Best Nikon Lens for Astrophotography + Telescope Advices
Today we’ll talk about the best Nikon lens for astrophotography, we will give the 7 best Nikon lenses that are compatible with Nikon cameras. We will also say something more about astrophotography through a telescope, but also about astrophotography without a telescope, about its advantages and disadvantages.
Stay with us until the end of the article and find out which is the best Nikon lens for astrophotography and much more!
Best Nikon Lens for Astrophotography
The powerful lens perfectly captures all kinds of space events. Its wide angle can focus to infinity. Images look animated with stunning colors and details. You will fall in love with it for sure.
The lens features Silent Wave Motor (SWM) technology that enables fast and quiet autofocus with manual override for precise focus control when needed.
It is ideal for shooting in low light conditions and portraits. A fast maximum aperture of f/1.8 provides a shallow depth of field to match your subject. At the same time, its manual override capability makes it easy to manually control direction when needed.
It’s a high-performance standard lens with a fixed focal length of 35mm and a fast maximum aperture of f/1.8, ideal for shooting everything from wide landscapes to portraits and close-ups (when using DX-format D-SLRs).
A maximum aperture of f/1.8 allows you to shoot in low-light conditions without using flash or increasing ISO speeds, reducing image quality and introducing noise.
Pros:
- Light and compact.
- Better in low light situations.
- Silent autofocus motor.
- Very sharp.
- Low budget lens.
- Weather sealing gasket.
- Solid build quality.
- Nice bokeh.
- Excellent image quality.
- Good value for money.
- Astrophotography through a Telescope
Cons:
- Some vignetting and barrel distortion.
- No image stabilization.
- Purple tassels.
- The focus ring is not good.
2. Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8
This is a telephoto zoom lens designed for Nikon Z series cameras. It has a focal length of 200mm, which means it can be used to photograph distant subjects without having to get too close. This makes it perfect for astrophotography. The minimum focus distance is 0.5m, so you can get even closer to your subject when using this lens.
It’s an incredibly versatile telephoto lens with a fast maximum aperture that’s perfect for shooting sports or wildlife in low light, and it’s also Nikon’s best telephoto lens for astrophotography. The lens allows you to shoot at slower shutter speeds when the lighting is not optimal.
This gives you more control over exposure settings and allows you to create images with beautiful background blur (bokeh).
It is the best telephoto lens for astrophotography, producing amazing results with its huge aperture and long focal length. This versatile lens is perfect for both stills and video, capturing sharp images of your favorite subjects in a variety of situations.
It is capable of capturing clear, sharp images at an impressive distance. It has a fast f/2.8 aperture, providing outstanding low-light performance and shallow depth-of-field control that makes it easy to separate the subject from the background. A focal length range of 70mm to 200mm provides versatility for portraits, sports, wildlife and more.
Pros:
- Excellent crips optics
- Fast, reliable and silent autofocus
- Minimal focused breathing
- Protection against dust, splashes and stains
- Teleconverter compatibility
Cons:
- The tripod leg is not compatible with Arca.
3. Sigma 14mm F/1.8
This is a wide-angle lens designed for Nikon cameras with full-frame sensors. The ultra-wide lens offers a 24mm equivalent focal length in 35mm format.
It has a large maximum aperture of f/1.8, making it ideal for astrophotography, nightscapes and low-light indoor photography.
It is the best ultra-wide angle lens for Nikon FX DSLR cameras that gives you a new dimension of visual experience. It offers outstanding optical performance and provides beautiful bokeh effects with control over light streaks so you can create images that are out of this world!
It is the first lens in the world to achieve the highest level of image quality in terms of sharpness and bokeh while providing a large maximum aperture of f/1.8 throughout the focal length range, making it an ideal choice for landscape photography, astrophotography, studio work and indoor sports where fast shutter speeds are required.
It can produce dramatic images with exaggerated perspectives, particularly suitable for architectural photography. The large aperture captures plenty of light for good low-light performance, and the Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) ensures quiet, fast autofocus action. Super multi-layer lens coating reduces flare and ghosting to produce precise, high-contrast images.
There is a prime wide-angle lens designed for Nikon FX-format digital SLR cameras. It captures images with a viewing angle similar to human vision. It offers the largest aperture available in any full-frame compatible lens, making it ideal for low-light shooting and artistic effects.
Pros:
- Excellent in low light.
- Suitable for both photos and video.
- Excellent build quality.
- It’s worth the price.
- Excellent, bright aperture.
- Extremely sharp.
- Incredible brightness.
Cons:
- Some distortion.
- Some barrel distortion.
- Visible flares.
4. TOKINA ATX-i 11-16mm f/2.8
The wide-angle lens for Nikon DX-format DSLR cameras provides a unique perspective only possible with a lens and captures images with an extended field of view, dramatic barrel distortion and exaggerated perspective – perfect for landscape photography and architecture, and especially for astrophotography.
It is an ultra-wide-angle, fast-aperture zoom lens designed to cover popular APS-C format digital SLR cameras with smaller image sensors. With an equivalent focal length range of 16mm – 26.5mm, this lens is ideal for shooting landscapes, cityscapes and architecture, as well as astrophotography.
It is the best Nikon lens for astrophotography because of its wider field of view, and it can be used with cameras with APSC and FX sensors.
The lens features two aspherical elements to minimize distortion and chromatic aberration, and two super low dispersion elements to reduce color fringing and spherical aberration while maintaining high resolution across the entire image area.
The fast maximum aperture of f/2.8 enables low-light shooting and provides shallow depth of field and beautiful background blur effects. This lens has a one-touch focusing mechanism that allows you to switch between AF and MF by simply moving the focus ring forward.
It features two aspherical elements, two super low dispersion elements and an ultra multi-layer coating that dramatically reduces chromatic aberration throughout the zoom range.
The lens has a minimum focusing distance of 0.3 m (1 ft) throughout the zoom range for high-magnification macro photography.
Pros:
- Solid build quality
- The popular ultra-wide
- Excellent optical quality
- Fast constant aperture f/2.8
- The image quality is good.
Cons:
- No image stabilization
- Chromatic aberration.
5. Sigma 35mm f/1.4
A wide-angle lens designed for APS-C size sensors. The large f1.4 aperture makes this lens very suitable for low-light photography and gives it the ability to create beautiful background bokeh when shooting portraits.
It’s great for street photographers who want to capture candid moments and landscape photographers who want to include more in their shots than just what can be seen with the human eye.
This lens has a large aperture and high speed. The hypersonic motor enables fast autofocus, and the internal focusing system prevents the lens barrel from expanding during use. USB dock compatibility will allow you to update your camera’s firmware and adjust settings using Sigma Optimization Pro software.
It was developed to support the latest cameras with sensors of increased resolution, which enables the recording of exceptional details. In addition, it has an ultrasonic focus ring that enables smooth manual focusing even in the dark.
A prime wide-angle lens designed to meet the needs of professional and amateur photographers. When used with a digital SLR camera, it provides an angle of view equivalent to a 54mm focal length in 35mm format. Designed to be compact and lightweight for use with high-resolution APS-C format sensors, it will also work well with full-frame cameras where it offers an angle of view equivalent to that of a 52mm in 35mm focal length.
The lens has 17 elements arranged in 12 groups, including two FLD glass elements and three SLD glass elements to reduce chromatic aberrations. It also has a Hyper Sonic AF motor, which enables smooth and quiet autofocus.
Pros:
- The lens is razor sharp.
- Super fast aperture.
- Fantastic build quality.
- Versatile focal length.
- Wider viewing angle.
- Nice bokeh.
- Autofocus is super fast and precise.
- A killer lens.
- Great value for money.
Cons:
- Big and heavy.
- Manual focus.
6. Samyang SY14MAE-N 14mm f/2.8
The construction of the lens of this objective consists of 14 elements in 10 groups. It features three aspherical lenses and two ultra-low dispersion lenses, minimizing aberrations and ensuring exceptional image quality throughout the frame even at maximum aperture. It also features Ultra Multi Coating (UMC), which reduces flare and ghosting, resulting in high-contrast images with vivid colors and sharpness.
This is a wide angle lens for astrophotography. It has an ultra-wide maximum focal length of 14mm, which allows you to capture the night sky in its entirety. It is made of high-strength aluminum alloy to ensure durability when shooting in harsh conditions.
Ultra Multi Coating (UMC) has also been applied to limit flare and ghosting for more contrast-rich images even in less-than-optimal lighting conditions. Seven rounded blades of the diaphragm provide a precise view and superb bokeh. Its compact size makes it ideal for photographers who want to travel light while still having access to wide-angle shots with a shallow depth of field.
The Samyang 14mm f/2.8 lens provides exceptional low-light performance, making it an ideal choice for astrophotography, outdoor photography and videography.
Another good thing is that choosing this lens will not burden your pocket, and this lens belongs to the category of best Nikon lens for astrophotography!
Pros:
- Super wide angle lens.
- Super cheap.
- It’s so sharp.
- Good comic performance.
- Good build quality.
Cons:
- It has no autofocus.
- Manual focus ring.
- Fixed hood.
- Vignetting, barrel distortion.
7. Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8
It is a wide-angle to a standard zoom lens that covers the most commonly used focal lengths (18, 20, 24 and 35mm) in APS-C format. It is designed for DSLR cameras with smaller image sensors and provides an angle of view similar to what a 27-52mm lens would provide when attached to a Canon EOS 5D Mark II camera body.
This lens has a wide angle of view and a fast maximum aperture, making it ideal for low-light photography and video recording. Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) ensures smooth, quiet autofocus. Its minimum focus distance is 9.4″ throughout the zoom range, allowing for close-up shots with excellent perspective. It is specifically designed for APS-C size sensors, and the focus is 35 mm.
When used with APS-C size sensors, the zoom lens provides a focal length of 35mm equivalent to 27-52.5mm. It has a maximum aperture of F1.8 throughout the zoom range, which facilitates working in difficult lighting conditions and provides greater control over the depth of field for selective focus applications.
The large aperture Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM allows you to capture images with beautiful background blur and bokeh. This lens also has a minimum focus distance of just 15cm from the front, allowing you to get extremely close to your subject when needed.
Pros:
- Sharpness
- Excellent wide aperture.
- Very affordable prices.
- The picture quality is great.
- Nice bokeh.
Cons:
- Heavy and big.
- No image stabilization
- Some barrel distortion.
8. Rokinon 14mm f/2.8
This is the best Nikon lens for astrophotography when we talk about the Nikon d5300 camera. You can read a detailed article about this camera and its possibilities for night shooting at this LINK.
This lens has ten diaphragm blades and an aperture range of f/2.8 -22 that can be used day or night to capture spectacular images of the night sky with low glare and ghosting. The lens has very little distortion, which helps you get precise subject details without losing quality.
It is a wide-angle lens that offers a focal length of 14mm, making it very suitable for landscape photography and astrophotography. With an aperture range of f/2.8-22, the lens is effective even in low-light shooting situations.
It’s a super wide-angle lens that delivers impressive sharpness and clarity from infinity to its closest focusing distance of 10.8 inches, making it ideal for landscape photography as well as astrophotography.
Pros:
- Compact and light.
- Ultra wide viewing angle.
- Fast aperture of F2.8.
- Good value.
- Solid construction.
- Aperture adjustment ring.
- Best budget lens.
Cons:
- Slow autofocus.
- Some barrel distortion.
- Manual focus.
Astrophotography through a Telescope
This “complicated” name refers to a type of astrophotography where the telescope is used as a large telephoto lens. Therefore, it is necessary to use a camera with interchangeable lenses or a specialized astronomical camera.
To mount it on a telescope, the lens must be removed from the camera and an adapter must be added from the camera’s bayonet thread to the so-called T2 thread. Each camera manufacturer has a different mount, so a T2 ring must be obtained specifically for Canon, Nikon, etc. Some telescopes already have a T2 thread on the focuser to which the camera can be screwed with the T2 ring mounted.
For telescopes that do not have this, an adapter with a T2 thread to a 1.25″ or 2″ focuser mount must be purchased additionally. A good option is a 2× Barlow lens () with a T2 thread. The part with the lens can be removed, so you can shoot in prime focus or with a 2x longer focus if you leave the lens mounted.
With this method, you will be able to shoot the Moon and the Sun without any problems (with a suitable filter for the Sun!) and with a telescope that does not have a motorized mount, because they are bright enough objects that do not need long exposures.
There will be a very useful Barlow lens with a T2 thread for taking pictures with a 2x longer focus to get a larger image of the Moon. Planets can also be recorded, but in primary focus, their dimensions will be very small.
That’s why special planetary astronomical cameras are used to record the planets. Nevertheless, the motorized assembly will be of great help here as well. In the primary focus of the telescope, you can of course also photograph terrestrial scenes!
Astrophotography without a Telescope
Photos of various nebulae and galaxies are very attractive, so most often after the question about the first telescope, plans for the first astrophotographs immediately begin. However, astrophotography through a telescope for beginners can be a very complicated endeavor. In the beginning, it is still better to engage in visual observations and thus gain experience in using astronomical equipment.
However, we can simplify photographing the night sky – by not using a telescope at all! In addition, astrophotography without a telescope has recently become more and more popular. It is easier to transport the equipment to remote locations or take it on a family vacation. Even experienced astrophotographers often “take a break” from the complicated and time-consuming setup of powerful equipment in this way, and the results that can be obtained are truly fascinating!
The simplest form of astrophotography without a telescope is landscape astrophotography. The basic must-have is a modern digital camera and a sturdy photo tripod. You will need that equipment anyway for any higher-quality astrophotography. In this case, you need a wide-angle lens with a focal length of 24 mm or less.
Shorter focal lengths will allow longer exposures to be taken without the stars becoming dashed due to the Earth’s rotation on its axis. A wide-angle lens should capture as much of the night sky as possible in combination with an interesting landscape.
These can be some attractive buildings, ruins, islands in the distance, or mountain peaks – of course, as far as possible from artificial lighting and light pollution in cities. All settings must be adjusted manually, and the most important thing is to carefully manually focus on a bright star using “live view” on the screen. Automation in pitch darkness simply does not work!
