6 Best cheap camera for night photography: (2023 Guide & Reviews)

Last Updated on September 9, 2023 by Sharon Advik

Are you a photographer or videographer looking to take your night photography up a notch on the cheap?

Night photography can be challenging, but it can be gratifying with the right tools.

Taking photos in low light conditions without any additional lighting is a skill that takes patience and dedication – not to mention an adequately equipped camera and lens setup.

But don’t fret!

That’s why you don’t need to invest in expensive equipment when gearing up for night photography; some of the best cameras for this type of work are highly affordable, so read on to find out which ones are perfect for your needs!

Which are the Best cheap camera for night photography?

Here are my recommended top 6 Best cheap camera for night photography:-

Nikon Z50: (Best cheap camera for night photography)

My job as a photographer has always been to capture the precious moments that occur in life, but nothing has quite compared to the mesmerizing beauty of nighttime.

I’ve spent hours capturing images and shooting videos of incredible moments at night, from the stunning landscapes to the intimate bride shots and nature scenes.

The excitement of being out in the dark, surrounded by twinkling stars, is incomparable.

With my Nikon Z 50 camera, I’ve documented some of my most breathtaking photos and videos under the night sky.

From majestic cityscapes lit up with vibrant colors to tranquil landscapes enveloped in a blanket of darkness – each image is more beautiful than the last.

Features:

• Model: Nikon Z 50
• Effective pixels: 20.09 million
• Sensor: Dx, CMOS sensor, 23.5 mm x 15.7 mm
• ISO Sensitivity: ISO 100 – 51,200
• Monitor Type: Tilting TFT, Touch-Sensitive LCD
• Dust-Reduction System: Image Dust Off reference data (requires Capture NX-D)
• Viewfinder: 0.39-in. approx. 2360k-dot (XGA) OLED electronic viewfinder
• Shutter Type: Electronically-controlled
• Autofocus System: Hybrid phase-detection/contrast AF with AF assist

ISO / Shutter Speed:

Night photography is tricky and requires much more effort to click the best photos.

After many trials and experiments, I concluded that ISO should be maximum on full-frame cameras at night.

So, for the scenario mentioned earlier, to capture cityscapes under the Millennium Bridge in London City, aiming for longer exposures, I put ISO at 200 to reduce the noise and a shutter speed of 60 sec, perfect for long exposure.

This helps me to take some excellent clicks.

Aperture / Depth of Field:

As I aimed for a long exposure, I set the aperture at f/11, giving a wide depth of field required for this scenario.

Applying these to my camera settings gave me perfect shots of the bridge illuminated by the lights.

White Balance / Frame Rate:

Here, I also took some shots of the moon.

For this purpose, I set a white balance level of 10000k for an excellent orange tint around the sky with the moon and city lights effect.

Setting the camera at 12 fps was my best choice for this scene.

Why is this camera the best?

If you’re in the market for a great new camera, the Z 50 is worth considering!

It offers an ISO range of up to 51,200, which ensures your shots stay crisp and clear even in low-light settings.

Further, its impressively fast shutter speed of 1/4000 second lets you capture sharply focused images of fast-moving objects.

Conclusion:

With beautiful color and stunning detail, you can be sure that your photos will turn out incredible.

With many added features and accessories, this camera will help take your photography game to the next level.

I recommend this camera as the best cheap camera for night photography.

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Canon EOS R10: (Best cheap camera for night photography)

One memorable shoot was an outdoor wedding where I captured captivating photos and videos of the couple silhouetted against a starlit sky.

The bride’s dress glowed white against her dark hair while her groom stood tall beside her, illuminated by moonlight.

This simple yet striking moment was even more special when they shared their first dance as husband and wife beneath a cloudless sky full of stars.

I used my Canon EOS R10 to capture these moments to make their day memorable, remarkable, and distinguished.

Even with the help of short clips, I made their day more memorable.

Features:

• Model: Canon EOS R10
• Sensor type: Approx. 22.3 × 14.9 mm (APS-C) CMOS
• Effective pixels: 24.2MP
• Image processor: DIGIC X
• Image Stabilisation: Lens/Digital only
• Focusing Type: Dual Pixel CMOS AF II
• Shutter: Electronically controlled
• Viewfinder Type: 0.39-inch OLED color EVF

ISO/ Shutter Speed:

While they made a few dance moves, I set my camera ISO at 300 and shutter speed at 30 seconds to make their move still for a perfect moment to create.

I also experimented with other shutter speed levels for an ideal twirl of the bride.

I set it at a high level at 1/1000 as it always remains best for such photography.

Aperture/ Depth of field:

I had to choose the aperture wisely because my shutter speed was high.

That’s why I chose an aperture of f/2.8, a wide aperture for night photography.

A general rule of thumb is to take in as much light as possible.

It also aimed for a shallow depth of field while blurring the lights in the background, giving a lovely effect to the photographs.

White Balance / Frame Rate:

For this scene, I preferred to set the white balance mode to auto and the frame rate to 30fps.

To achieve the desired results.

Why is this camera the best?

This is one of the top-of-the-line cameras on the market, giving experienced and aspiring photographers the most advanced tools to help them take stunning images.

Thanks to its ISO range of 100-102400 and a shutter speed of up to 1/8000 sec, you can capture bright, clear images in low-light environments and freeze fast action in perfect clarity.

Conclusion:

With its impressive autofocus capabilities, fast image processor, and intuitive interface, the R10 offers a convenient platform for creative expression that photographers of any skill level can take advantage of.

All these features make it the best camera choice for any shoot – whether you’re shooting sports or landscapes – making it ideal for professionals and hobbyists alike! This is the best cheap camera for night photography.

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Nikon D3400: (Best cheap camera for night photography)

I also had plenty of opportunities to take advantage of nature’s nighttime beauty on my travels.

One exciting experience was visiting a remote beach after sunset.

As darkness settled over us, we were left entirely alone on its shoreline, where I could take time-lapse shots and 4k footage of crashing waves illuminated by sparkling sea foam against an inky black sky scattered with stars.

I captured all these scenes through my Nikon D3400 DSLR camera.

This helped get some of the most remarkable and heart-robbing scenes to mesmerize true nature enthusiasts.

Features:

• Model: Nikon D3400
• Effective pixels: 24.2 million
• Sensor: 3.5 mm x 15.6 mm, Image Sensor Format, DX, CMOS
• Shutter: Electronically controlled vertical-travel focal plane
• ISO: ISO 100 – 25,600
• Lens: Instant-return type
• Viewfinder: Eye-level Pentamirror Single-Lens Reflex viewfinder
• Focus Modes: Auto AF-S/AF-C selection (AF-A)
• Monitor Size: 3.0 in. diagonal

ISO / Shutter Speed:

As time-lapse videos always inspired me, I was creating myself this time.

So, I set ISO at 1200 and shutter speed at 50 secs for a longer exposure time lapse.

It would help me to achieve the best time-lapse shot ever.

Aperture / Depth of Field:

For this time-lapse, I set the aperture at f/6.3 to create a mid-range of the field’s depth and perfectly capture this mesmerizing moment in my camera.

Developing a wider gap at night means allowing more light to pass into your camera lens.

I always set wider apertures for my night photography except for very few cases.

White Balance / Frame Rate:

For the perfect lighting effect, I set Wb at 3500k to achieve lovely blue shades and to avoid orange tints in my photos, as I don’t want to get orange hues in my time-lapse shot.

I set the frame rate at 24fps as it helped me to achieve high-resolution video.

Why is this camera the best?

It’s no secret that this camera is one of the top digital cameras on the market.

It offers fantastic control over ISO and shutter speed, a great selection of lenses, and compatibility with software like Adobe Lightroom to give you maximum control over your photos.

Conclusion:

The camera is lightweight and user-friendly, perfect for taking stunning photographs without fancy techniques.

With a 24MP sensor and 11-point autofocusing system, you can rest assured that each photo will be crisp and detailed.

Embarking on photography projects has always been more challenging than with this camera, as this is the cheapest camera for night photography.

Canon EOS Rebel T7i: (Best cheap camera for night photography)

Another favorite pastime is setting up my tripod outdoors after nightfall to capture some stunning long-exposure shots of urban areas alive with light pollution from streetlamps and billboards or starlit mountains close enough for me to reach out and feel them (or so it seemed).

No matter what kind of scenes I’m capturing – be it bridal portraits or natural vistas – shooting at night gives me endless opportunities for creativity as I explore color palettes that only exist when day turns into night.

Photographing under a clear night sky never ceases to amaze me; each new moment provides a unique challenge I am always eager to tackle head-on!

Features:

• Model: Canon EOS Rebel T7i
• Viewfinder: Optical Viewfinder with a 45-point All Cross-type AF System*.
• Autofocus: Fast & Accurate Dual Pixel CMOS AF with Phase-detection.
• Sensor: 24.2 Megapixel CMOS (APS-C) Sensor.
• Image processor: DIGIC 7 Image Processor, ISO 100-2560
• Connectivity: Built-in Wi-Fi, NFC, and Bluetooth
• Screen: Vari-angle Touch Screen, 3.0-inch LCD

ISO / Shutter Speed:

A low ISO is always best for daytime photography, as a base ISO is perfect for most daytime shots.

But I aimed to get in more light for nighttime and in the above scene to have an ideal image.

That’s why I set the ISO level at 3200 because, at this level, photos don’t appear grainy or noisy, and I kept the shutter speed at 30 sec for a longer exposure.

Aperture / Depth of Field:

I set a wider aperture of f/2.8, which helped me achieve a shallow field depth.

As a nighttime photographer, you should wisely use your aperture to get clear, sharp stills.

White Balance / Frame Rate:

Ideally, I have to set the white balance at maximum level, but here, I used auto white balance mode for this scene, so my camera selected it by itself.

Moreover, keeping a frame rate of 24fps helped me to get perfect views in one shot.

Why is this camera the best?

When choosing a camera, this should be at the top of your list! This camera has features like ISO ranges up to 25600 and shutter speeds from 30-1/4000 seconds, sure to satisfy any photographer’s needs.

Conclusion:

You can enjoy its 24.2-megapixel imaging sensor for stunningly detailed images with remarkable clarity for the perfect shot in any light.

Whether you’re a professional or just starting your photography journey, the Rebel T7i has all you need to take brilliant photos.

I prefer this camera over others as this is one of the best cheap cameras for night photography.

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Sony Alpha 6000: (Best cheap camera for night photography)

Capturing the beauty of night scenes is a challenge with many rewards.

The full moon is one of those rewarding moments, and when I caught it one night, I was mesmerized by its beauty.

I took my camera out to capture the moon in all its glory.

First, I found an open field as far away from city lights as possible to get better pictures without the light pollution washing out its beauty.

Once I was settled, I looked up and saw the magnificent full moon shining brightly in the sky and knew what I had to do.

I carefully set up my tripod so the camera aligned with the moon and adjusted all my DSLR settings for optimal focus and clarity.

After tweaking different shutter speeds, ISO levels, white balance, etc., I took a few test shots, which looked great even on my LCD screen review mode.

With everything ready, I started clicking away, taking multiple images from various angles and directions to ensure I captured its stunning beauty from every imaginable angle.

Features:

• Model: Sony Alpha 6000
• Sensor: 24.3 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor.
• Viewfinder: OLED electronic viewfinder with 1.44M dots.
• Flash: Built-in Flash + Multi-Interface Shoe.
• Shooting mode: 11 fps continuous shooting with subject-tracking.
• Focus: Hybrid AF system with 25 contrast-detect and 179 phase-detect points.
• Screen: 3-inch tilting LCD with 921,600 dots.
• Image processor: Bionz X image processor

ISO / Shutter Speed:

To get a perfect shot of the moon, I set ISO at 300, so an optimal level of light gets in the camera, and I have to keep my shutter speed at the longer side to ensure my camera doesn’t capture the moon’s movements across the sky.

I kept it at 1 sec to get the ideal view in the click.

Aperture / Depth of Field:

I aimed to have a clean, crisp shot, so I set an aperture to f/11 to achieve a wide range of depth of field as I wanted to capture the full moon to its full glory.

White Balance / Frame Rate:

In this case, I wisely chose a frame rate of 25fps to get maximum photos in one shot and each movement of the moon and clouds near it.

I am setting the white balance at 3200k for a cool blue sky, as I want a midnight effect.

Why is this camera the best?

The Sony Alpha 6000 is an excellent option when choosing the best camera.

With the help of an ISO range of 100-25600 and a wide shutter speed of 1/4000s-30s, you can capture rich and detailed photographs in almost any lighting condition.

Conclusion:

The in-camera image stabilization provides sharp images even if you are shooting on the go without a tripod.

Furthermore, its excellent 24.3MP APS-C CMOS sensor offers superior image quality with accurate color and gradations – perfect for any budding photographer looking to take their photos to the next level.

You can use this camera for night photography as its incredible features make it one of the best cheap cameras.

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Nikon Z6II: (Best cheap camera for night photography)

In addition to this, I also took some video clips of both short and long duration depending upon what kind of footage suited best for each shot.

During this process, capturing slow-motion video clips was particularly rewarding – it allowed me to capture more details of how light interacted with shadows while making it look more beautiful due to lesser motion blur, even after shooting at a lower shutter speed.

While shooting videos at night can be tricky sometimes due to low light conditions, having a good understanding of camera settings helped me overcome this problem quite easily.

Keeping ISO levels low helped me reduce noise while allowing sufficient light to record videos clearly without any shakes or jerks due to sudden movements or vibrations (thanks to a high-quality tripod).

Combined, they made these videos look stunning even after watching them multiple times during editing!

Features:

• Model: Nikon z6II
• Sensor: CMOS sensor, format fx, size 35.9 mm x 23.9 mm
• Viewfinder: 1.27-cm/0.5-in. Approx. 3690k-dot (Quad VGA) OLED
• Shutter Type: Electronically-controlled vertical-travel focal-plane
• ISO Sensitivity: ISO 100 – 51,200
• Autofocus System: Hybrid phase-detection/contrast AF with AF assist

ISO / Shutter Speed:

To shoot videos of the full moon, I kept ISO at 1200 for a sharp result but didn’t want to appear grainy.

Shooting at a longer shutter speed is ideal for night photography.

Thus, I kept it for 50 seconds to get superior results.

Aperture / Depth of Field:

A wider aperture would help me create a shallow field depth while blurring all around.

So first, I set the aperture at f/2.8 to create a shallow depth of field.

But I also want a wide depth of field to capture nature’s beauty.

That’s why a gap of f/20 would be ideal for me; in that case, after that, the results were enchanting.

White Balance / Frame Rate:

I set the white balance at 5000k, slightly raising it for a cool blue sky in my shot and frame rate at 30fps for perfect 4k high-quality videos.

Why is this camera the best?

The Nikon Z6II takes the already impressive specs of the original Z6 and boosts them.

It features ISO sensitivity up to 204800, so you can get great shots in low light, especially in nighttime settings.

Conclusion:

With a 30fps burst rate and an improved shutter speed of 1/8000s, you can capture moments that slip by too quickly for other cameras to lock onto.

The built-in image stabilization allows you to shoot sharp images in extreme conditions.

For those looking to take their photography game up several notches, this is the camera for you, as it is the best cheap camera for night photography.

Click the link to buy:

CONCLUSION:

Alright, guys, that concludes all the cameras we will discuss today in this article.

Do you guys have any experience with these cameras? What are your thoughts on them?

Which is your Best cheap camera for night photography?

Is there a camera that I didn’t mention in this article that you love to use?

Would you please leave your thoughts and comments below?

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