Are you looking for the best-quality low-light lens for your beloved canon camera? Canon brings out the best qualities in the camera. If you own a Canon DSLR, you are already on the journey to take great shots. So here we will present the best low light lens for Canon cameras.
However, what to do in low-light situations? In night photography?
Low-light conditions used to be one of the biggest fears for photographers. Even if you have the best camera, it becomes grainy unstable footage for not using a low-light lens.
Luckily, camera lenses with great low-light performances can handle the dark very efficiently.
Before starting the discussion, A gentle reminder from us.
We will be talking about low-light lenses, not zero-light lenses. In low-light situations, you will need at least one light source. You need to have some contrast and dimension, right?
The following discussion shows a fastidious list of six low-light lenses and their specifications. We have considered the build quality, image quality, price, usability, professional suggestions, and our hands-on review.
Our Top Picks For Best Low Light Lens For Canon In 2023
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Let us check out the reviews’ top 5 low light lenses for Canon with their features, advantages, and disadvantages, in brief, to help you choose your best fit.
Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM Lens
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“Hey! Didn’t the lens come into the market 17 years ago?”
Yes, the lens is also available in the market, and guess what? Despite being the oldest lens in the canon gallery, Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 L usm lens lives up to its name.
It’s the longest-lasting lens on the market for two massive reasons. The build quality and the performance.
You can see that it has quite a similar build to the Canon Ef-M 85 f/1.2. The lens has a very basic build as the old-school lenses used to have.
Additionally, The smooth focus ring and ultrasonic motor make the camera amazingly comfortable for shooting. It has just eight elements in six groups.
Speaking of low-light performance, This old guy can be known as the right Canon of lens for low light.
You can easily toggle the autofocus and manual focus for different kinds of professional captures with a simple shift. You can avail of very stable autofocus and a creamy out-of-focus background.
The clarity in portrait mode is surprisingly great. We don’t think 50 mm is the best pick for the portrait. However, this works perfectly for indoor shoots.
Another great feature would be the center sharpness alongside the softer corners. Makes your portrait photography really good-looking.
As the lens is 50mm and f/1.2, it has the capability to get maximum light in. It can be considered the best canon lens for low-light action.
Almost forgot to mention the great bokeh! Also, Weather resistance is a handy feature for this lens.
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Pros:
- Sturdy build quality.
- Comes with great center sharpness.
- Stable auto Focus.
Cons:
- Older lens
- Great as a photo lens but not an amazing video lens
Canon RF 85mm F 1.2 L USM Lens
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Let’s talk about the big boy from the Canon lens family. It’s the Canon RF 85mm f 1.2 L usm Lens on our list.
The build is quite unique. It’s a combination of metal and premium-quality plastic.
RF 85mm is fueled with solid features. It brings out extremely bright pictures with a maximum aperture of f 1.2. We should also mention the enormous background separation from the object.
You can get one rubberized focus ring for an instant setting change. The rotation is amazingly smooth.
There is another second customizable control ring with clicks in the front. You can control many settings on the inside of the camera body.
Of course, you can control the functions from the camera as well. The optical settings are distributed around thirteen elements into nine groups.
Being an f/1.2 camera, it allows much light to get in, and with much light, you will get a faster shutter speed. This combination makes it a great canon lens for low-light indoor photography.
The autofocus motor works swiftly and adjusts right in time. A bit noisy, but that’s acceptable. If you are thinking about the sound, yes, it has a built-in microphone.
Let’s talk about the best features now. It is an amazing picture quality with no purple fringing. Very crisp and clear shots with great sharpness and amazing contrast.
The picture quality is incredibly sharp with the wide-angle lens. This feature is quite rare for the f/1.2 lenses.
It has an exceptionally durable body with a weather-sealing feature.
I mean, don’t drop the lens. However, if you mistakenly drop, your lens will probably be safe.
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Pros:
- Two smooth control rings.
- Sharp in wide-open settings.
- Proper autofocus
Cons:
- No image stabilization.
- Visible focus breathing.
Canon EF-M 32 mm f/1.4 STM Lens
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32 mm is quite a perfect lens for many photographers. Let us introduce one Canon lens.
Whenever you are planning to buy a prime lens instead of a zoom lens, you lose some of the modern features.
On the other hand, you’ll expect a few solid features like proper image quality, proper lights, less weight, and an amazing aperture. In Canon EF-M 32 mm f/1.4 lens, you get all the features above.
Coming with an ultra-wide aperture, f/1.4 lens, and amazing picture quality in every way possible, Canon EF-M 32 mm f/1.4 STM lens is a great pick for low-light photography.
In many situations, photographers struggle with out-of-focus pictures. Canon EF-M 32 mm is a perfect solution for that.
Speaking of perspectives, This lens is very effective for wide-angle situations.
With great focal length, portrait photography, street photography, or even group photography feel extremely great with this lens. We used this lens for travel photography as well. Amazing result, we must admit.
The APS-c sensor is one of the most popular sensors in the camera world right now. Also, we would say this is one of the most natural lenses out there. With 7 blades, you can have a very natural blurry background.
When you can avail enough subjects in the wider frame, and you have clarity and detailed picture quality, You have almost everything you need in a lens.
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Pros:
- Great color fringing.
- .25X for close shots.
- Budget-friendly lens.
Cons:
- Sometimes autofocus can be troublesome.
Canon EF 24mm f/1.4L II USM
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Starting with the build quality, it speaks for itself.
Canon EF 24mm f/1.4L II is an extremely lightweight lens. It is only 650 grams in weight. The construction would be metal in a protective plastic shell.
We appreciate the dust, scratch, and splash protection. While street photography or travel photography, it is an amazing feature to have.
Being the brightest 24mm lens of its time, it can also be used on all full-frame Canon cameras. It can be used in all canon cameras in the last 25 years.
The difference from the previous product would be the 77mm filter thread on the metal thread, which sits right above the optical element and avoids a great share of flaring.
Also, the purple-ish rear element would be Canon’s new chemical SWC, the subwavelength coating. This enhances the contrast and the balance of the colors.
The Manual focusing lens ring and ultrasonic motor for fast and silent focus make the lens more comfortable.
The motor makes a clicking sound in autofocus, and in the video, it doesn’t take the sound. However, we suggest checking and editing in post-production.
Aps-c sensor camera’s crop factor. 24 mm lens, but you lose the wide angle feature. However, it lets much light in. You can get a very nice detailed shot in low-light situations. It’s amazing to see such softer and reasonably blurry backgrounds.
With 1.4 aperture, you will be using fewer ISO for clear pictures. With the manual autofocus switch, you can easily change the mode.
We have found that one Nd filter is amazing for shooting videos in low-light conditions.
For close-up shots, you can get a .25X magnification. Very nice and close-up shots with clarity, of course.
Pros:
- Amazing build quality.
- 84-degree diagonal view.
- Quieter autofocus.
Cons:
- Sometimes you lose some sharpness in pictures.
Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM Lens
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It’s time for a pancake now!
Spoiler alert! It’s small and extremely heavy-duty.
Canon EF S 24mm f/2.8 STM lens is a pancake prime lens for crop sensor cameras. Compared with the other lenses, this is the tiniest lens on our list.
The lens has a great metal build with a simpler focus ring. A very sturdy body with dust and scratch resistance is all you want in a small-sized lens.
This lens shines with the smaller subject photographs. Let it be portrait or product photography, and this lens shines everywhere.
Not the best lens for landscape or wide-angle shots. However, it provides you with enough angles to have bigger surroundings for group photographs, portraits, or street photographs.
We would consider this as the top canon lens for low-light portraits. With the f/2.8 aperture, it allows a reasonable amount of light in. In low light, it makes the pictures way more clear and detailed.
The autofocus is not the fastest one, but it works just fine for most situations. It makes a little buzzing sound while autofocusing. However, the sound is very unobtrusive, and post-production can make it go away completely.
With the optimal aperture, this lens can also be considered a great option for indoor shoots or close-up shots.
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Pros:
- Great for close-up shots.
- Pancake lens.
- Extremely budget-friendly lens.
Cons:
- Sometimes focusing can be an issue.
Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens
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To describe Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens, and we have two words.
Super effective and has a great aperture.
This 17mm to 55mm range is amazingly great for many segments of photography. In all general-purpose lenses, you would expect versatility, and you got it in this fantastic lens.
Get your gorgeous portraits while zooming in and the ravishing landscapes while zooming out.
The focus ring is incredibly smooth. The USM autofocus motor works in a super fast way. With a simple click, you will get the settings changed. Also, it makes literally zero sound.
We have tested EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 recently, and we can assure you that this is the best canon lens for low-light sports photography.
A constant 2.8 aperture is an absolute win for any photographer. You are getting enough lights in, a great bokeh, and proper sharpness in the picture. How amazing is that?
For perfect sharpness in the pictures, we would suggest you shoot not less than the 3.2 aperture. It provides a very creamy and reasonably sharp image.
For more stable and focused shots, canon image stabilization is there. Even in dimmed light or low light, the stabilization can be very functional.
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Pros:
- Versatile lens for generic purposes.
- Great image stabilization.
- Perfect for low-light photography.
Cons:
- Not the best quality build.
- No weather sealing.
How To Choose the Best Low Light Lens For Canon
Canon DSLR comes with an amazing kit lens that is perfect for capturing various subjects in various situations. The lens should be made of a high aperture, size, and more. But the kit lenses are not that efficient and powerful to capture in darker conditions.
Low-light lenses utilize the aperture faster and capture the higher light into the sensor to perform best in weaker light conditions. To get a sharper image, check out some features before buying low-light lenses for Canon.
Purpose
Lenses are made for different situations and purposes. It can be strong or weak, powerful or medium to match various situations. The features will be different if you decide to capture a picture in a darker environment. Knowing the features helps you to understand better about low light lenses.
Aperture
The aperture of the lens means the camera opening. The inside of the lens has a hole, and the bigger hole means it can absorb more light during a shoot. So, the aperture or camera opening should be wider to capture a brighter and clear image.
F/1.8 is better for capturing enough light for your image. Canon has some models like the Canon RF 85mm F 1.2 L USM, Canon EF 24mm f/1.4L II USM, Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens that is best for faster shutter speed, capturing fast-moving objects, high regulation blurred background and more.
How Clear is the Picture
Built-in clear features add extra power to the lenses. It reduces unnecessary blurriness, which is also important for medium or higher light conditions.
Canon lenses are already powerful lenses, and still camera movement can make the picture blur, especially in the nighttime. So, before choosing any lens, check if the lens comes with a built-in system to clear the images.
Special Elements and Coating
The lens coating is another important thing to consider. It reduces the chromatic aberrations to improve the image quality, minimize ghosting, and more.
Choose the Canon lenses with double-layer coating, sphere coating, Sub wave length Coating, Air Sphere Coating, or fluorine coating to save them from dirt. Also, the image will be brighter and clearer.
Compatibility
Choosing a powerful lens for your Canon camera is not enough if your camera is not compatible with the kens. Upgrade your camera to match the lens, or choose only compatible lenses for your camera to capture the image in low light.
If the camera or lenses are not matched, the cost will waste. Better to invest only the required lenses or bring your camera to the shop and then test the lenses to choose the right one.
Wide Angle Canon Lens
Wide-angle lenses are a must-have for astrophotography to take a picture of the night sky, the milky way, starts, and more. Taking wildlife pictures or another single object does not require using a wide-angle lens. So, if you need to cover a larger area, use Canon RF 16mm f/2.8 STM, Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM, or Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM.
Prime and zoom lens is another thing to consider. If you need more brightness, choose a prime lens. If you need a close shot, use zoom lenses such as Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS USM and Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM lenses.
Size and Weight
Size and weight are other major facts to consider. Higher-quality lenses tend to be bigger in size and weight.
Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM is a lightweight, long lens and good for low-light photography. But that might be a problem for travel photographers. Check out the lens kit weight before purchasing one. Also, make yourself comfortable holding the lens for a long.
Lightweight lenses are compact to carry for a long.
Weather Resistance
The lens should be weather resistant to not exposed to harsh conditions. Check the weather resistance feature to not capture the picture with visible dirt, moisture, particles, etc. Check the autofocus accuracy and macro lens quality to get sufficient light for the subject.
How to Get a Good Exposer for Low Light Photography with Your Lens
Here are a few tips on how to get good exposure with canon lenses:
Shutter Speed for Low Light Photography
Shutter speed refers to when your camera’s shutter is open when taking a photo. The longer the shutter speed, the more chances of better light entering the camera, allowing for a brighter production of an image.
Conversely, a shorter shutter speed limits the light entering the camera and creates darker images. In darker situations, you can use slower shutter speeds which will allow more light into your shot, and as a result, you will get better exposure.
In this situation, you will have to keep your camera steady. Movement in this situation can cause blurry photos. You can also use a tripod or have something stable to support the camera so that it doesn’t move while shooting.
You can also use an image stabilization feature if your camera has one. This technology can help minimize blur caused by small movements while shooting an object.
ISO Settings for Low Light Camera Lenses
By increasing the sensitivity of the camera’s sensor, you can capture better light when taking images in dark environments. When capturing photos in darker situations, use a high ISO setting to gain good exposure. This is another way to have better light in low-light situations.
Depending on the type of camera and lenses you use, a range of ISO settings such as 100, 200, 400, 800, and more are ideal for photos.
If the recommended exposure value for the scene is 1/125 sec at f/5.6 with an ISO of 100, but it’s still too dark, then you can raise the ISO to 400 to increase the amount of light hitting the sensor while keeping the aperture and shutter speed settings the same.
This way, you will have a brighter image with better exposure, so your photos will have fewer noise levels due to lower shutter speed and larger apertures.
Aperture settings
The aperture controls how much light goes through the lens on the camera’s sensor. A wider aperture allows better light to pass through and makes capturing well-exposed images easier in low-light conditions.
The aperture size also affects the depth of field in captures, whether they are objects or persons. A smaller aperture provides a better depth of field and keeps everything from near to far equally focused.
Shooting in low light can be beneficial since it will ensure everything appears sharp without increasing exposure time.
On the flip side, using a larger aperture (lower f-number) results in less depth of field, allowing you to blur out background elements for creative effect while still capturing enough light for proper exposure.
FAQ
Which Lens Is Best For Low-Light Photography?
For general purposes, Canon EF-M 32 mm f/1.4 STM Lens is amazing for low-light photography.
For low-light shots, f/1.8 is an extremely effective option. Depending on the photography style, angles, and lighting range, you can use a 35 mm or 50 mm lens.
Is Canon EOS 80D Good In Low Light?
Canon EOS 80D is an amazing pick for low-light photography. It can provide clarity, sharpness, and great autofocus in the process.
The next great options would be 7D mark II, 5D Mark IV, EOS R6, and 90D.
What Makes A Lens Good In Low Light?
Simply put, you need a fast aperture in a lens to have good shots in low light. You’ll also need a good shutter speed and high ISO.
You need an aperture of f/2.8 or lower than that. The aperture is the key to letting the lights in. The more lights you can avail, the sharper and more clean images you will get.
Wrapping Up
Canon lenses are versatile and have unique features. Some lenses show their strengths immediately, and some take time to show their magic.
Remember that even shooting in the dark or low light, you still need at least one light source. As a low-light photographer, you must utilize whatever light source you might have.
Canon EF-S 17-55mm is an amazing choice for generalized purposes. Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 l usm lens is also a great option for low-light photography. You have all the information regarding the lenses now. It is all on you.
So, what do you think? Which lens would be the best lens for you?
Let us know if you have any recommendations. Happy shooting!
Related post: How to take care of camera lenses.
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