• Milky Way with an iron gate and a camera.

WHAT ARE THE BEST MILKY WAY PHOTOGRAPHY LENSES?

To create incredible photos of the Milky Way or the starry skies, specific lenses are best. If you are new to Milky Way photography, it’s imperative that you understand how to choose the best lens, or you might not get the results you desire. Here are the two most important factors to consider.

  • Select a lens with a wide focal length, such as 14mm, 16mm, or 24mm. The wider the better. We use the Canon 16-35 mm, f/2.8.
  • A fast aperture, such as f/1.4, f/1.8, or up to f/2.8, is ideal. The lower the number, the better. It lets more light in.

If you exceed an aperture of 2.8, you can still photograph the Milky Way, but your ISO will need to be increased, resulting in more digital noise that you want to avoid.  Another article suggests that a 24 mm or higher is preferable. We disagree. All of the Milky Way Photographers of the Year in many competitions use as wide a lens as possible.  We also use the widest lens possible for our camera. Speaking of Milky Way Photography Contests – check out our current photography competition.

POPULAR LENSES AMONG AWARD WINNERS

We have researched the equipment used by some of the best Milky Way photographers and identified what many of them utilize.

ROKINON

Rokinon/Samyang 14mm f/2.8 – The lens costs approximately $275.00. This is the manual focus version. The auto focus version is about $575.00. This is the least expensive Milky Way lens the award winners are using. We don’t know if it is quality or money that motivates them. We plan to start interviewing the best out there so stay tuned while we find out. If you would like to be considered for an interview, please use our contact page and let us know.

SIGMA

The Sigma 14mm f/1.8 Art lens is also very popular. As you will notice, there is quite a price difference of approximately $1,500.00. Both lenses are compatible with Canon, Sony, and Nikon, the most popular camera brands used by many successful Milky Way photographers.

BEST LENSES FOR MILKY WAY, CANON, NIKON & SONY

Many photographers who produce award-winning photos use the lenses we just mentioned.  Now, let’s look at the leading name-brand lenses.

CANON DSLR LENSES (EF) & CANON MIRRORLESS LENSES (RF)

Canon has multiple options for Milky Way photography. Some lenses have dual purposes. It often comes down to budget, but here are some of the basics.  If you are new to all of this, be sure to pay attention to whether a lens is for a mirrorless or DSLR camera. If you have a DSLR lens, you can use it with a mirrorless camera if you buy an adapter.

Use a DSLR camera with a mirrorless lens.

Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R

Nikon FTZ II Lens Mount

Sony LA-EA5 A-mount Lens Adapter for E-mount Cameras

CANON MIRRORLESS (RF) LENSES

RF15-35mm F2.8 L IS USM

RF16mm F2.8 STM

RF 24-70mm F2.8 L IS USM

Canon RF 24mm F1.4 L VCM is very popular among Milky Way Photographers due to the fast aperture (F1.4), but it does not have a manual focus lock. It is a full-frame lens with autofocus, 1.1 lbs., and no image stabilization.

CANON DSLR CAMERA (EF) LENSES 

EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III USM 

Remains 2.8 throughout the zoom range, Dust- and water-resistant, 2.4 lbs.  It can be used for many purposes other than the Milky Way.  This is one of our current Milky Way lenses that we use. We use a converter (seen above) on our mirrorless camera to use this lens. We also use this 16-35mm lens for all our landscape photography.

EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM 

A Full-Frame format lens, 24-70mm, is the primary lens we use for our all-around photography. This lens, spanning from wide-angle to portrait length, features a consistent f/2.8 maximum aperture, which is advantageous for shooting in challenging lighting situations, such as indoor no-flash photos or the Milky Way, and provides enhanced control over depth of field. We use it for events and various types of photography. 

Keeping your budget in mind, consider how you might use the lens for other purposes. If you’re looking for a lens that can serve multiple purposes, including Milky Way photography, the 24-70 mm f/2.8 could be an excellent option for you. However, if you want a wider angle, like most award winners, you may wish to use two separate lenses. Or you can get this all-around high-quality L lens (Canon’s best series) and use it for Milky Way, and add a wider-angle lens later.

Canon lens.

Canon RF 24mm F1.4 L VCM

canon lens wide angle 2.8

EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III USM 

Sigma lens.

Rokinon/Samyang 14mm f/2.8

NIKON MILKY WAY PHOTOGRAPHY LENSES

NIKKOR Z 20mm f/1.8 S  – (Mirrorless) $1,150.00  

Nikon AF-S 14-24mm f/2.8G ED (DSLR) $2,050.00

Nikkor Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S (Mirrorless) $2,050.00

If these prices are too much for you, remember that we showed you the Rokonin lenses above. They make a compatible version for Nikon. $379 on sale for $295.00 at the time of writing this article. Rokonin for Nikon Price.

SONY MILKY WAY PHOTOGRAPHY LENSES

The Sony FE 24mm f/1.4 GM is a popular choice among astrophotographers, particularly those photographing the Milky Way. It appears that numerous award-winning photographers are now shooting the Milky Way with Sony cameras.

If these prices are too much for you, remember that we showed you the Rokonin lenses above. They make a compatible version for Sony. $349 on sale for $295.00 at the time of writing this article. Rokonin for Sony

MORE TO COME… BREAK TIME.

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