topic Re: Best Lens for Low Light Night Flight in EF & RF Lenses

Best Lens for Low Light Night Flight

PatEisen — Tue, 01 Mar 2016 21:09:30 GMT

I am going on a "one in a lifetime" shoot - flying low and slow over the city of Detroit at sunset/night! I want the best equipment for the situation. I currently have a 70D, and would probably use my 24-105mm f/4L IS USM. I've had a suggestion that the 5D Mark II is the best body for low light, and the 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM would be the best lens.

Thoughts?

Re: Best Lens for Low Light Night Flight

Waddizzle — Wed, 02 Mar 2016 14:33:52 GMT

The 5D Mark II has been replaced by the 5D Mark III. Is that a typo on your part? Go with a newer camera. If you can rent a 5Ds and that 24-70 f/2.8L IS II USM, then that might be the "once in a lifetime" camera kit for your flight.

Re: Best Lens for Low Light Night Flight

ebiggs1 — Wed, 02 Mar 2016 15:21:36 GMT

" I want the best equipment for the situation."

This is a very expensive statement! The "best" is the 1Dx MK II with the ef 24-70mm f2.8L II. Now you better get a whole big pile of money for that. If it is truely a "once in a lifetime" thing you may consider renting this combo. But that is the "best". Period.

That doesn't mean there is not very good alternatives. The 5D Mk III and the same lens is going to be hard to beat.

BTW, forget the 5Ds. It would be far down on the list as low light performance isn't all that great.

Even a T6i with the EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens will do an admirable job and well within most budgets. Plus it will serve you well for everything else for many years to come. Give it a look.

Re: Best Lens for Low Light Night Flight

kvbarkley — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 17:17:19 GMT

You wanted the best:

http://www.kenrockwell.com/canon/lenses/50mm-f1.htm

Re: Best Lens for Low Light Night Flight

Waddizzle — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 18:03:22 GMT

@kvbarkley wrote:
You wanted the best:

The best at what, though? I wasn't using Canon in the '90s, but I would not be surprised if the latest "nifty fifty" has better IQ.

Re: Best Lens for Low Light Night Flight

ebiggs1 — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 21:17:18 GMT

"... but I would not be surprised if the latest "nifty fifty" has better IQ."

If you are referring to the plastic or the newer STM f1.8, yes, you will be surprised. Very surprised. If you were meaning the f1.4 model you are still in for a surprise. If you are referring to the f1.2L model, they are nearly the same lens. These lenses are amazing.

Re: Best Lens for Low Light Night Flight

Waddizzle — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 21:22:19 GMT

@ebiggs1 wrote:
"... but I would not be surprised if the latest "nifty fifty" has better IQ."

If you are referring to the plastic or the newer STM f1.8, yes, you will be surprised. Very surprised. If you were meaning the f1.4 model you are still in for a surprise. If you are referring to the f1.2L model, they are nearly the same lens. These lenses are amazing.

Even from a lens released circa 1989?

Re: Best Lens for Low Light Night Flight

ebiggs1 — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 21:22:41 GMT

"The best at what, though?"

You do have a serious point here most forget. F1.2 or even f1 is not going to make or break nigh time photography. This is the job of the sensor. The difference between f1.2 and f1.4 or even f1 is negligible. One stop at most but the sacrifice of DOF would be tremendous.

Re: Best Lens for Low Light Night Flight

Waddizzle — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 21:28:42 GMT

"You do have a serious point here most forget. F1.2 or even f1 is not going to make or break nigh time photography. This is the job of the sensor. The difference between f1.2 and f1.4 or even f1 is negligible. One stop at most but the sacrifice of DOF would be tremendous."

How much DOF would be lost if you're shooting from a helicopter in flight? I would assume that focus would be pretty close to infinity with a 50mm lens.

Re: Best Lens for Low Light Night Flight

ebiggs1 — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 21:29:11 GMT

"Even from a lens released circa 1989?"

Yes. We used to drool over that lens. It is almost mythical now. It evolved into the f1.2L. You might be surprised to find out how many so-called current lenses have ancient optics borrowed form former designs. Some have only been updated recently. The manufacturing process has improved tremendously that part is true.

There was a FD 50mm f1.2L that was a real gem too. I had one.

Re: Best Lens for Low Light Night Flight

ebiggs1 — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 21:43:16 GMT

"How much DOF would be lost if you're shooting from a helicopter in flight?"

Well you can figure DOF as well as me. Let's say the subject is 100 feet away, DOF would be about 85 feet. Depending on the subject, would that work? I don't know. But change that focal ratio to f2.8 on a 50mm and it would be infinite.

Re: Best Lens for Low Light Night Flight

kvbarkley — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 23:18:06 GMT

At 50mm, f/1 and a FF camera the hyperfocal distance is 76 meters. I think you want to set the hyperfocal and leave it in manual anyway, just to be safe.

Note that F/1 -> F/1.4 is a full stop. So you can stop down with this lens, improve the performance and still get excellent low light capability.

Re: Best Lens for Low Light Night Flight

Waddizzle — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 23:45:27 GMT

"Well you can figure DOF as well as me. Let's say the subject is 100 feet away,..."

From a helicopter, in flight? The subjects [buildings of the night skyline] are likely to be 3-10 times that distance, if not way more than that the majority of the time. The chopper will no doubt have to conform to flight rules that specify a minimum altitude, and flight paths.

Re: Best Lens for Low Light Night Flight

ebiggs1 — Fri, 04 Mar 2016 14:55:33 GMT

"The subjects [buildings of the night skyline] are likely to be 3-10 times that distance, ..."

Perhaps. Who knows? Maybe the OP will wnat to shoot form the ground,also? But you can figure DOF as well as me.

Let me ask, do you typically take cityscapes at max aperture, say f1.4 or even f2? Either of you?

Re: Best Lens for Low Light Night Flight

Waddizzle — Fri, 04 Mar 2016 15:08:49 GMT

"Let me ask, do you typically take cityscapes at max aperture, say f1.4 or even f2? Either of you?"

It depends upon the distance of the nearest features. But, if I want to grab the whole big picture, then I typically shoot landscapes and cityscapes between f/6.3 to f/8, day or night. Of course, at night thise f/stops would require a tripod, and lengthy exposure.

I wouldn't know what to use from a helicopter flying around a cityscape. Never tried anything close to it. But, narrow aperture could be an issue. I have shooting from the Freedom Tower on my bucket list for the summer, though.

Re: Best Lens for Low Light Night Flight

kvbarkley — Fri, 04 Mar 2016 15:08:59 GMT

At night I do, especially from a moving vehicle.

Re: Best Lens for Low Light Night Flight

ebiggs1 — Fri, 04 Mar 2016 15:14:32 GMT

"At night I do, ..."

Let's see what ya got. Care to share a few?

Re: Best Lens for Low Light Night Flight

kvbarkley — Sat, 05 Mar 2016 17:54:10 GMT

I rooted around a bit, and found that all my examples pre-date digital - taken with my TL electro or Minolta S1 - and my scanner is not working or they might be lost. Most of the current night shots that are digital have intentionally *long* shutter times to cause light trails on cars.