What should I look for in a wide-angle lens for astrophotography on a Canon 450D?
Asked 6/19/2015
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I want to buy a wide-angle lens for astrophotography to use on a Canon 450D / Rebel XSi (APS-C crop sensor). Which lens characteristics matter most for shooting stars and night skies?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
11y ago
2 Answers
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1) The faster aperture the better. You probably want 1.4 if possible, especially on a crop camera. However, the widest 1.4 I know of is a 24, which isn't all that wide on a crop. 2.8 can work, but not as well.
2) It should have low coma. Distant bright spots should remain that - spots. Most lenses add a bit of a "tail" to them.
3) Ideally it should have a hard focusing stop at infinity. Usually you have to use live view to focus stars. I'm not absolutely certain but think some Zeiss and Rokinon lenses have this. (I have the rokinon 24 f/1.4 and 14 f/2.8 but haven't had a chance to use them for astrophotography yet. They are supposed to be good though.)
Really though this is one aspect where full frame will get you a real advantage. Then you can use a 24 f/1.4 with appropriate wideness, plus the high ISO shooting will be infinitely better than on the Rebel.
Originally by user34800. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user34800
11y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
For astrophotography, the key things to prioritize are:
- Fast maximum aperture: The wider the aperture, the more light you can gather in a short exposure. f/1.4 is excellent if you can get it, while f/2.8 can work but is less ideal.
- Good coma control: This is very important for stars. A lens with low coma keeps bright stars looking like points instead of smearing them into little “tails” near the edges.
- Easy, precise manual focus at infinity: A lens with a hard infinity stop can make night focusing easier, though many photographers still confirm focus on stars using live view.
Because your 450D has a crop sensor, lenses appear less wide than they would on full frame, so getting a truly wide view is a bit harder. That makes a fast wide-angle lens especially valuable on your camera.
In short: look for a wide focal length, the fastest aperture you can afford, low coma, and good manual-focus behavior at infinity.
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