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The Best Nikon Lens for Astrophotography
The best Nikon lens for astrophotography is, without a doubt, the Nikon Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct. This Nikon lens is tailor made for astrophotography and night photography in general.
The major issue is that it’s only for Nikon mirrorless cameras. If you have a Nikon mirrorless camera and deep pockets however, this lens is arguably the best lens for astrophotography regardless of brand.
If you either have a Nikon DSLR or aren’t interested in purchasing a mirrorless camera, the best Nikon astrophotography lens is the Nikon AF-S 24mm f/1.4G ED. It’s excellent for night photography and is much more affordable than the Z 58mm f/0.95.
Read on for reviews and recommendations of the best Nikon astrophotography lenses!
Table of Contents
Best Nikon Lens for Astrophotography
All lenses that are great for astrophotography shares a few things in common:
- Very wide apertures, meaning low F numbers like F/1.4 or F/2.8
- The ability to produce extremely sharp images
- A decently wide focal length, nothing tighter than ~70mm
Wide apertures are necessary to let in as much light as possible. Anything above F/4 is just not going to be wide enough for astrophotography. Ideally, you want something F/2.8 or lower. The best Nikon lens for astrophotography on this list has an aperture of F/0.85.
The sharpness of the lens obviously plays a huge role as well. When focusing on stars, even a slight blur will be noticeable. You need the stars looking as crisp and sharp as possible to really have the image pop. The best Nikon lens for astrophotography excels with sharpness.
While focal length can be a matter of opinion, most astrophotographers opt to use a wide angle lens to show as much of the sky as possible. This doesn’t mean that you need a wide angle lens though. Anything from a fisheye to around ~70mm can be great for astrophotography.
In fact, the best Nikon astrophotography lens has a fixed focal length of 58mm, so it’s more important to think about aperture and sharpness prior to considering focal length.
All of the Nikon lenses on this list will produce good astrophotography images. You’ll just have to figure out how you want to balance the higher end qualities of the best lenses and how far you can stretch your budget.
Best Nikon Astrophotography Lens Overall
Nikon AF-S 24mm f/1.4G ED
This Nikon 24mm F/1.4 is an extremely sharp prime lens that is loved by many Nikon astrophotographers.
It’s easy to use, relatively compact, a good focal length, and has everything you want in a lens for astrophotography.
Pros:
- Excellent for night photography
- Produces extremely sharp photos
- A favorite amongst astrophotographers
Cons:
- Somewhat expensive
- Only one focal length
Nikon AF-S 14-24mm F2.8G ED
This Nikon 14-24mm F/2.8 doesn’t have as wide of an aperture as the 24mm F/1.4 above, but it does offer sharp photos at more focal lengths.
14mm is wide enough to capture the full night sky and F/2.8 is a good aperture to let in enough light. Overall, it’s a great zoom lens for astrophotography.
Pros:
- Good for night photography
- Produces very sharp photos
- Wide-angle zoom lens that offers multiple focal lengths
- Great for other genres of photography as well
Cons:
- An aperture of lower than F/2.8 is ideal for astrophotography
Best Nikon Lens for Astrophotography on a Budget
Nikon AF-S 20mm f/1.8G ED
This Nikon 20mm F/1.8 is the best prime lens option that’s under $1000. It’s a great aperture for night photography and can hold its own in terms of sharpness.
Overall, it’s a very solid budget option that will capture some nice photos, but lacks the quality of top lenses.
Pros:
- Produces sharp images
- Good for night photography
- Very affordable
Cons:
- Only one focal length
- Lacks higher end image quality when compared to other lenses on this list
Nikon AF-S 16-35mm f/4G ED VR
This Nikon 16-35mm F/4 is interesting because it checks all the boxes for a great astrophotography lens besides having an aperture of only F/4. It has great focal lengths, is affordable, and produces some sharp photos.
This lens is really great if you also intend to use it for other purposes as well. I’ve used this lens personally for astrophotography and have always been quite happy with the final images.
Pros:
- Wide angle zoom lens with great focal lengths
- Produces sharp images
- Affordable
- Great for landscapes as well
Cons:
- F/4 is not ideal for astrophotography
Best Nikon Astrophotography Lens for Mirrorless Cameras
Nikon Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct
As the name would suggest, this Nikon Z 58mm F/0.95 Noct is incredible for night photography. Some would even argue that it’s the best night photography lens period.
Although 58mm is a bit too tight to capture the full night sky, it’s ideal for photographing a landscape under the milky way. It’s expensive but if you don’t mind the price tag, it’s absolutely worth it.
Pros:
- The best Nikon astrophotography lens without question
- Designed specifically for astro and night photography
- Produces extremely sharp images
- High quality build
- Easy to use
Cons:
- Very expensive
Nikon Z 20mm f/1.8 S
This Z 20mm is very close in terms of overall quality to the 20mm F/1.8G ED listed above.
It’s a solid lens that is more than capable of capturing some good astrophotography images. It’s not really comparable to the best on this list, but it’s also more affordable.
Pros:
- Produces sharp images
- Good for night photography
- Affordable
Cons:
- Only one focal length
- Lacks higher end image quality when compared to other lenses on this list
Nikon Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S
Similar to the 14-24mm F2.8G ED listed above, this is a good and serviceable lens for astrophotography as well as other genres.
The focal lengths are ideal and an aperture of F/2.8 can definitely get the job done. Overall, it’s a highly capable mirrorless lens.
Pros:
- Good for night photography
- Produces very sharp photos
- Wide-angle zoom lens that offers multiple focal lengths
- Great for other genres of photography as well
Cons:
- An aperture of lower than F/2.8 is ideal for astrophotography
Recommendations on the Best Nikon Astrophotography Lens
If you either have a Nikon mirrorless camera or are going to buy one and budget is not a concern, then go ahead and get the Nikon Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct. Yes, it’s expensive, but that price tag comes with near perfection in terms of astrophotography usage.
It’s hands down the best Nikon lens for astrophotography currently on the market.
If you are thinking about purchasing a mirrorless camera, or any Nikon camera for astrophotography, check out our article, Best Nikon Camera for Astrophotography.
If you don’t have a Nikon mirrorless camera, don’t want a mirrorless camera, or don’t want to spend that much money, then go with either the Nikon AF-S 24mm f/1.4G ED or the Nikon AF-S 14-24mm F2.8G ED.
Decide if you’ve rather have a zoom lens with multiple focal length options or if you’re fine using a prime lens. Once you’ve made that decision, you’ll know which is the best Nikon lens for astrophotography for you specifically.
Finally, check out our Gear page to read more articles just like this with up-to-date product reviews for gear across all photography genres.
Frequently Asked Questions
What DSLR lens is best for astrophotography?
The Nikon D810A is the best DSLR for astrophotography since it was produced for that exact purpose.
Is Nikon good for astrophotography?
Yes, Nikon produces some great cameras and lenses that are excellent for astrophotography. In fact, the best Nikon lens for astrophotography is arguably the best astrophotography lens regardless of brand.
What size lens is best for astrophotography?
Many people prefer a wide angle lens for astrophotography. Ideally, you won’t have a lens thats tighter than around 70mm for astrophotography purposes.