Best Lenses for Northern Lights Photography in 2024 (2024)

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Without the best Northern Lights camera lens, it doesn’t really matter how good your camera is.

Photographing the Northern Lights is my passion, and I’ve spent years shooting the Aurora using different camera lenses. Today, I can sum up the best lenses to photograph the Northern Lights:

1. Sony 14 mm f/1.8 GM
2. Sigma 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM
3. Rokinon 14mm f/2.8
4. Venus Laowa 15mm f/2
5. Nikkor Z 20mm f/1.8 S
6. Canon RF 15-35 mm f/2.87. Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG
8. Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8 Di III RXD
9. Irix 15mm f/2.4 Blackstone
10. Viltrox 20mm f/2.8

		Mount	System	Focal length	Aperture	Weight	Price
1. Sony 14 mm f/1.8		Sony	Mirrorless	14 mm	f/1.8	1 lb (460 gr)	$1600
2. Sigma 14mm f/1.8 DG		Nikon Sony Canon	DSLR Mirrorless	14 mm	f/1.8	2.58 lb (1170 gr)	$1500
3. Rokinon 14mm f/2.8		Most Mounts	DSLR Mirrorless	14 mm	f/2.8	1.43 lb (650 gr)	$300
4. Venus Laowa 15mm f/2		Nikon Sony Canon	Mirrorless	15 mm	f/2	1.10 lb (500 gr)	$750
5. Nikkor Z 20mm f/1.8 S		Nikon Z	Mirrorless	20 mm	f/1.8	1 lb (450 gr)	$1000
6. Canon RF 15-35 mm f/2.8		Canon RF	Mirrorless	15-35 mm	f/2.8	1.85 lb (840 gr)	$2300
7. Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG		Nikon Sony Canon	DSLR Mirrorless	14-24 mm	f/2.8	1.75 lb (795 gr)	$1300
8. Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8		Sony	Mirrorless	17-28 mm	f/2.8	0.92 lb (420 gr)	$800
9. Irix 15mm f/2.4 Blackstone		Nikon Canon Pentax	DSLR	15 mm	f/2.4	1.34 lb (608 gr)	$550
10. Viltrox 20mm f/2.8		Sony E	Mirrorless	20 mm	f/2.8	0.35 lb (157 gr)	$158
BEST LENSES FOR NORTHERN LIGHTS PHOTOGRAPHY

Apart from having a good lens, using the best settings to shoot the Northern Lights is fundamental in capturing the best possible images. Also, don’t forget that cameras are essential in night photography, so make sure you pair your lens with one of the best cameras for Northern Lights photography.

This winning list of the best lenses for the Northern Lights only includes wide-angle lensessince these offer the best field of viewto capture the Aurora. Also, all these lenses are concretely designed for Full-Frame cameras.

Nevertheless, in this guide, you’ll find a comprehensive list of the best lenses to take pictures of the Northern Lightsaccording to your budget and preferences. I’ve included some of the best zoom and primeAPS-C lenses, and the best Nikon, Sony, and Canon lenses for Northern Lights photography.

If you need buying advice, I’ve also added a section with somekey things to consider when buying a Northern Lights lens.

Let’s get started with thebest lenses for shooting the Northern Lights!

• Best camera lenses for Northern Lights photography
• Best APS-C lenses for shooting the Northern Lights
• Best Sony lens for photographing the Northern Lights
• Best Nikon lens for Northern Lights photography
• Best Canon lens for Northern Lights photography
• What makes a good Northern Lights camera lens?

1. Sony 14mm f/1.8 GM– The best lens for Northern Lights photography

*If you are looking for something more affordable and don’t mind compromising field of view, the Sony 20mm f/1.8 is also an excellent option for Northern Lights.

2. Sigma 14mm f/1.8– best wide-angle lens for Northern Lights

This is by far thebest general wide-angle lens to photograph the Northern Lights.It offers the two most important features in anylens for Aurora photography: a wide-angle field of view and luminosity. The only cons are its price and weight. Compatible with: Nikon, Sony, and Canon full-frame cameras.

*If you are a Sony shooter, I’d recommend the Sony 14 mm f/1.8 GM instead for the reasons explained below.

3. Rokinon 14mm f/2.8– Best cheap lens for Northern Lights photography

This is thebest affordable lens for Northern Lights photography. It’s wide, light, fast, it doesn’t have a strong comma in the corners, and the best thing; it’s fairly cheap. The only disadvantage of this lens is the lack of autofocus, but it’s always better to use the manual focus when shooting the Aurora as I explain in the focus section of myNorthern Lights photography guide. Compatible with: Nikon, Sony, Canon, Fuji, Pentax.

*Note: If you prefer a longer focal length to shoot the Aurora, the Rokinon 20 mm f/1.8 and Rokinon 24 mm f/1.4 are also great options at an affordable price.

4. Venus Laowa 15mm f/2– best third-party Northern Lights lens

This is one of the best 3rd party lenses for Northern Lights photography in mirrorless cameras. It’s designed specifically for night and low-light photography, and it’s very compact and light. It doesn’t require special filters, which is something to consider if you plan to use it as a lens for landscape photography. Compatible with: Sony, Nikon and Canonmirrorless cameras.

A wider version of Laowa for Northern Lights photography is the Laowa 12 mm f/2.8.

5. NIKKOR Z 20 MM F/1.8 –Best Nikon lens for Northern Lights

If you’re aNikon Z mirrorless shooter, this is your lens for Northern Lights photography. It’s very fast, reliable, and offers excellent performance in low-light. I’ve tested this lens on many Aurora trips with our Capture the Atlas Photo Tour students and I think that it should be mandatory on any Northern Lights adventure.

6. Canon RF 15-35 mm f/2.8 L– Best Canon lens for Northern Lights

This is Canon’s fastest ultra-wide-angle zoom, and it’s designed for their mirrorless R models. It’s fast, wide, and the most versatile lens for Northern Lights if you’re a Canon mirrorless shooter. Use this lens with the Canon EOS Ra Astro camera, and you’ll see otherworldly results.

7. Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG– Best Wide-angle zoom lens

This is probably the best general wide-angle zoom to shoot the Northern Lights.It’s sturdy, sharp, and the glass is built with impressive quality. Compatible with: Nikon, Sony, and CanonFull-Frame cameras.

8. Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8 Di III RXD

This is a good wide-angle lens for Northern Lights photography. The image quality is superb across its entire focal length range, which is difficult to find in other ultra-wide-angle lenses. It’s light and compact and has internal zoom, which is a great plus. If you are shooting with a Nikon or a Canon camera, check out the Tamron 15-35mm f/2-8 instead.

9. Irix 15mm f/2.4 Blackstone– Best cheap lens for DSLR

This lens can also be considered one of the best cheap lenses for shooting the Northern Lightsfor DSLR cameras.Available for: Nikon and Canon Full-frame DSLR models and Pentax.

10. Viltrox 20mm f/2.8 – An alternative for Sony E-mount

This lens is not as popular as the other models but it doesn’t mean that it’s worse. It offers excellent details, contrast, and colors, all for an incredibly affordable price. If you are looking for an affordable prime lens to photograph the Northern Lights, you can’t go wrong with this one. The main con is that it’s only available for Sony Full-Frame E-mount cameras.

Best APS-C lenses for Aurora photography

APS-C sensors are not the best for low-light photography and for capturing light, so pairing your crop-sensor camera with a good fast lens is important if you want to get the best Northern Lights images.

Best prime lenses for shooting the Aurora Borealis (APS-C)

• Rokinon 12mm f/2.0 x-mount:The best all-round lens for photographing the Northern Lights in APS-C mirrorless cameras. It’s light, sharp, fast and very cheap. Compatible with Sony, Fuji, Canon, Olympus, and Panasonic.

• Rokinon 10 mm f/2.8 ED: A similar option to the Rokinon 12mm, but also available on Nikon and Canon APS-C cameras.

• Sigma 16mm 1.4 DC DN: If you’re looking for a lens that includes more features like autofocus or some weather sealing, this is a good option. Compatible with Sony E mounts and Micro 4/3 cameras.

Best wide-angle zoom lenses for shooting the Northern Lights (APS-C)

• Tamron 11-20mm f/2.8 Di III-A RXD: In terms of quality for price, this is thebest generic wide-angle lens for photographing the Northern Lights on APS-C cameras. Compatible with Sony and Fujifilm APS-C cameras.

• Sony – FE 12-24mm F4 G: This is the best wide-angle Aurora lens to pair with Sony crop-sensor models. It’s not f/2.8, but it’s wide and versatile. Compatible with: Sony

Best Sony lens for shooting The Northern Lights

Sony has some of the best lenses to photograph the Northern Lights. Apart from the Sony 20 mm f/1.8 mentioned above, these are my 4 picks:

• Sony FE 20mm f/1.8 G: This is one of the best lenses to photograph the Northern Lights, it’s fast, wide, light, it’s affordable, and it’s the best option if you want a fast ultra wide-angle lens to capture your Northern Lights images. It’s also a fantastic lens for Milky Way, and it’s considerably more compact and light compared to the Sigma 14mm 1.8 discussed above (1 lb/460 gr vs. the 2.5 lb/1170 gr of the bulky Sigma).

• • Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM: This is the fastest and most versatile ultra-wide-angle zoom for Northern Lights photography. It’s heavier, bulkier, and more expensive than other Sony lenses, but the possibilities are endless. It’s also the perfect option for shooting Aurora panoramas and time-lapses.

  

  Sony FE 12-24 mm f/2.8 G Master

• Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM II: Wide-angle scenes, video, time-lapse… this is a very versatile lens to shoot the Northern Lights. I used the previous version of this lens for many years, and it’s also my main pick for other night shootings, like photographing the Milky Way. The GM II is even better than its predecessor, it’s extremely sharp across the entire range with outstanding image quality. To me, it’s the best Sony wide-angle zoom lens for shooting the Northern Lights.

• Sony FE 24mm F/1.4 GM: The 24 mm G Master model is more expensive, but it’s widely considered the best Sony Aurora lens in terms of image quality and performance. It’s also a good lens for filming the Northern Lights using the widef/1.4 aperture.

Best Nikon lenses for Northern Lights photography

Speaking specifically about the best Nikon lenses for the Northern Lights, apart from the Nikkor Z 20 f/1.8 S you can find:

• Nikkor Z 14-24 f/2.8: This isthe lightest f/2.8 wide-angle zoom lenson the market, and it’s designed to capture the maximum quality in low-light conditions across the entire focal length range. It is also versatile to capture the elusive movements of the Aurora.

• Nikkor Z 24 mm f/1.8 S: Even though 24mm might seem too narrow, this is also a very good lens for Northern Lights. It offers very similar specs as the Nikkor Z 20 f/1.8 but with some extra 4mm.

• Nikkor 14-24 f/2.8G ED: This is the lens I used for years to photograph the Northern Lights. It’s versatile, sharp, and fast. If you’re shooting with a Nikon DSLR, it’s still a great lens, and you can get it at a lower price. However, new lenses offer better functions and results, such as the Sigma 14-24 f/2.8.You can see the Aurora images I’ve taken with this lens in my Northern Lights photography guide.

• Nikkor 24mm f/1.4G ED: The best Nikon DSLR prime lens for shooting the Northern Lights. This lens allows you to use a shorter shutter speed while capturing more light. The difference between f/1.4 and f/2.8 in Northern Lights photography is huge.

Best Canon lens for the Northern Lights

Speaking of thetop Canon lenses to shoot the Northern Lights, beyond the Canon RF 15-35 mm f/2.8,both of these primes for Canon DSLR can be a nice addition to your kit:

• Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L II USM: This is probably the best Canon lens for shooting the Northern Lights. It’s wide and fast enough to capture the movement of the Aurora.

• Canon EF Wide-Angle 24mm f/1.4 II USM: It’s not the widest but it is thefastest Canon prime lensto shoot the Aurora anda very good option if you’re a Canon shooter.

What makes a good Northern Lights camera lens?

There are some fundamentalthings to consider when buying lenses for Northern Lights photography. Some of the most important are:

Conclusion

Choosing the best camera lens for Northern Lights photography is not easy, but it’s critical if you want to capture the best possible images.

Once you have a good camera for shooting the Northern Lights and know the best camera settings in Northern Lights photography, using the right lens will be the key factor in getting a sharp and quality image.

Some Northern Lights lenses are expensive, so a good tip is to rent a Northern Lights photography lens for your particular trip. This is also a good option for testing a lens before purchasing it. This is something I usually do before my Lofoten Northern Lights photo tours.

In my case,I always rent my Aurora photography lenses with Lensrentals,which operates in the US. Their rentals are cheap and straightforward to process. Besides, if you rent your equipment through this link and use the Lensrental promo code ATLAS15, you will get a 15% discount.

For example, the one-week rental of the Sony 12-24 f/2.8 GM is $93, while the full price of this lens is $2,998.

You can check other camera rental companies near you in our guide to Camera lens rentals.

I hope this article helps you choose the best Northern Lights lens. If you aren’t sure if you can shoot the Aurora with your lens, or if you have any other questions related to Northern Lights gear, feel free to leave a comment below.

Happy Captures and clear skies!

Dan is a professional landscape and astro photographer, photography educator, and co-founder of Capture the Atlas. His base camp is in Nevada, USA, but he spends long periods exploring and photographing new locations around the world.Apart from shooting the Milky Way, the Northern Lights, and any breathtaking landscape, he enjoys leading photo tours to some of the most photogenic places on Earth.You can find more about Dan here.