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As a real estate photographer, you need the perfect shot that will tell a property all by itself, even in the worst of lighting conditions. That is why you need a low-light Nikon lens. In this review, I will help you identify the best low light lens for Nikon.
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Considering a wide aperture and high-quality focusing range, the Nikon 40mm f/2.8 tops my list of the best low-light lens for Nikon. Its spherical elements and magnification guarantee clarity even in dimly lit interiors or exteriors.
To shoot sharp and clear photos in poorly lit environments, you will need a lens that allows more light through the aperture. Below, I discuss the best low-light lens for Nikon that meets these requirements.
The Nikon 40mm f/2.8is one of the lenses that features a Close-Range Correction (CRC) system that provides high-quality images throughout the entire focusing range. Typically, unlike the Yongnuo 50mm f/1.8, this system helps to correct for chromatic aberrations and other distortions that can occur when focusing at close distances.
This ensures that the images taken with this lens are sharp and clear, even when shooting close-up subjects such as safari ants, door handles, cockroaches or flies.
Like the Tokina ATX-i 11-16mm, the maximum aperture of f/2.8 allows more light to enter the lens, which is particularly useful for low-light situations such as real estate property indoors or when photographing in low-light conditions.
This fast aperture comes in handy during macro
However, the 40mm focal length may not be versatile enough for real estate
Also, the manual focus ring is small and difficult to use, which can be a drawback if you prefer the manual focus to enhance your focusing performance in poor lighting.
The Yongnuo 50mm f/1.8 comes with a lightweight design of 0.45 pounds, which makes it easier to handle. This gives a more stable shot and better control over the camera despite low-lighting conditions, especially when you can't set up softbox lighting.
Like the Nikon AF-S 35mm, this lens offers a maximum aperture of f/1.8, allowing for more creative freedom and control over the depth of field. The 50mm focal length provides a natural perspective in both photos and videos when paired with a full-frame camera.
Like the Nikon AF-S 85mm f/1.4, it also has a nano crystal coating to reduce ghosting and flare, making it perfect for shooting in harsh lighting conditions. It also has a fast autofocus system that locks onto your subject quickly, ensuring you don’t miss a shot if you are tracking a subject in motion.
The lens has a minimum focusing distance of 15.72 inches, which means you can get closer to capturing the finer details without losing focus.
However, the lens has noticeable vignetting at large apertures, which can be a disadvantage if you are shooting portraits. Also, the unit is made primarily of plastic, which might not be as durable, especially when using it in harsh environments.
The Nikon AF-S 35mm f/1.8 is a prime lens that is impressively versatile, with a sleek form, a factor that makes it compact and suitable as a walkaround lens for Nikon.
The performance in poor lighting situations can't match the Nikon AF-S 85mm, the maximum aperture of f/1.8 works well in low-light circumstances. However, it features one aspherical element in its optical design, which helps to suppress the optical distortions, enhancing image clarity and sharpness.
Also, the elements feature a super integrated coating which facilitates the suppression of ghosting and flare when shooting in bright light. It weighs 0.44 pounds, the second most lightweight on my list, enhancing portability.
The Nikon AF-S 50mm f/1.8 is a normal-length prime that suits a wide range of shooting conditions, ideal for real estate, portrait, and landscape. The maximum aperture of f/1.8 enhances the shallow depth of field control even in backlit conditions.
Although the bokeh quality can't match the Meike 85mm f/1.8, the seven-blade aperture diaphragm enhances quality bokeh production, so you won't have to add bokeh in Photoshop. It comes with a Silent Wave Motor, which facilitates a fast and noise-free autofocus performance.
With one spherical element in the optical construction, it's less effective in eliminating the optical distortions compared to the Yongnuo 35mm f/2. However, it weighs 0.34 pounds, making it the most lightweight on my list.
The Nikon AF-S 85mm f/1.4 has an exceptional design that balances the compact form factor and weight while maintaining what it takes to excel in low-light shooting.
Like the Yongnuo 50mm f/1.8, the elements feature a Nano crystal coating, which helps to eliminate the ghosting and flare, enhancing the picture clarity and sharpness. It comes with a Silent Wave Motor, which enhances a silent and accurate focusing experience.
Also, the autofocus functionality comes with a full-time manual override, which gives you added control over the focusing performance by allowing you to fine-tune the focusing. Although it's heavier than the Nikon AF-S 35mm f/1.8, it's still lightweight enough for carrying around.
The Meike 85mm f/1.8 is equipped with a nine-blade circular aperture which helps produce a beautiful bokeh effect, making it a great option for portrait
This unit is equipped with six lens elements in six groups, including one extra-low dispersion element, which helps it produce sharp and high-quality images with minimal aberration. However, there is noticeable color fringing the images, especially when shooting wide open at f/1.8.
Unlike the Nikon 85mm, the unit is not weather-sealed, making it prone to damage from moisture and dust. The minimum focus distance of this lens is approximately 33.6 inches, making it a versatile option for capturing a range of subjects, from portraits to small objects.
Additionally, like the Nikon 50mm f/1.8, the lens has a maximum magnification of 0.13x. It can produce a decent level of detail when shooting close-up subjects.
This lens does not have image stabilization, which can make it more difficult to use in low light situations using a slower shutter and high ISO value, or when shooting handheld.
The Tokina ATX-i 11-16mm f/2.8 provides an ultra-wide angle of view of up to 104 degrees, making it perfect for capturing expansive landscapes, cityscapes, and wide-angle shots of the real estate interiors under limited subject distances.
The lens also features a multi-layer coating that reduces reflections and ghosting. This ensures sharp and contrast-rich images even when shooting against bright light sources like multiple strobes for interior lighting.
Unlike the Yongnuo 50mm f/1.8, the lens has a durable all-metal construction that can withstand harsh weather conditions, making it a good option for hiking and capturing boulders and cliffs with minimal fear of scratches.
The lens features a high-quality optical construction with 13 elements in 11 groups, including two aspherical elements and two Super-Low Dispersion (SD) elements. These optical elements help reduce chromatic aberration and distortions for sharper and clearer images.
One downside of the Tokina ATX-i 11-16mm is that unlike the Nikon 50mm f/1.8, it is not designed for full-frame cameras. You might only be able to use it with APS-C sensors and Micro Four Thirds cameras, which might be good performers in bad lighting.
Additionally, at the shortest focal length, there is some distortion and vignetting visible in the corners of the image.
The Yongnuo YN35mm f/2 lens features a solid yet compact design that suits you if you want a lens that is easy to carry around. Like the Yongnuo 50mm f/1.8, the lens also has 7 aperture blades, which helps in production of smooth out-of-focus areas.
When capturing interior pictures no photographer would want the paint on the walls of the property to appear faded like they require repainting.
Fortunately, this unit features multi-coated glass elements, which allows you to produce sharp,vivid photos with a pleasing contrast and color rendering. This ensures that the wall color and painting in the room are rendered correctly, so you won't have a hard time changing the background color in Lightroom.
However, this does not mean that faded wall painting will appear fresh and shiny.The lens features a smooth and silent autofocus system that makes it a perfect option for both videography and
With a weight of 0.7 pounds, this lens has a sleek form factor, making it a better option for travel
Like the Tokina ATX-i 11-16mm, this lens lacks a rubber gasket on the lens mount, so it is advisable to avoid exposing it to harsh weather conditions. However, you can incorporate camera accessories like a protective lens hood and a polarizing filter to offer additional protection when shooting in high humidity or dust.
Nikon lenses come in varying unique features, and knowing the features that excel in low light conditions might be confusing. The table below provides you with a summary of these features.
| Lens | Aperture | Minimum Focus Distance | Vibration Reduction? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nikon AF-S 35mm | f/1.8 | 9.84 inches | No |
| Nikon AF-S 50mm | f/1.8 | 17.72 inches | No |
| Nikon 40mm | f/2.8 | 6.36 inches | Yes |
| Nikon 85mm | f/1.4 | 33.46 inches | Yes |
| Yongnuo 50mm | f/1.8 | 17.72 inches | Yes |
| Meike 85mm | f/1.8 | 9.6 inches | Yes |
| Tokina ATX-i 11-16mm | f/2.8 | 11.81 inches | No |
| Yongnuo YN35mm | f/2 | 9.84 inches | No |
Aperture is a crucial feature to keep in mind when purchasing lenses for low-light shooting. The aperture determines the amount of light that the lens allows in the sensor. When taking photos in low light, a lens that has a wide aperture, such as the Nikon AF-S 85mm f/1.4, is your best option.
It enables the use of faster shutter speeds, even when capturing fast-moving subjects or capturing without a photo tripod. Wide aperture lenses also enable you to improve the bokeh quality, which is the appealing blurred background, especially if applied to portraits.
Wide-angle and prime lenses are the best focal length for low-light shooting.
You'll get a broader field of view from 40mm, 50mm, and 11-16mm lenses. Meanwhile, 35mm and 85mm prime lenses are perfect for compositions that make subjects appear from a human eye's field or angle of view.
Different lens brands and models come with varying special elements and coatings. The elements are geared towards reducing the spherical and chromatic aberrations in the lens to suppress color fringing and improve image clarity and sharpness.
The special coatings are featured on individual elements, helping to minimize the ghosting and flare when capturing photos in bright light, like when shooting bright windows in real estate property videos.
Typically, the lens that features the highest number of elements and coatings, such as the Tokina ATX-i 11-16mm f/2.8, produces the sharpest images with minimal optic distortions.
If your plan is to shoot property photos for an extended period, then you should consider a lightweight lens such as the Nikon AF-S 50mm f/1.8 as it won't exhaust you or hurt your wrists.
In the same way, you should consider a compact lens if your plan is to carry it around, shooting real estate or street photos. In most cases, the most lightweight lens is also the most compact, and so you don't have to mind the individual dimensions.
Vibration reduction in a lens is essential in low-light shooting because this reduces camera shake. This feature counteracts extra movement, like when you need to press the shutter button.
Moreover, it serves as an additional stabilizer when you're not using a tripod while shooting.
Typically, the ambient light may not allow you to see the dust or moisture when shooting in poor lighting conditions, and so you will unknowingly expose your lens to these harsh conditions.
However, you can have peace of mind when shooting in such conditions if the lens is weather resistant. For instance, the Nikon 85mm f/1.4 is weather-resistant, allowing you to shoot even in snowy or rainy conditions.
Generally, the wider the aperture, the better the performance of the camera in low light. Normally, when the aperture size is wider, it will allow more light to get to the camera, even in poor lighting. A camera lens such as Nikon 85mm with an aperture size of f/1.4 will perform well in low light.
Poor lighting conditions affect autofocus performance, and the autofocus may keep on hunting. It may also affect the autofocus accuracy, and the best solution is to use manual focus like the one in Nikon 35mm f/1.8.
It is possible to shoot macro images in low light, but without a quality macro lens with a bright aperture such as the Sigma 135mm f/1.8, getting sufficient light on your subject might be an issue.
With the market flooded with Nikon lenses that have varying features, identifying the most suitable for low-light shooting may be challenging. However, the lenses in the above list perform well in poor lighting conditions, and any pick won't disappoint you.
