6 Best Nikon lens for astrophotography: (2023 Guide & Reviews)

Last Updated on November 23, 2023 by Sharon Advik

Astrophotography is not an easy task.

The photographer needs to get some related types of equipment.

Ahead of the pack is to use a telescope to get the distant objects closer.

What if you could shoot astrological things with a camera lens without using a telescope? Surprised!

It happens with wide-angle zoom lenses and some telephoto lenses. These lenses are specially created for astrophotography.

The best astrophotographer, Luc Perrot, can discover what will happen in the sky, its evolution, and the planet’s location.

He uses specific software for that. I got inspired by him.

I also did some projects on astrophotography using different lenses. In this article, I am revealing my secrets.

Which is the best Nikon lens for astrophotography?

Here are my recommended top 6 best Nikon lens for astrophotography:-

Rokinon 24mm f/1.4: (Best Nikon Z lens for astrophotography)

I made a plan to shoot Nebula.

It is a giant cloud body that diffuses objects of galaxies, etc.

I decided to use a Z lens.

Nikon Z lenses are made with high standards.

They have a bigger mount called Z.

They match the higher magnification power to capture the far beyond objects.

I set my camera with a Rokinon 24mm f/1.4 lens. I took a picture, became curious, and took many photos of the Nebula.

Oh, it was alluring.

Getting in touch with the features of the lens:

Features
Wide-angle lens
Maximum focal length 24mm
Aperture range f/1.4- 22
Manual focus
Petal shape lens hood
13 elements in 12 groups
84 degrees of angle
Full frame
Outstanding close-ups
Sharp defined images
Ultra multi-coating
Aperture range f/1.4- 22

Full Frame Coverage:

It is a manual focus lens with an aperture range of f/1.4 to f/22, an angle of 84 degrees, and full-frame coverage.

The maximum focal length of the lens is 24mm, which makes it perfect for astrophotography and landscape photography.

It has 13 elements in 12 groups and weighs 755 grams or 1 lb 11 oz without accessories or packaging, making it a very lightweight lens for its price point.

Reduction of flare and ghosting:

The petal-shaped lens hood helps reduce flares and ghosting while protecting the front element from scratches or bumps.

Sharp-defined images:

The lens allows you to take sharply defined images with outstanding close-ups.

The lens is designed to provide high image quality from the center to the edges of your photos.

Great close-ups:

The lens ensures high contrast, vivid colors, and beautiful bokeh effects.

Great close-ups are possible thanks to a full-frame design of 84 degrees from center to corner.

Conclusion:

The Rokinon 24mm f/1.4 is one of the best Nikon Z lenses for astrophotography, especially in wide-angle photography.

Just like I shot the fascinating images of Nebula, you can also experience it.

Pros
  • Extremely sharp lens.
  • Doesn’t have wired distortion.
  • Good value for money.
  • Wide aperture.
  • Fantastic for the video.
Cons
  • Manual focus.
  • Bit of vignetting.

Nikon 35mm 1.8: (Best Nikon DX lens for astrophotography)

Great is to capture star constellations.

Whenever I do it, I use the Nikon DX lens, which is Nikon 35mm f/1.8.

The powerful lens captivates all kinds of space events perfectly.

Its wide angle can focus on infinity.

The images look animated with all the mind-blowing colors and details.

You will fall in love with it for sure.

Read the features first:

Features
Wide-angle lens
Maximum focal length 35mm
F mount lens/ DX format
Picture angle 44 degrees
Manual focus override
Aperture range F/1.8- 22
Silent wave motor AF system
Eight elements in 6 groups
Maximum reproduction ratio: 0.16x
Beautiful background blur
Outstanding low-light performance
Ring-type ultrasonic focus

Quiet Autofocus:

The lens features Silent Wave Motor (SWM) technology that provides fast and quiet autofocus and manual override capability for precise control over focus placement when needed.

Shallow depth of field:

It is ideal for shooting in low-light situations and taking portraits.

The fast maximum aperture of f/1.8 provides a shallow depth of field focus to suit your subject.

At the same time, its manual override capability makes it easy to control the direction manually when necessary.

High performance:

It is a high-performance standard lens with a fixed focal length of 35mm and a fast f/1.8 maximum aperture.

It is ideal for shooting everything from sweeping landscapes to portraits and close-ups (when used with DX-format D-SLRs).

Lower light situations:

The maximum aperture of f/1.8 allows you to shoot in low-light situations without using flash or increasing ISO speeds, which reduces image quality and introduces noise.

Conclusion:

Nikon 35mm f/1.8G lens is my best choice for astrophotography.

You have come to know all of its features.

Pros
  • Lighter & compact.
  • Better in low-light situations.
  • Silent autofocusing motor.
  • Excellent sharp.
  • Low-budget lens.
  • Weather sealing gasket.
  • Solid build quality.
  • Nice bokeh.
  • Excellent image quality.
  • Good value for money.
Cons
  • Some vignetting & barrel distortion.
  • No image stabilization.
  • Purple fringing.
  • The focus ring isn’t good.

Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8: (Best Nikon telephoto lens for astrophotography)

Sky does not have limits.

It has the most extraordinary objects but is many miles from us.

How could you discover them when you can’t go near them?

Use a telephoto lens to get them far away from objects near you with their objective perspective.

I shot a Supernova with Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 lens.

Great is the lens, and great are the features:

Features
Telephoto lens
Maximum focal length 200mm
Minimum focus 0.5m
77mm filter thread
Customizable function button
Control ring of versatility
Optical zoom 2.9
Obsession for details
Captivating resolution
Class-leading close focusing
Optical image stabilization
Brilliant in low light
Highly cinematic
Dust and drip-resistant

Closer to your subject:

This is a telephoto zoom lens designed for the Nikon cameras.

With a 200 mm focal length, it can photograph distant subjects without requiring the photographer to get too close.

This makes it perfect for astrophotography.

The minimum focus distance is 0.5m, so you can get closer to your subject using this lens.

Shoot at the slower shutter speed:

It is an amazingly versatile telephoto lens with a fast maximum aperture.

It’s perfect for shooting sports or wildlife in low-light situations and is also the best Nikon telephoto lens for astrophotography.

The lens allows you to shoot slower shutter speeds when lighting isn’t optimal.

This gives you more control over your exposure settings and enables you to create images with beautiful background blur (bokeh).

Sharp images:

It is the best telephoto lens for astrophotography, delivering unbelievable results with its massive aperture and long focal length.

This versatile lens is perfect for both stills and video, capturing sharp images of your favorite subjects in various situations.

Versatile:

This is the best Nikon telephoto lens for astrophotography.

This lens can capture clear, sharp images at an impressive distance.

It features a fast f/2.8 aperture, which provides outstanding low-light performance and a shallow depth of field, making it easy to separate your subject from the background.

The 70–200mm focal length range provides portraits, sports, wildlife, and more versatility.

Conclusion:

A supernova is the explosion of a star that is massive in space.

AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8 lens made it easy to capture that occasion perfectly in my camera.

Pros
  • Excellent crips optics
  • Fast, reliable & quiet autofocus
  • Minimal focus breathing
  • Dust, splash, and anti-smudge protection
  • Teleconverter compatibility
Cons
  • Tripod’s foot isn’t Arca compatible.

Sigma 14mm f/1.8: (Best Nikon FX lens for astrophotography)

Choosing a full-frame lens is not a big deal now.

Sigma is presenting you a Sigma 14mm f/1.8 lens for your camera to shoot perfect astrological detailed photos.

Do you want to know what I shot with it?

The spiral galaxy in space. It looked impeccable in the night sky.

I missed my heartbeats for a few seconds when watching it.

Considering the features of the lens:

Features
Wide-angle lens
Maximum focal length 14mm
Large diameter
Beautiful bokeh effects
Control of light streaking
Ultra-wide angle of view
Super multi-layer coating
No flare and ghosting
Large HSM
Outstanding speed
A new dimension of visual experience
Autofocus

Ultra wide-angle:

It is a wide-angle lens designed for Nikon cameras with full-frame sensors.

This ultra-wide-angle lens offers an equivalent focal length of 24mm in a 35mm format.

It has a large maximum aperture of f/1.8, making it ideal for astrophotography, night landscapes, and indoor photography under dim lighting conditions.

Great visual experience:

It is the best ultra-wide-angle lens for Nikon FX DSLR cameras, giving you a new dimension of visual experience.

It offers outstanding optical performance and delivers beautiful bokeh effects with control over light streaking, enabling you to create out-of-this-world images!

Highest level of image quality:

It is the world’s first lens to reach the highest level of image quality in terms of sharpness and bokeh while also providing a large maximum aperture of f/1.8 over its entire focal length range.

This makes it ideal for landscape photography, astrophotography, studio work, and indoor sports where fast shutter speeds are required.

Capturing plenty of light:

It can produce dramatic images with exaggerated perspectives, especially suited to architectural photography.

The large aperture captures plenty of light for good low-light performance, and the Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) ensures quiet, high-speed autofocus action.

The lens’s Super Multi-Layer Coating reduces flares and ghosting to produce precise, high-contrast images.

Artistic effects:

It is a prime wide-angle lens designed for Nikon FX-format digital SLR cameras.

It captures images with an angle of view similar to human vision.

It offers the largest aperture available in any full-frame compatible lens, making it ideal for low-light shooting and artistic effects.

Conclusion:

We do not know what is present in the vast space.

All we can do is observe and discover new things using innovative technologies.

Choose this Sigma lens for your subsequent discovery!

Pros
  • Excellent in low light.
  • Suitable for both photo & video.
  • Excellent build quality.
  • Worth the price.
  • Excellent, bright aperture.
  • Extremely sharp.
  • Amazing brightness.
Cons
  • Some distortion.
  • Some barrel distortion.
  • Flares visible.

Samyang 14mm F2.8: (Best budget lens for astrophotography Nikon)

It would be best to have a heavy pocket when buying astrophotography lenses.

But what will happen when you don’t have the budget to buy it?

Then, you can go for the Samyang 14mm f/2.8 lens.

The best budget lens has all the features you require for this field of astronomy.

It will define the sky objects clearly in the images.

Stop here; just read its features:

Features
Wide-angle lens
Maximum focal length 14mm
UMC anti reactive
Three Aspherical lens elements
Two Ed lens elements
High strength Aluminium alloy housing
14 elements in 10 groups
Aperture range of F/2.8 -22
Seven aperture blades
Integrated autofocus motor
Full frame
89.8 degrees on APSC cameras
Low light photos
Autofocus

Excellent image quality:

The lens construction consists of 14 elements in 10 groups.

It features three Aspherical lenses and two extra-low dispersion lenses, minimizing aberrations and ensuring exceptional image quality throughout the frame, even at maximum aperture.

It also has Ultra Multi Coating (UMC), which reduces flare and ghosting, resulting in high-contrast images with vivid colors and sharpness.

Capturing night sky:

This is a wide-angle lens for astrophotography.

It has an ultra-wide maximum focal length of 14mm, making it possible to capture the night sky.

Durable:

It is constructed from high-strength aluminum alloy to ensure durability when shooting in harsh conditions.

Limiting flare and ghosting:

An Ultra Multi Coating (UMC) has also been applied to limit flare and ghosting for more contrast-rich images even when lighting conditions are less than optimal.

Superb Bokeh:

The seven rounded diaphragm blades give precise rendering and superb bokeh.

Its compact size makes it ideal for photographers who want to travel light while still capturing wide-angle shots with a shallow depth of field.

Conclusion:

The Samyang 14mm f/2.8 lens provides exceptional low-light performance, making it ideal for astrophotography, outdoor photography, and videography.

Pros
  • Super wide-angle lens.
  • Super cheap.
  • Lightweight.
  • It’s so sharp.
  • Good comic performance.
  • Good build quality.
Cons
  • Doesn’t have autofocus.
  • Manual focus ring.
  • Fixed hood.
  • Vignetting, barrel distortion.

Nikon 20mm f/1.8G: (Best Nikon prime lens for astrophotography)

Once, I got lost in the forest.

That was a deep forest with tall trees.

It got dark soon. Fortunately, I was with my camera.

I decided to take some images.

You must be laughing!

My inner soul always urges me to take images, so I did.

I took pictures and suddenly found my way to the road.

So I got home and forgot about the photos I had taken.

The next day, I saw the images on my camera.

Because of the Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 20mm f/1.8 G lens, the random clicks can be compared with the professional ones.

Watch out for the features:

Features
Wide-angle lens
Maximum focal length 20mm
Compact and lightweight
FX-format lens
Ultra-wide perspective
Low light capabilities
Shallow depth of field
F/18 maximum aperture
Maximum reproduction ratio 0.23x
Aspherical lens
Nanocrystal coat
Flare and chromatic aberration
Superb sharp rendering
Innovative silent wave motor
Fast, accurate, near quiet autofocusing
Ideal for stills or motion capture
Minimum focusing distance of 0.66 feet
Beautifully blur background
High image quality
Ultrasonic motor

Selective focus imagery:

This prime wide-angle lens captures the world around you with a dramatic perspective.

The fast f/1.8 maximum aperture produces superb low-light photos and offers greater control over field depth for selective focus imagery.

The 20mm focal length on FX-format DSLRs creates an ultra-wide angle of view, ideal for capturing sweeping landscapes and interior architecture.

Ultra-wide perspective:

It provides excellent low-light performance and shallow depth of field.

The ultra-wide perspective is perfect for landscapes, architecture, interiors, or any application that requires an expansive view.

Pleasing bokeh:

It delivers high image quality in a compact, lightweight form factor.

The fast f/1.8 maximum aperture is beneficial for working in low light, and offers increased control over the depth of field for selective focus applications.

A nine-blade rounded diaphragm opening also contributes to a pleasing bokeh quality when working with shallow depth-of-field imagery or creating an aesthetic blur in the background of an image.

Shallow depth of field:

It offers an extensive-angle of view, perfect for landscape photography and astrophotography.

The fast f/1.8 maximum aperture enables shooting in low-light conditions and provides a shallow depth of field for selective focus.

High-contrast images:

This lens features a Nano Crystal Coat to reduce ghosting and flare, while the Super Integrated Coating reduces reflections on glass surfaces. This combination produces high contrast and vivid color images.

Conclusion:

This ultra-wide-angle, fast prime lens excels in low light and easily captures the expansive night sky.

The 20mm f/1.8 is an excellent choice for astrophotography or other low-light applications where you want to take in as much of the scene as possible.

Pros
  • Nanocrystal coating
  • Super wide-angle lens.
  • Fast & accurate autofocus performance.
  • Dust & water resistance.
  • Excellent image quality.
  • Very sharp.
  • Great contrast.
  • Reasonable price point.
Cons
  • Some vignetting.
  • Little distortion.

CONCLUSION:

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

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

Which is your best Nikon lens for astrophotography?

Is there a lens I didn’t mention in this article that you love using for astrophotography?

Would you please leave your thoughts and comments below?

Related post:

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Best low light lens for Nikon: 

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