topic Re: Which lens for night photography? in EF & RF Lenses

Which lens for night photography?

Goner — Thu, 07 Jul 2016 01:20:33 GMT

really enjoy taking photos at night and I just love the way pictures at night look, I'm extremely new at photography in general and I have a Canon 600D T3i with a 18-55mm Lens.

I want to get another lens but I'm not exactly sure which would be the best lens for night photography. Any recommendations or tips?

Thank you

Re: Which lens for night photography?

RobertTheFat — Thu, 07 Jul 2016 02:00:23 GMT

@Goner wrote:
really enjoy taking photos at night and I just love the way pictures at night look, I'm extremely new at photography in general and I have a Canon 600D T3i with a 18-55mm Lens.

I want to get another lens but I'm not exactly sure which would be the best lens for night photography. Any recommendations or tips?

Thank you

For outdoor photography at night, the most important tool is a good, solid tripod, not another lens.

Re: Which lens for night photography?

cicopo — Thu, 07 Jul 2016 02:10:54 GMT

AGREE with the Tripod recommendation. SOLID when set up & locked into position.

Re: Which lens for night photography?

ebiggs1 — Thu, 07 Jul 2016 13:30:33 GMT

Besides getting a good tripod, you can't go wrong with the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens. It is almost a requirement for a Rebel owner. It has IQ that rivals some of the most expensive lenses. It is a constant aperture which is its greatest advantage over your kit lens.

Re: Which lens for night photography?

Waddizzle — Thu, 07 Jul 2016 14:05:38 GMT

@cicopo wrote:
AGREE with the Tripod recommendation. SOLID when set up & locked into position.

AGREE with the tripod suggestions. Do NOT buy a plastic tripod from the big box store. All that plastic tripods do is shake and break. Buy a professional grade tripod, one with separate detachable head. It should last you longer than the camera. You should expect to spend between $100 and $200 for a quality tripod kit when they are on sale.

I suggest buying a tripod with a ball head, which are the simplest and easiest to use. Make sure to get a ball head with a friction adjustment. Most manufacturers sell "tripod kits", that include a tripod, a head, and many times a quality case.

I prefer Induro/Benro tripods. Manfrotto is another good brand. I prefer heads that use "Arca Swiss" compatible, camera plates. If you do not understand what I am talking about, please ask questions.

[EDIT] For night shots, learn about White Balance.

Re: Which lens for night photography?

RobertTheFat — Thu, 07 Jul 2016 16:17:36 GMT

@Waddizzle wrote:
@cicopo wrote:
AGREE with the Tripod recommendation. SOLID when set up & locked into position.
AGREE with the tripod suggestions. Do NOT buy a plastic tripod from the big box store. All that plastic tripods do is shake and break. Buy a professional grade tripod, one with separate detachable head. It should last you longer than the camera. You should expect to spend between $100 and $200 for a quality tripod kit when they are on sale.

I suggest buying a tripod with a ball head, which are the simplest and easiest to use. Make sure to get a ball head with a friction adjustment. Most manufacturers sell "tripod kits", that include a tripod, a head, and many times a quality case.

I prefer Induro/Benro tripods. Manfrotto is another good brand. I prefer heads that use "Arca Swiss" compatible, camera plates. If you do not understand what I am talking about, please ask questions.

[EDIT] For night shots, learn about White Balance.

You want your tripod to be lightweight, stable, and cheap. You can have any two of those, but not all three. The usual reason for a tripod is to allow for very slow shutter speeds, and in that case stability is crucial. And unless you're going to carry it on long hikes, you probably don't care how much a tripod weighs.

So I'd go along with Waddizzle's suggestion of a Benro or something similar. I have two Benros (full-size and tabletop) and am quite happy with them. They're heavy but rock solid, and they weren't particularly expensive.

Re: Which lens for night photography?

ebiggs1 — Thu, 07 Jul 2016 19:08:08 GMT

B from B

" I'd go along with Waddizzle's suggestion of a Benro or something similar. ..."

I don't. Here's why. Benro is a high end manufacturer and makes products that the average Rebel owner has not use of or benefit from. Nothing wrong with buying a Benro or Manfrotto but there are very good buys that are quite serviceable for much less money.

Yeah, I spent a grand on a tripod but I used it professionally for years. The average joe just doesn't do that. Slik makes the Slik Sprint Pro II Tripod at around $80 bucks and it will do anything most people want. The Magnus VT-300 Video Tripod with Fluid Head by Pearstone is really nice for a DSLR at approx, $80 bucks. There are a lot of good tripods for even less.

What I want to leave you with is, if it is plastic it is junk. Never been a fan of Benro as I always have used Bogen or Manfrotto but they each may make a good affordable tripod, too. I haven't checked lately.

Re: Which lens for night photography?

kvbarkley — Thu, 07 Jul 2016 19:23:42 GMT

"Night photography" means a lot of things, but the most affordable relatively fast lens is the EF 50 mm F/1.8.

Re: Which lens for night photography?

RobertTheFat — Thu, 07 Jul 2016 21:28:45 GMT

@ebiggs1 wrote:
B from B
" I'd go along with Waddizzle's suggestion of a Benro or something similar. ..."

I don't. Here's why. Benro is a high end manufacturer and makes products that the average Rebel owner has not use of or benefit from. Nothing wrong with buying a Benro or Manfrotto but there are very good buys that are quite serviceable for much less money.
Yeah, I spent a grand on a tripod but I used it professionally for years. The average joe just doesn't do that. Slik makes the Slik Sprint Pro II Tripod at around $80 bucks and it will do anything most people want. The Magnus VT-300 Video Tripod with Fluid Head by Pearstone is really nice for a DSLR at approx, $80 bucks. There are a lot of good tripods for even less.

What I want to leave you with is, if it is plastic it is junk. Never been a fan of Benro as I always have used Bogen or Manfrotto but they each may make a good affordable tripod, too. I haven't checked lately.

"Benro is a high end manufacturer..."? You're kidding, right? When I bought my first Benro, I thought they were a B&H house brand.

Re: Which lens for night photography?

ebiggs1 — Thu, 07 Jul 2016 21:52:56 GMT

OK, B form B,

Not kidding! Didn't say they were Manfrotto/Bogen or Gitzo. They are not the B&H house brand unless B&H made an order for some. The point, must have been missed, is you don't need the top of the line or even the middle of the line for the average amateur enthusiasts photographer.

The previous posts seem to infer that. The OP can get into a very nice tripod that will do all he wants for $80 bucks or less. That was my point.

Plastic is the key.

Re: Which lens for night photography?

Goner — Thu, 07 Jul 2016 21:57:19 GMT

I appreciate the help! Thank you 🙂

Re: Which lens for night photography?

Goner — Thu, 07 Jul 2016 21:57:42 GMT

Thank you!

Re: Which lens for night photography?

Goner — Thu, 07 Jul 2016 21:58:04 GMT

Thank you! I'm definitely going to check out some tripods that people have mentioned right now 🙂

Re: Which lens for night photography?

Goner — Thu, 07 Jul 2016 22:40:54 GMT

With everything you have said etc, Do you think I should buy the Magnus or the Silk Sprint pro II ? Some people are saying to get a ball head Tripod and I'm not sure if that's different than what you recommended.

Re: Which lens for night photography?

Waddizzle — Fri, 08 Jul 2016 07:24:41 GMT

@Goner wrote:
With everything you have said etc, Do you think I should buy the Magnus or the Silk Sprint pro II ? Some people are saying to get a ball head Tripod and I'm not sure if that's different than what you recommended.

Ball heads are the easiest tripod head to use, because they are the fastest to re-adjust. It usually involves adjusting just one knob, instead of two, or more.

Not every manufacturer that makes decent tripods also makes decent heads. As i noted earlier, I purchase tripods when they are on sale, usually at clearance discount pricing. I do not think there are any "decent" tripod kits out there that sell for a list price of less than $100.

The "Silk Sprint pro II " that you mentioned has a load rating of less than 5 pounds. Be aware that load ratings are usually measured with the center column fully retracted. Extending the center column only adds to the instability to the tripod. Also, take note of how tall a tripod can be both with and without the center column extended. Not every manufacturer releases data about how tall their tripods are with the center column fully retracted. The head lacks a friction control, and I am uncertain if you can remove the head and replace with a better one. Not good.

Typically, you want a tripod that is rated at least 3-4 times the maximum load that you expect to mount on the tripod. I would advise a tripod rated at least 15-20 pounds. Weak tripods can vibrate in a gentle breeze like tuning fork. A good tripod will be lifetime investment.

A quick check at my favorite online store, B&H, shows a The FVY28AIH1 Velocity Series 2 Aluminum Tripod and IH1 Ball Head from Benro is on sale at close to 40% off list price. It is rated at 17 pounds, and includes a case. One of the best things I like about the Benro brand is that most tripods include a case, and Benro makes very good cases.

Please, do not consider that mention of a particular model as a product endorsement. It is just an example of what I consider to be a "decent" tripod.

Re: Which lens for night photography?

Goner — Fri, 08 Jul 2016 08:04:39 GMT

Truly appreciate your help with this all. I'll definitely check out that tripod tomorrow after work 🙂

Re: Which lens for night photography?

ebiggs1 — Fri, 08 Jul 2016 14:19:50 GMT

" Do you think I should buy the Magnus or the Silk Sprint pro II ?

No, unless you find them useful to your requirements. They are just examples. There is more in this same class.

These two just happened to be tripods that a couple friends of mine bought recently. They are pretty nice. I think they got them from Amazon. A retailer I normally don't recommend.

"Some people are saying to get a ball head Tripod and I'm not sure if that's different than what you recommended."

Now you have come to your needs and requirement. You wanted to do nighttime photography. Is that your main most thing? If, yes, than either of the mentioned tripods will work well and they will last you a lifetime.

Now do you want it for shooting birds or wildlife, also? A ball head is not the way to go. A gimbal head is. In this case you will need to buy a tripod that has a removable head.

Are you going to turn 'pro'? Do you see how you must decide what you want and need first? Make a mistake in truly considering your requirements and you will be buying another tripod in the future. Believe me.

My personal opinion is I like a fluid head. Way better than ball heads. Even though they are designed for video. They work extremely well for stills.

Re: Which lens for night photography?

ScottyP — Sat, 09 Jul 2016 01:00:35 GMT

I agree with the idea of a tripod, BUT only if you are photographing something that isn't alive and isn't moving.

Tripods let you take liberties with the variable of TIME, by eliminating hand-held camera shake. If light is in short supply, the tripod lets you take a picture of a rock or building using a long slow shutter opening. Over a long enough time, enough light can get into the camera to give a proper exposure. Without the tripod, holding the camera, your hands shaking would blur the picture because no one can hold a camera that still.

There is another kind of blur, however, that tripods can't help with. That is subject motion blur. Your shutter still needs to be fast enough to freeze the motion of a moving subject. Even a person sitting still is moving a little.

If your night shots include moving things, people, animals, or even plants that are moving in a breeze, you need a larger aperture lens, not a tripod. A lens with an f/2.8 or f/1.8 aperture lets 4x and 8x, respectively, more light into the camera than a kit lens with a little f/5.6 aperture like an 18-55 kit lens. You can use this to get a 4x or 8x faster shutter speed, avoiding subject motion blur.

As a as a cool side effect of a large aperture, you get a shallow depth of field in focus. This gives an appealing effect of blurring out the background so your subject pops out nicely.

Bright lenses need not be expensive. There are bargain options available. What is your budget?

Re: Which lens for night photography?

Goner — Fri, 08 Jul 2016 23:30:57 GMT

I appreciate your help so much, my budget is around $200 but id spend more if NEEDED

Re: Which lens for night photography?

ScottyP — Sat, 09 Jul 2016 01:18:27 GMT

If you are shooting buildings or night landscapes, any lens will basically do. If you are shooting anything alive or anything that moves at night or in poor light, you want something with a large aperture. Aperture is measured in f/numbers, and somewhat confusingly, the smaller the f/number, the bigger the aperture opening in the lens.

A large aperture is generally considered to be f/2.8 or larger. Lenses you can find for Canon run from f/2.8 to as large as f/1.2. The lenses near your stated budget will lie between f/2.8 and f/1.8.