Best lenses for astrophotography 2025 for shooting stars and galaxies

In order to get those stunning astrophotos you’ve been dreaming of, a good camera will only go so far — you need to pair it with the right lens for the job. A good astrophotography lens needs to let in lots of faint starlight, so a wide-angle focal length and fast aperture are a must.

We’ve rounded up our top picks from each of the most popular camera brands, so there’s an option for everyone, no matter what system you use. We’ve primarily featured wide-angle prime lenses due to their wider apertures and astro-friendly focal length, but we’ve also included a zoom lens alternative if you want a bit more versatility or want a longer focal length to photograph the moon, as well as some more affordable options if you’re on a budget or are a beginner.

Paired with one of the best astrophotography cameras, now is the ideal time to capture the Milky Way at its peak. And with Prime Day deals still lurking around after last week, now might be the best time to buy.

The quick list

The best lenses for astrophotography we recommend in 2025

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Best Sony

To put it simply, this is just about the best native astro lens you can put on your Sony camera. The 14mm focal length mixed with the f/1.8 aperture is a recipe for sharp, bright images of the night sky in a lightweight and fairly compact package. In fact, it’s the lightest full-frame native lens in this guide. We reviewed the Sony FE 14mm f/1.8 GM over at our sister site Space.com and found it to be an absolute dream to take out on shoots.

Optically, this lens is superb. The images are sharp, detailed and have fantastic color rendition and minimal distortion. There is some vignetting, but that’s to be expected with such a wide focal length, and it’s nothing that can’t be fixed during editing. The bulbous front element does prohibit the use of lens filters, which isn’t too much of an issue as it is compatible with rear lens filters; however, that incurs extra cost if you don’t already own any.

We were also impressed by the fast and accurate autofocus. Obviously, this isn’t a concern for astrophotography, but useful if you want to use this lens for other photographic genres. The manual focus ring was smooth and enabled us to focus on the stars easily — ideal if you’re using one of Sony’s cameras that has the Bright Monitoring feature.

If you’re looking for a zoom lens instead, we loved the Sony FE 12-24 f/2.8 GM when we reviewed it at our sister site Space.com. Although there’s a decrease in the widest aperture, f/2.8 is still fine for astrophotography, and the 12-24mm zoom range gives a little more flexibility for shooting landscapes that the 14mm prime doesn’t. If you want even more light, the Sigma 14mm f/1.4 DG DN Art lens is very competitively priced against the Sony.

If you need a longer focal length for moon photography, we’d recommend the Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS, which could become up to an effective 1400mm with a 2x teleconverter. Alternatively, you could also use the Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS sport lens if you want to save some cash.

Best Canon

Back in March, Canon fans will have been thrilled to read the announcement of the newest lens in the L series prime lens lineup — the Canon RF 20mm F1.4L VCM. Having only been on the market for a few months, this is one of Canon’s most astro-friendly lenses to date. Although 20mm isn’t the widest focal length on this list, it’s still more than usable for landscape astrophotography, and the fast f/1.4 aperture makes it more favourable in low-light scenes than a wider focal length with f/1.8.

Until now, the widest prime lens had been the 24mm f/1.4, and given that there’s only 4mm difference between the two, we’d have liked them to bring out a 16mm or even a 14mm for dedicated wide-angle photography. That said, the advantage the 20mm has over the other lenses in this list is that it’s more versatile for other styles of photography. Alongside astro, we can see it being used for weddings, interiors and architectural street photography, as well as being a fantastic wide-angle for video work.

It’s ideal for capturing the Milky Way while still having room for landscape foregrounds in the frame, and although we haven’t reviewed it ourselves yet, the images we’ve seen are pin-sharp and incredibly clean, which is to be expected from Canon.

There’s some distortion and vignetting, which is typical for this type of lens, but it can easily be corrected in editing software. The autofocus is fast and quiet with minimal focus breathing, which will prove useful for more general styles of photo and video work. It is the heaviest of the native full-frame lenses in this list; however, at 1.1 lbs (519g), we still don’t consider it anywhere near being heavy.

As versatile as this lens is, if a prime lens isn’t what you’re looking for, we love the Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS USM for astrophotography. The 15-35mm is a fantastic wide-angle zoom for landscapes and travel/street photography, and the f/2.8 aperture is still great for low light and astro shooting. It is more expensive than the 20mm prime, however.

When it comes to longer lenses for moon photography, unless you have $20k lying around for the Canon RF 1200mm F/8 L IS USM, we’d suggest the Canon RF 200-800mm F6.3-9 IS USM for moon images. The Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3Di VC USD G2 would also work and is a little cheaper.

Best Nikon

The NIKKOR Z 20mm f/1.8 S is a great pick for Nikon users who want to dive into astrophotography. With its wide 20mm focal length, it’s perfect for capturing epic nightscapes as well as being versatile enough for more general styles and video work.

The fast f/1.8 aperture is ideal for allowing lots of light through, resulting in bright, clean and detailed images of the night sky. Plus, Nikon’s optical design does a great job at controlling defects like coma and chromatic aberration, giving you sharp images all across the frame. There’s some vignetting at f/1.8, which is typical for such a wide lens, but it’s nothing that can’t be fixed. Overall, image quality is absolutely stunning.

As we’ve come to expect from Nikon, the build quality is excellent, too. It’s weather-sealed and durable, so it’s a good match for colder nights to prevent dew from getting into the lens. It isn’t the most lightweight lens, but it’s still easy enough to carry around with you without any issues.

If you want a more versatile zoom lens for astro and other wide-angle styles, we’d recommend the NIKKOR Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S. It’s double the price, heavier and takes bigger filters, but you get way more versatility and the ability to get even wider astro-shots down to 14mm.

For lunar photography, the NIKKOR Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR is our top pick. Alternatively, the Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3Di VC USD G2 gives the same maximum focal length for less money.

Best Fujifilm

Fujifilm shooters who want to dive into astrophotography have been blessed with the Fujinon XF16mm F1.4 R WR. Its wide 16mm focal length, blended with fast f/1.4 aperture, results, in theory, in a fantastic lens for astro that can turn its hand to any style of wide-angle shooting imaginable — including macro, thanks so it’s close focusing.

General image quality for daytime shots is, frankly, superb. But how does it perform in low light? The biggest downfall of this lens is that it suffers quite substantially from coma in the top corners of the image at f/1.4. The best setting for this lens seems to be f/2 to alleviate a lot of these aberrations, but you do lose a little light in doing so.

Seasoned astro shooters would want to invest in a full-frame system with better quality glass that can handle astro shooting better, but for beginners and more casual astrophotography, this one downfall doesn’t outweigh everything else the lens has going for it.

If you want to go even wider, you’ll have to opt for the XF 8-16mm F2.8 R LM WR zoom lens. You lose a bit of maximum aperture, but it enables you to shoot super wide-angle images down to 8mm. For a more budget-friendly option dedicated to astrophotography, the Samyang 12mm f/2 is a great choice.

If you want to photograph the moon, the XF150-600mmF5.6-8 R LM OIS WR is the longest Fuji lens by a long way. The Tamron 150-500mm F/5-6.7Di III VC VXD is also compatible with Fuji cameras and is significantly cheaper.

Best OM System

For OM System users who value a compact and lightweight setup, this little 17mm f/1.2 lens is a fantastic addition to your kit when it comes to astrophotography. It’s compact and lightweight — perfect for popping in your camera bag on a night shoot. It has a really solid build quality, and we liked the manual focus clutch to facilitate effortless switching between manual and autofocus.

We used it to shoot some astrophotography during our OM System OM-1 Mark II review, and combined with the OM-1 Mark II’s starry sky AF and live composite features, we were incredibly impressed with how this lens performs. The stars were sharp all across the frame (even with Starry Sky AF turned off), and manual focusing was smooth and easy. We did notice some coma on the brighter stars, but not an unusable amount.

The bright f/1.2 aperture is brilliant for letting more light in than most other prime lenses, and this compensates somewhat for the reduced ‘250 rule’ when it comes to shutter speed on an M4/3 lens. We were able to shoot the image below using a 13-second shutter speed.

For a zoom option that still works for astro, we have two recommendations. Our best pick is the M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm F2.8 PRO II, followed by the M.Zuiko Digital ED 7-14mm F2.8 PRO. For our money, the 12-40mm is cheaper and will be the more versatile option.

The best lens for moon photography using an OM System camera is the M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-600mm F5.0-6.3 IS. Add a 2x teleconverter, and it can become an effective 1200mm lens.

Best Panasonic

Micro Four Thirds shooters who are looking for a tiny and feather-light lens for astrophotography, your prayers have been answered in the form of the Panasonic 15mm f/1.7 Leica Summilux DG ASPH. For such a small lens, it produces excellent image quality with a fast f/1.7 aperture — an ideal combination for astrophotography.

During our full Panasonic 15mm f/1.7 Leica Summilux DG ASPH review, we praised the fast and silent autofocus, which worked well for both photo and video, and we found the manual control ring to be smooth with just the right amount of resistance. There’s no image stabilization, but that’s to be expected with a prime lens — not only would it increase the size, but it would also increase the cost.

Overall, the image quality is excellent, and we found the best performance to be between f/2.8 to f/4, with f/1.7 not being quite as sharp at the edges of the frame. That said, it’s still a fantastic lens for capturing the night sky thanks to its particularly impressive sharpness in the center when shooting wide open. We used it to photograph the aurora borealis, and the fast aperture allowed us to use ISO 800, and night shoots under a full moon only required ISO 400. We noticed some distortion and vignetting at wider apertures, but this is easily fixed in editing software.

For the price, we think it’s a great lens that would be ideal for M4/3 users who want to dip their toe into the astrophotography world. It’s not perfect, but considering its optical performance, we think it’s excellent value for money.

If you want a longer lens for lunar photography, the longest Panasonic lens is the G Series LEICA 100-400mm F4.0-6.3, which will give decent results but could still be a little short, so you’ll need to use a teleconverter or be able to crop.

Best third party

Hailed as the ‘ultimate astrophotography lens’, Sigma’s 14mm f/1.4 prime lens is certainly a force to be reckoned with. It’s the fastest 14mm lens ever made, and this lens comes at a personal recommendation from award-winning astrophotographer Josh Dury.

Compatible with the Sony E mount and Leica L mount, the first thing to note is that compared to the native lenses, it’s substantially bigger and heavier. Weighing a huge 41.3oz (1,170g), it’s not going to be the most pleasant lens to carry for long distances in comparison. To distribute the heavy weight and large size, it has a tripod collar on the lens barrel with a built-in quick release plate, which is unusual for wide-angle primes. It also features a manual focus lock switch, which is very useful for astrophotography.

There’s virtually no purple fringing, vignetting is well controlled and the stars appear as perfect pin-points with basically no aberrations, somehow, which is a very welcome sight. There’s a very slight drop in sharpness towards the edges of the frame, but that’s only visible when you zoom in.

If you’re looking for a zoom lens instead, Sigma has just announced its new 17-40mm f/1.8 DC Art lens, which could be an absolute dream for astrophotographers who want the versatility of a zoom lens combined with the wide f/1.8 aperture of a prime lens. Alternatively, if you want an affordable option for your crop sensor camera, the Sigma 16mm F1.4 DC DN | C is a great option.

Best lenses for astrophotography: comparison

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FAQs

What makes a good astrophotography lens?

The best lenses for astrophotography need to have a wide-angle focal length (usually 20mm or lower) and a wide maximum aperture (no smaller than f/2.8). These two characteristics let in as much light as possible to ensure you get fine details from dim starlight.

What is the 500 rule for astrophotography?

The 500 rule helps you work out what shutter speed you can use without seeing star trails. You divide 500 by the focal length you’re using, and the answer gives you the appropriate shutter speed in seconds.

For example: 500 divided by 20 (mm) = 25 seconds.

If you’re using an APS-C setup, swap 500 for 300, and 250 if you’re shooting on a M4/3.

Are telephoto lenses good for astrophotography?

Generally, wide-angle lenses are used for astrophotography, but the exception is lunar and long-exposure, tracked deep sky astrophotography. We asked award-winning astrophotographer, Josh Dury, if telephoto lenses are good for astrophotography, and he told Live Science, “Yes — for different subject matter, from the sun, moon to eclipses and deep-field shots of galaxies and star clusters. Some lenses on the market now have a greater light-gathering capability compared to previous models.”

Although you can include the moon in your wide-angle shots using any of the lenses mentioned in this list, you’ll need a telephoto lens and be able to rely on cropping your image if you want to get really great, detailed close-up shots of the moon. If you already own one of the best lenses for wildlife photography, the long focal length will be ideal for lunar photography. (If you want to go a step further, you can just mount your camera straight onto your telescope, but that’s another story.)

You can certainly get decent moon photos with the larger ‘holy trinity’ lens you already own — we’ve used the Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II with the Sony A7R V to snap some shots of the moon — although even at 200mm, it’s still quite small in the frame. In order to make the moon appear bigger, we’d recommend a focal length of anywhere between 500mm all the way up to 2,000mm. As expected, the longer the lens, the more expensive it’s likely going to be, so you might want to consider using a teleconverter for your moon photographs if you don’t want to invest in a whole new lens.

What is the best ISO for astropghotography?

This entirely depends on how good your camera is in low light. ISO 2,000 is a good starting point, and you can increase or decrease from there. The best cameras for astrophotography perform better at higher ISO levels.

What is the best aperture for astrophotography?

For astrophotography, you want to use an aperture of f/2.8 or wider to make sure as much light is passing through as possible.

Are prime or zoom lenses better for astrophotography?

Optically, prime lenses are usually better and can shoot at wider apertures, so are typically the more favored lens for astrophotography. However, zoom lenses are more versatile and can be used for other styles, which is great if you don’t solely shoot astro.

We asked award winning astrophotographer, Josh Dury, who said, “Ideally, prime lenses are better for greater light gathering capability, although there are zoom lenses out there on the market with a good f/2.8 capability.”

Is 24mm wide enough for astrophotography?

Generally speaking, we’d recommend lenses with a focal length of 20mm or wider for astrophotography in order to get as much of the sky in the frame as possible. But, if you already own a 24mm lens, or you want to buy one but aren’t sure if you’ll keep up astrophotography as a hobby, you can absolutely use a 24mm for astro.

What is the best lens for capturing the milky way?

Literally any wide-angle prime lens will be able to photograph the milky way. Generally, the wider you go, the more of the milky way you can fit in the frame, so a 14mm would be perfect.

Is a full moon bad for astrophotography?

Yes and no — it all depends what you want to photograph. If you want to photograph the full moon, then great, but if you want to capture the details of the dark sky and milky way, you’ll want to shoot during a new moon.

Does the lens need image stabilization?

Not for astrophotography, as your camera will already be stabilized by your tripod. (You’ll notice the lenses in this guide don’t have it). Image stabilization only helps if you’re going to be shooting the moon handheld.

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How we test the best lenses for astrophotography

How we test the best lenses for astrophotography

When testing the best lenses for astrophotography, there are a number of tests we conduct to assess the lens’s light-gathering power and overall quality. We always endeavour to use them in real-world scenarios (ie, out in the field), and if this is not possible due to weather and/or time restrictions, we aim to simulate a similar environment to that in which they’d typically be used in order to make our tests as accurate as possible.

All our lens reviews are conducted either by our expert staff or knowledgeable freelance photographers. We take the same image at multiple apertures to assess the sharpness and brightness, and determine where the lens’s “sweet spot” is. We also use a similar method to assess the bokeh shape and smoothness, although this is typically used more for more general-purpose photography, where you might want a blurred background.

We also take images of colorful everyday objects like flowers and crystals, as well as night sky images, to evaluate the color reproduction, and we photograph images including grids or lines to look for any distortion and vignetting. As wide-angle lenses can also be used for general landscape photography, we check the production of sunstars by shooting into the sun, and we assess the autofocus by using human or animal subjects alongside shooting the same image with manual and autofocus to look for differences.