Some photographers prefer to shoot in low light. Whether these are environmental portraits, events, or scenes from the streets, photographers who like to lurk in the dark often rely on fast aperture lenses. After all, shooting from dusk to dawn has its own pros and cons, but that doesn’t mean one should be discouraged from it due to the rising cost of lenses. To help those who prefer the night, we have collated a list of lenses that will give you great performance, without the added cost.
Fujifilm 23mm f2 R WR
Created with 10 elements, 6 groups, the 23mm f2 has a close focusing range of 22cm, a maximum magnification of 0.13x, and a 43mm filter thread. In our test, the lens was applauded for excellent image quality, colors, bokeh, and sharpness, as well as its fast autofocus and weather sealing. All this goodness at a great price tag, too.
Price: $370
Artra Lab 50mm f1.2
Designed for full-frame cameras, the f1.2 is created with 8 elements in 6 groups, and comes with 11 aperture blades. It has a close focusing distance of 0.35m, a 52mm filter thread, and weighs 560g. We loved the lens so much, we gave it 5 out of 5 stars. Here is what our review said: “You’re going to love the bokeh that it can deliver and when you apply your favorite edits, we think that this lens will become something that you bring out when you really want to deliver a special look.”
Price: $438
Viltrox 75mm f1.2
One of the few lenses to get our Editor’s choice award, the Viltrox 75mm f1.2 has a close focusing distance of 0.88m, 11 aperture blades, 0.1x magnification, and is designed for APS-C cameras. The lens is far better in terms of feeling than the Sony G master. It also offers beautiful image quality, a great battery, is weather resistant, and offers a nice close focusing distance.
Price: $580
Samyang 50mm f1.2
Created with 9 lenses in 7 groups, the 50mm f1.2 is for APS-C cameras, and has a minimum focusing distance of 1.6-inch. It also has 9 aperture blades and weighs 380g. In addition to being one of the brightest aperture lenses, it offers great portability, super sharp images, and beautiful bokeh. All of this also comes with an affordable price tag.
Price: $379
Pergear 35mm f1.4
One of the other lenses to achieve the Editor’s Choice Award, the Pergear 35mm f1.4 is a full-frame lens with 10 aperture blades and a 30 cm close-focusing distance. Some of the things we liked about the lens include its creamy, swirly bokeh, the right amount of sharpness, vivid colors, and nice metal build.
Price: $109 for Sony and $119 for Leica mounts
Astrhori 50mm f1.4 Tilt
One of the affordable tilt lenses, the Astrhori 50mm f1.4 Tilt is designed for full-frame and MFT cameras. It has a 0.4m close focusing distance, 75mm length, 12 blades of aperture, and is entirely manual focus. What we liked about the lens is its tilt capabilities, which give a nice narrow focus. The lens flare is amazing, and the colors are great too. The bokeh and the tilt blur only adds to image quality.
Price: $259
Nikon 40mm f2 Z
The Nikon 40mm f2 is not just affordable but also lightweight, weighing just 170g. It is designed with 6 elements in 4 groups and a 9-blade diaphragm. In addition, it has a close focusing distance of 0.96ft and is weather resistant. The image quality is superb, which helped it win our Editor’s Choice Award. The price is also affordable, and the autofocus speed is good. Once mounted, you will rarely take it off.
Price: $196
