lens that covers full-frame sensors on
an APS-C sensor camera. The affected areas
of a full-frame lens fall mostly outside of the
smaller APS-C sensor’s view, so the worst flare
isn’t recorded in the image.
Photograph by Aaron Seefeld

HOW TO CHOOSE A LENS FOR NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY // © PHOTZY.COM 8

 Photograph by Aaron Seefeld

HOW TO CHOOSE A LENS FOR NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY // © PHOTZY.COM 9

 CHOOSING A LENS

Now that we’ve discussed what to think

about and look for, it’s time to choose
a lens. For some applications, you may
already have something in your bag that
will work. If you need to purchase a new
(to you, anyways) lens, the internet can
be your best friend and worst enemy. If
you do a quick search for “best lens for
night photography,” you’ll end up with
hundreds of results, with hundreds of
different opinions.

Search through the lists and look for

lenses that meet your criteria (camera
make and model, aperture values, focal
length, price, etc.) and that several sites
seem to agree on. Make note of the ones
that may work for you and then search for
each of those models.

Photograph by Aaron Seefeld

HOW TO CHOOSE A LENS FOR NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY // © PHOTZY.COM 10

 There are plenty of reviews for just about every lens Key Lesson: After doing so much research,
ever made. Some lenses will get rave reviews from it’s easy to feel a bit overwhelmed and not be
one site and trashed on another. Don’t let the mixed sure what to do. Sit on it for a couple of days.
reactions discourage you. I like to read the technical Come back with a refreshed mind and re-visit
reviews, but they put a lot of emphasis on lab tests your options. Start doing some price shopping
and nit-pick every “flaw” a lens has. I tend to put more from reputable sellers. Your head and heart may
weight on the reviews from verified buyers on the be telling you different things (mine sure did
camera store websites. I’m not a professional, so if a when I was going through this process a few
lens is good enough for 90% of those who own it, I’m months ago). Follow your heart, but don’t ignore
sure it’ll be good enough for me. I still have to discern your head. If your heart really wants a lens that
whether the lens meets my needs and wants, but I feel your head says you can’t afford, be prudent and
confident that the lens will perform well. start saving up. If you really can’t wait, choose a
more affordable option. Debt is not worth
Once you’ve identified a couple of good options, read
racking up over a hobby. If photography is how
the reviews again and look for sample images taken
you make your living, you’ll have to consider the
with those lenses. If it’s feasible, visit a camera store
purchase from a business perspective.
and ask to see those lenses. Most places will let you
try them out in the store if they have one in stock.
Take a few test shots and check for the things that are Once you’ve decided on the lens you want, wait
important to you in regard to image quality. Be sure to another day or two and make sure you still feel the
take some test shots with the aperture wide open so same way. If you don’t, repeat the steps above. Once
you can get a better idea of what to expect if you were you’re set, make your purchase and enjoy the benefits
to use the lens in the field. It may be tempting to walk of having the right tool for the job!
out of a store with a new lens in hand, but try to resist
Recommended Reading: If you want to learn
the urge, especially if you’re not 100% sure whether it’s
more about how to capture amazing landscape
the one for you.
photographs, take at look at Photzy’s best-selling
guide, Complete Landscape Photography

HOW TO CHOOSE A LENS FOR NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY // © PHOTZY.COM 11

 Self Check Quiz

• Why is it important to think about

what gear you already have and
what you intend to photograph
before researching lenses for night
photography?
• What should you look for in a lens
used for photographing in the
dark?
• True or false: A fast aperture
is important, but can lead to
problems with image quality.
• True or false: Third-party lenses
should not be ignored when
considering a new lens.
• Why is it important to wait and
make sure you really want a
particular lens before making the
purchase?
Photograph by Aaron Seefeld

HOW TO CHOOSE A LENS FOR NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY // © PHOTZY.COM 12

SPONSORED Advertise with us

Hey there!
Let's get real for a minute... Learning photography can be super challenging! But
we're here to help you every step of the way! Here are 3 of our most useful (and
FREE!) photography resources:

3 Free Photography Cheat Sheets What is Your #1 Photography Killer? Free Photography eBooks

Grab 3 free photography cheat Take this 30 second quiz to find out Free access to our library of 250+
sheets that will help you the #1 thing holding your downloadable (pdf) tutorials on
understand the basics. photography back. everything you can imagine.

Download Cheat Sheets → Take Quiz → Download eBooks →

Want quick photography tips?

Check out our friends at DailyPhotoTips.com they'll send you 1 solid photography tip
to your inbox, 5 days a week. So you can start your day right, with actionable tips to
help you on your creative journey. Subscribe now →
(free for a limited time)

SPONSORED Advertise with us

 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

IF YOU’D LIKE TO CONTINUE

LEARNING AND IMPROVING
YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY PLEASE
VISIT PHOTZY.COM

Aaron is an passionate photographer who loves to shoot

whenever he can. With young kids and a day job, that usually
means in the middle of the night. You can see his photography
on Flickr or GuruShots.

13