Lens Recommendations for Sunset and Moon Photography

[_abbey]

Hi!! I am very new to this. I am wanting a lens where I can really zoom in on the sun during a sunset and the moon! I have a rebel t8i. The cheaper the better lol! Than you in advance! 

[amfoto1 · Accepted solution]

Your T8i came with an EF-S 18-55mm lens, which is a mildly wide, normal and short telephoto zoom lens, all in one.

For sunrises and sunsets, as well as other scenic shots, many people like to use a wide angle lens. Try your 18-55mm at the 18mm setting. Wide enough? If not, Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM is a bargain at $300 (plus the lens hood... $25 or less). 

For birds, other critters and those shots of the moon, you usually will need a telephoto lens. A very good value that's compact and reasonably light weight is the EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM, which also sells for about $300 (+$25 for its lens hood). Honestly, though, 250mm will be too short focal length to give much moon detail or get shots of small birds that aren't very close.

Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 first version or II gets you a little more "reach". The current II version sells for $600 new, but the earlier version can be found for under $300 used. There also have been an "L" version that's more robust and a lot more expensive, as well as a "DO" version that uses diffractive optics to be a bit smaller, which used to be quite expensive but has come way down in price on the used market.  

Avoid the EF 75-300mm III. There's a reason it's cheap... it simply isn't all that great a lens. I'd avoid all the EF 75-300mm versions, for that matter.

For shots of the moon and wildlife, even 300mm can often come up short. But beyond that focal length things start to get more expensive. Canon has offered two versions of EF 100-400mm L-series lenses, the first being very good and the current "II" being truly excellent... but over $2000! Sigma and Tamron both offer 100-400mm lenses that are a lot more affordable (well under $1000), but also aren't are sharp as the Canon lenses.

The next step up is a 150-600mm made by Tamron and Sigma. These cost between $900 and $2000, depending upon the model. They are fairly large and heavy, compared to everything above.... but will get you pretty close to those distant subjects.

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Alan Myers
San Jose, Calif., USA
"Walk softly and carry a big lens."
GEAR: 5DII, 7DII (x2), 7D(x2) some other cameras, various lenses & accessories
FLICKR & ZENFOLIO 

[shadowsports]

Seems to be a discrepancy here.

[_abbey]

Honest mistake! Sorry 🙂 

[shadowsports]

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@_abbey wrote:

Honest mistake! Sorry 🙂 

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Noted. Its just that you've made reference to 3 body's here or elsewhere.  

[ebiggs1]

"The cheaper the better lol! Than you in advance!"

Of course, that's true for almost everybody. That's why bad advice only makes the cost go up. There is no "one" lens. That's why your DSLR can use different, many different, lenses. Your current kit lens will serve you well for landscapes and sunsets/sun rise. You do not need any other lens for that.

You should never try to "really zoom in" on the Sun unless you have very specialized gear. If you want to really zoom in on the Moon, however, something in the 250mm or even 300mm won't do that. Depending on what you actually mean by really zooming in. Even though one of the 150-600mm super zooms may cost more than some other lenses it may be the cheapest way to go. You will have to judge if that is truly what you want. The EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM Lens is an excellent value but try it before you buy one. Its hard to advise when not knowing your exact wants.