12 Best Nikon Lenses For Night Photography

Are you looking for the Best Nikon Lenses For Night Photography? Capturing the night sky has been a fascination of photographers since the invention of the modern camera. From star trails to the Milky Way to Northern Lights and starburst effects, night photography provides an unrivaled opportunity to capture the beauty of nature in an entirely new way. But, no matter how good the photographer, without the right equipment, getting the most out of a night photography session can be difficult.

Nikon’s range of lenses can provide the precision and optical quality that is necessary to take full advantage of the wonders of night photography. With such a wide range of lenses on offer, it can be difficult to know which ones to choose. To make things simpler for amateur and professional photographers alike, we have put together a list of the 12 best Nikon lenses for night photography.

Each lens has its own benefits, drawbacks, and features. This article will serve as an in-depth guide to the 12 best lenses that canon offer for night photography by providing a detailed overview of all their features, potential uses and compared pros & cons.

1. Nikon 16-35mm f/4G ED VR

The Nikon 16-35mm f/4G ED VR lens is perfect for night photography due to its wide angle, sharp images and fast focusing. The lens has a maximum aperture of f/4 and excellent sharpness even when shooting wide open. There is also the added benefit of vibration reduction (VR) image stabilization, which helps reduce camera-shake and allows you to take sharper images. This makes the lens ideal for capturing both stationary and moving night-time shots.

Pros:

• Wide-angle lens: The lens provides a maximum angle of view of up to 109 degrees, making it a great choice for shooting wide-angle shots.
• Fast and accurate focusing: The lens has a fast and accurate autofocus system, making it great for capturing quickly moving subjects.
• Vibration reduction: The lens has vibration reduction, which helps reduce camera shake and ensures sharper results.

Cons:

• Expensive: The Nikon 16-35mm f/4G ED VR lens is relatively expensive, and may not be a viable option for budget-conscious photographers.
• Not suitable for low-light: This lens is not suitable for low-light photography, due to the maximum aperture of f/4.

2. Nikon 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5G

The Nikon 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5G is another great lens for night photography. This lens has a maximum aperture of f/3.5-4.5 and is great for capturing both stationary and moving subjects. The image quality is excellent, and the focusing is both accurate and fast. The lens also has vibration reduction, which helps reduce camera shake and ensures sharp results.

Pros:

• Compatible with most Nikon cameras: This lens is compatible with most Nikon cameras, making it easy to use.
• Fast and accurate focusing: The focusing system is both fast and accurate, making it great for capturing quickly moving subjects.
• Vibration reduction: The lens has vibration reduction, which helps reduce camera shake and ensures sharper results.

Cons:

• Low Light Performance: This lens is not suitable for low-light photography, due to its maximum aperture of f/3.5-4.5.
• Not Weather Sealed: This lens is not weather sealed and may not be the best choice for shooting in inclement weather.

3. Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

The Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G ED is a great lens for night photography. The wide-angle range and fast aperture makes it great for capturing wide-angle shots in low-light situations. The lens also offers superior sharpness and excellent autofocus. The vibration reduction also helps reduce camera shake, ensuring sharper results.

Pros:

• Wide-angle range: The lens has a wide-angle range of 24-70mm, making it perfect for capturing wide-angle shots.
• Fast aperture: The fast aperture of f/2.8 enables you to shoot in dark environments and capture shots with a shallow depth of field.
• Vibration Reduction: The lens has vibration reduction, which helps reduce camera shake and ensures sharper results.

Cons:

• Expensive: The Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G ED is one of the more expensive lenses in Nikon’s range, and may be too expensive for some.
• Heavy: This lens is relatively heavy and may not be the best choice for those who travel often.

4. Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G ED

The Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G ED lens is an ideal choice for night photography due to its wide angle and fast aperture. The wide-angle range, coupled with the fast aperture of f/2.8, makes this lens perfect for capturing shots with a shallow depth of field and in low-light conditions. The lens also has excellent sharpness, as well as a fast and accurate autofocus.

Pros:

• Wide-angle range: The lens has a wide-angle range of 14-24mm, making it great for capturing wide-angle shots.
• Fast aperture: The fast aperture of f/2.8 enables you to shoot in dark environments and capture shots with a shallow depth of field.
• Vibration reduction: The lens has vibration reduction, which helps reduce camera shake and ensures sharper results.

Cons:

• Expensive: The Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G ED is one of the more expensive lenses in Nikon’s range and may be too expensive for some photographers.
• Heavy: This lens is relatively heavy and may not be the best choice for those who travel often.

5. Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED VR

The Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED VR lens is a great choice for night photography due to its fast aperture and optical quality. The fast aperture of f/2.8 enables you to shoot in dark environments and capture shots with a shallow depth of field. The lens also offers superior sharpness, as well as a fast and accurate autofocus. The vibration reduction also helps reduce camera shake, ensuring sharper results.

Pros:

• Fast aperture: The fast aperture of f/2.8 enables you to shoot in dark environments and capture shots with a shallow depth of field.
• Vibration Reduction: The lens has vibration reduction, which helps reduce camera shake and ensures sharper results.
• Versatile focal length: The lens has a versatile focal length of 70-200mm, making it perfect for a wide range of shooting situations.

Cons:

• Expensive: The Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED VR is one of the more expensive lenses in Nikon’s range and may be too expensive for some photographers.
• Heavy: This lens is relatively heavy and may not be the best choice for those who travel often.

6. Nikon 24mm f/1.8G ED

The Nikon 24mm f/1.8G ED lens is the perfect choice for night photography due to its fast maximum aperture. The lens has a maximum aperture of f/1.8 and excellent sharpness even when shooting wide open. The lens also has excellent autofocus and vibration reduction, which helps reduce camera shake and ensure sharp results.

Pros:

• Fast aperture: The fast aperture of f/1.8 enables you to shoot in dark environments and capture shots with a shallow depth of field.
• Vibration Reduction: The lens has vibration reduction, which helps reduce camera shake and ensures sharper results.
• Versatile focal length: The lens has a versatile focal length of 24mm, making it perfect for a wide range of shooting situations.

Cons:

• Expensive: The Nikon 24mm f/1.8G ED is relatively expensive, and may not be a viable option for budget-conscious photographers.
• Not suitable for low-light: This lens is not suitable for low-light photography, due to the maximum aperture of f/1.8.

7. Nikon 200mm f/2G ED VR II

The Nikon 200mm f/2G ED VR II lens is ideal for night photography due to its superfast aperture and optical quality. The lens has a maximum aperture of f/2 and excellent sharpness even when shooting wide open. The lens also has a fast and accurate autofocus and excellent vibration reduction, which helps reduce camera shake and ensure sharp results.

Pros:

• Fast aperture: The lens has a maximum aperture of f/2, which enables you to shoot in dark environments and capture shots with a shallow depth of field.
• Vibration Reduction: The lens has vibration reduction, which helps reduce camera shake and ensures sharper results.
• Long focal length: The lens has a long focal length of 200mm, making it perfect for capturing distant subjects.

Cons:

• Expensive: The Nikon 200mm f/2G ED VR II is one of the more expensive lenses in Nikon’s range and may be too expensive for some photographers.
• Heavy: This lens is relatively heavy and may not be the best choice for those who travel often.

8. Nikon 85mm f/1.4G

The Nikon 85mm f/1.4G is an ideal lens for night photography due to its fast and accurate autofocus and fast aperture. The lens has a maximum aperture of f/1.4 and excellent sharpness even when shooting wide open. The lens also has vibration reduction, which helps reduce camera shake and ensure sharp results.

Pros:

• Fast aperture: The lens has a maximum aperture of f/1.4, which enables you to shoot in dark environments and capture shots with a shallow depth of field.
• Vibration Reduction: The lens has vibration reduction, which helps reduce camera shake and ensures sharper results.
• Versatile focal length: The lens has a versatile focal length of 85mm, making it perfect for a wide range of shooting situations.

Cons:

• Expensive: The Nikon 85mm f/1.4G is one of the more expensive lenses in Nikon’s range and may be too expensive for some photographers.
• Not suitable for low light: This lens is not suitable for low-light photography, due to the maximum aperture of f/1.4.

9. Nikon 50mm f/1.8G

The Nikon 50mm f/1.8G is a great lens for night photography due to its fast aperture and optical quality. The fast aperture of f/1.8 enables you to shoot in dark environments and capture shots with a shallow depth of field. The lens also offers superior sharpness, as well as a fast and accurate autofocus.

Pros:

• Fast aperture: The fast aperture of f/1.8 enables you to shoot in dark environments and capture shots with a shallow depth of field.
• Vibration reduction: The lens has vibration reduction, which helps reduce camera shake and ensures sharper results.
• Affordable: The Nikon 50mm f/1.8G is relatively affordable and accessible option for most photographers.

Cons:

• Not suitable for low-light: This lens is not suitable for low-light photography, due to the maximum aperture of f/1.8.
• Vignetting: The lens tends to produce some vignetting when shooting at wider apertures.

10. Nikon 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED

The Nikon 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED is a great choice for night photography due to its wide-angle range and fast aperture. The lens has a maximum aperture of f/3.5-5.6 and excellent sharpness even when shooting wide open. The lens also has a fast and accurate autofocus and excellent vibration reduction, which helps reduce camera shake and ensure sharp results.

Pros:

• Wide-angle range: The lens has a wide-angle range of 28-300mm, making it great for capturing both wide-angle and telephoto shots.
• Vibration Reduction: The lens has vibration reduction, which helps reduce camera shake and ensures sharper results.
• Affordable: The Nikon 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED is relatively affordable and accessible option for most photographers.

Cons:

• Low Light Performance: This lens is not suitable for low-light photography, due to its maximum aperture of f/3.5-5.6.
• Not Weather Sealed: This lens is not weather sealed and may not be the best choice for shooting in inclement weather.

11. Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR

The Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens is an excellent lens for night photography due to its fast maximum aperture and optical quality. The lens has a maximum aperture of f/4.5-5.6 and excellent sharpness even when shooting wide open. The lens also has excellent autofocus and vibration reduction, which helps reduce camera shake and ensure sharp results.

Pros:

• Fast aperture: The lens has a maximum aperture of f/4.5-5.6, which enables you to shoot in dark environments and capture shots with a shallow depth of field.
• Vibration Reduction: The lens has vibration reduction, which helps reduce camera shake and ensures sharper results.
• Versatile focal length: The lens has a versatile focal length of 70-300mm, making it perfect for a wide range of shooting situations.

Cons:

• Low Light Performance: This lens is not suitable for low-light photography, due to its maximum aperture of f/4.5-5.6.
• Not Weather Sealed: This lens is not weather sealed and may not be the best choice for shooting in inclement weather.

12. Nikon 300mm f/4E PF ED VR

The Nikon 300mm f/4E PF ED VR lens is an ideal lens for night photography due to its fast maximum aperture and optical quality. The lens has a maximum aperture of f/4 and excellent sharpness even when shooting wide open. The lens also has superior autofocus and excellent vibration reduction, which helps reduce camera shake and ensure sharp results.

Pros:

• Fast aperture: The lens has a maximum aperture of f/4, which enables you to shoot in dark environments and capture shots with a shallow depth of field.
• Vibration Reduction: The lens has vibration reduction, which helps reduce camera shake and ensures sharper results.
• Lightweight: The Nikon 300mm f/4E PF ED VR is relatively lightweight and may be a viable option for those who travel often.

Cons:

• Expensive: The Nikon 300mm f/4E PF ED VR is one of the more expensive lenses in Nikon’s range and may be too expensive for some photographers.
• Not suitable for low-light: This lens is not suitable for low-light photography, due to the maximum aperture of f/4.

Final Thoughts On Best Nikon Lenses For Night Photography

Night photography can provide photographers with the opportunity to capture the beauty of nature and the night sky in a way that can’t be accomplished during the day time. But in order to take full advantage of this type of photography, it is important to have the right equipment. Nikon’s range of lenses can provide the precision and optical quality that is necessary to take full advantage of night photography.

This article has provided an in-depth review of the 12 best Nikon lenses for night photography. From wide-angle to telephoto and fast to slow, each lens can provide photographers with the tools and features necessary to capture some truly amazing night-time shots. If you’re interested in night photography, this list should provide you with the perfect lens for your needs.