When buying a camera, an important factor to consider is if the camera will be able to take quality pictures in low light. It’s not just about affordability. There are many inexpensive cameras on the market, but which ones are good for night photography? Well, this article aims to present you with some suggestions of the best cameras for night photography so you can make an informed choice about your purchase.
Whether you’re either a night owl or just looking for a new hobby, you’ll certainly want to find the best camera for night photography you can.
You want to get into night photography, but you don’t know everything there is to know. Should it be easy or hard? Are you going to be better off with a phone or digital camera? What should you consider before making your purchase? Are you in the right place? Let’s find out.- Download this free guide now: Best Compact Camera For Night Photography 2018
You’ve just received your new Nikon D750 and want to get out there, shoot some night photography. HOWEVER, you just don’t know what camera is best for taking photos at night.
Best Sony camera For Low Light Photography
Are you into photography? Would you like to take stunning photos at night? Many photographers have started taking up advanced photography skills. They specifically have taken the time to learn to understand what it takes to capture beautiful images of the night sky. Needless to say this requires a lot of patience and dedication.
There’s a particular joy in photographing subjects in low light conditions with using flash. Many photographers love the challenge of finding natural light sources to create stunning effects. Whether you’re in the city trying to capture light trails or in the outback trying to capture the Milky Way in all its glory, you’ll need a good camera. In this post, we’ll look at some of the best compact cameras for low light photography. But first, let’s explore some of the main features a camera needs to work well in low light.
Being one of the largest manufacturers of binoculars, we offer many varieties of best compact camera for night photography designs. Our goal at solaroidenergy is to provide you with the most luxurious and stylish binocular that you will ever find. We handpick the binoculars on solaroidenergy, doing extensive research to find the most beautiful and unique models. Unique binoculars we have in our collection include the best camera for night photography 2020, best compact camera for night sky photography, and best compact cameras for professional photographers.
We offer the best camera for night shots anywhere in the world, thanks to our high-quality designs, values, and styles. For binoculars, there are many different designs available. Shop at the solaroidenergy official website for the best low light compact camera 2020. It is no surprise that our binoculars are among the most popular on the market. For the best point and shoot camera, please visit our site. You’ll find a variety of choices for camera today. Make your choice now!
Best Compact Camera For Night Photography
The 5 Best Compact Cameras for Low Light Photography
The key features of the best compact cameras for low light photography
The best compact cameras for low light shooting tend to offer several key features, including powerful sensors, high ISO ranges, RAW capability, and quality lenses.
The ISO settings on your camera are used to adjust the sensor’s sensitivity to light. The higher your ISO setting goes, the less likely it is you’ll need a flash or additional artificial lighting.
Be careful though. High ISO settings can produce grainy photos. To correct this, go for a camera with a larger sensor. A larger sensor usually means the camera has more megapixels, which can translate to lower image noise and a higher dynamic range.
Finally, shooting in RAW means the photo can be saved unprocessed, giving you the option to experiment and tweak the image yourself using a post-production program.
The best cameras for low light and night time photography
With that out the way, here is our pick of seven of the best compact cameras for low light photography. Our top picks for cameras for low light photography include:
- Fujifilm X-T30
- Sony Cybershot DSC-RX100 VII Digital
- Sony RX1R Mark II
- Canon Powershot G1X Mark III
- Canon PowerShot G5 X Mark II
1. Fujifilm X-T30
What’s not to love about the Fujifilm X-T30 compact camera? Equipped with a high-speed processor and a powerful lens, it delivers crystal clear and vivid image and video quality. X-T30 is a versatile camera from Fujifilm, featuring advanced moving subject tracking technology.
Top Reasons We Think You Will Love The Fujifilm X-T30:
- Ergonomic and compact build with prominent physical controls that are easily accessible.
- Advanced technology lens equipped with a high-speed processor, which ensures faster image processing and quick overall camera performance.
- The CMOS sensor closely replicates the organic nature of images and videos, giving you high-quality and sharp output.
- A high-Speed processor means you get instant ultra high-quality images in low light without having to do much post-processing.
- Excellent value for money
Plus it looks gorgeous. What more can we say?
Shop the Fujifilm X-T30 Today
2. Sony Cybershot DSC-RX100 VII Digital
We’re big fans of the Sony Cybershot DSC-RX100 VII Digital model. The Sony Cybershot DSC-RX100 VII Digital offers superb image quality and is arguably the best compact camera for low light video recording.
Powered by the same BIONZ X image processor and front-end LSI as the Alpha 9, the RX100 VII offers focus and burst performance unmatched by any compact camera. Paired with a deep buffer range and refined user interface, the RX100 VII redefines the limits of compact camera photography.
This is a compact little camera, so it’s perfect for those nights out when you don’t want to be weighed down by something too bulky.
Top Three Reasons We Think You Will Love The Sony Cybershot DSC-RX100 VII Digital:
- Excellent zoom performance: A 24-200mm f/2.8-4.5 Carl Zeiss zoom lens gives the RX100 VII a zoom range equivalent to a full professional mirrorless kit.
- Attention to Detail: The RX100 VII has received a host of refinements to the interface, with a simplified, more intuitive menu structure, enhanced touch screen controls and advanced button customisation options for total control
- Compact and powerful: there are a lot of features packed into this compact camera making it the perfect low light photography companion.
Shop the Sony Cybershot RX100 VII today.
3. Sony RX1R Mark II
A solid contender for the best low light compact camera award, the Sony RX1R II boasts some impressive features.
An epic full-frame 42.4MP image sensor guarantees unparalleled low light capabilities and ensures a powerful dynamic range. You heard that right: A full-frame sensor in a compact camera!
With an ISO range of 100-25600, it also has incredible performance even at the higher limits of the range.
Very little can compete with a full-frame sensor, though you will be paying for the incredible quality – the cost of a Sony RX1R II is on par with many pro-level DSLRs and mirrorless cameras.
Top Three Reasons We Think You Will Love The Sony RX1R II:
- Extraordinary full-frame imaging capability into an incredibly compact form.
- Amazing 40 megapixels allows crisp images in all light conditions
- Bright Monitoring function slows the shutter speed for live view, allowing an increase in the screen’s brightness so you can do a better job of framing and focusing.
Shop the Sony RX1R II today.
4. Canon Powershot G1X Mark III
With a 24MP APS-C CMOS sensor and a broad ISO range of 100 to 25600, the Canon Powershot G1X III is made for low light situations.
The impressive image sensor reduces overall noise in your images, as well as creating brilliant contrast and colour accuracy.
The G1X III also comes with optical image stabilisation too, helping reduce the need for a tripod in certain low light situations.
Top Three Reasons We Think You Will Love The Canon Powershot G1X Mark III:
- A 24-72mm lens lets you capture regular, zoomed in and wide photos powered by a Dual Sensing.
- Optical Image Stabilizer system.
- Get up to 200 shots with every battery charge (according to CIPA standard testing) Bluetooth wireless connectivity lets you capture pictures remotely using a smartphone.
Shop the Canon Powershot G1X III today.
5. Canon PowerShot G5 X Mark II
With the Canon G5X II, you’re bound to get high-quality images in low light scenarios thanks to its short and fast 24-120mm zoom lens which offers wide apertures.
With RAW image capabilities, a 20.1MP one-inch sensor, and a native ISO range of 125 to 12800, along with a range of DSLR-worthy manual controls, this is a fantastic camera low light photography.
It also comes with 4K video recording, making it perfect if you’re wanting to experiment with low light videos.
Top Three Reasons We Think You Will Love The Canon PowerShot G5 X Mark II:
- The PowerShot G5 X MII’s 3.0” LCD touch panel tilts up 180˚ and enables you to shoot from a variety of unique angles.
- The pop-up electronic viewfinder is ideal for photographers wanting to keep their eye on the scene.
- Features exceptional speed of a DIGIC 8 processor, all packaged into a beautifully compact body.
Shop the Canon PowerShot G5 X II today.
Buy the best compact camera and accessories for low light photography
Camera House stocks a range of compact cameras and lighting accessories designed to help you improve your low light photography. Check out our full catalogue online!
Shop online or visit a Camera House store to discover the perfect camera for your low light photography project whether it is portraits, landscape or wildlife.
The Best Low-Light Cameras In 2022
By Amy Davies published 18 days ago
The best low-light camera will usually have a full-frame sensors and it won’t be super high resolution
- Sony A7S III
Aimed primarily at filmmakers this is the best low-light camera for video
With a low pixel count, this full-framer which sits in Sony’s acclaimed A7 series is specifically designed with two types of users in mind – low light shooters and video creators.
The camera boasts superb image quality in the absence of light, with fantastic dynamic range and smooth image processing. The full-frame sensor is back side illuminated, and with relatively few pixels on such a large sensor, it’s perfectly primed for dim conditions. Autofocusing is excellent, with AF being sensitive all the way down to -6EV. Image stabilisation puts in a good performance too, so you should be able to use it handheld in many situations.
Advertisement
There’s a great range of compatible lenses now available for Sony full-frame cameras – particularly worth mentioning is the G-Master series, especially the prime (fixed length) options.
With a range of interesting video features, such as uncropped 4K video, 16-bit raw recording and a superb high-resolution viewfinder, for those who like to capture video in darker conditions will also be on to a winner here.
Although the Sony A7S III excels at low light and video, it’s not hugely flexible if you’re somebody who also shoots other types of scenes.
- Canon EOS R6
A brilliant all-rounder with superb low-light performance
This versatile full-frame mirrorless camera is adept at a range of shooting scenarios, but has a number of key features which make it particularly good at low light shooting.
First of all, Canon has kept the megapixel count to a modest 20.1 for this model, while it’s class-leading image stabilization gives you up to eight stops of scope to work with – perfect for hand-held work.
Its superb autofocusing works well in a range of conditions, and being sensitive all the way down to -6.5EV also makes it one of the best for low light on the market.
Put all of this together and there’s not a huge amount to dislike about the Canon EOS R6. But if we had to pick something, it’s the fact that native EOS R lenses are not hugely in abundance just yet, but you do have the advantage of being able to use the camera with your DSLR glass via an adapter (where the IS system will also work together with any stabilized lenses).
- Panasonic GH5S
A video-centric, Micro Four Thirds camera
Although this is another camera which is primarily targeted towards videographers, the fact that the Panasonic GH5S uses a low resolution sensor and includes features such as Dual Native ISO also makes it a good choice for low-light photographers. That’s particularly true if your budget is tight, or you’re already working within the Micro Four Thirds lens system.
Dual Native ISO is a clever piece of tech which boils down to producing less noise at higher sensitivities, resulting in a maximum sensitivity of ISO 51,200 – otherwise unheard of in Four Thirds sensors. While it still won’t necessarily beat other cameras with large sensors, if you’re keen on the other advantages, such as size, price and lens range, it’s worth thinking about.
In the modern market, a 12 megapixel sensor seems very low, but it will still leave you able to create A3 sized prints should you need to. You also get the benefits of smaller and lighter handling, which could make it a good option for travel and street photography if you like to head out after sunset.
- Nikon Z6 II
Nikon’s second generation Z6 is great in low light and benefits from dual card slots
Here’s another model which is a great all-rounder that puts in a good performance in a number of conditions, including low light. The Nikon Z6 II uses a lower resolution sensor than its more advanced stablemate (the Nikon Z7 II), which suits low-light shooting well. It’s also got a decent autofocusing system which is sensitive down to -4.5EV – that’s not quite as good as some of the others on the list, but this camera is also more modestly priced than some.
You get a very good ISO range and image stabilisation is built into the body so handheld shooting in low light conditions is pretty good here.
Handling is also excellent, while the screen and viewfinder combination are a pleasure to use. There are two notable criticisms with the Z6 II – the first is that it’s not a huge advancement over its own predecessor, and the second is that compatible Nikon Z-mount lenses – especially wide aperture prime lenses – are still a little on the expensive side. Still, if budget is tight you could save some decent cash by plumping for the older model.
- Fujifilm X-T4
Best APS-C camera for low light
There’s not a huge amount to dislike about the Fujifilm X-T4. This flagship model is a great option for anybody looking for a good all-rounder who happens to shoot a decent amount of low light.
It would be easy to be put off by the smaller than full-frame sensor, but by using APS-C, Fujifilm keeps the overall body size down and provides a good compromise between image quality and usability. Besides, with such an impressive in-body stabilisation system, you can really push the sensor to deliver results which are easily comparable with similarly priced full-frame models.
AF performance is good here, and although the headline grab is that it’s sensitive down to -7EV, that’s only with the stunningly impressive Fujinon 50mm f/1.0. If you don’t also have that, it’s a more modest, but still respectable -3EV.
- Nikon D850
Despite the higher megapixel sensor the D850 still shines in low-light environments
Although you’d be forgiven for thinking that mirrorless has well and truly taken over, there’s still a lot to be said for DSLRs. Nikon’s once class-leading D850 has now dramatically reduced in price, making it a bit of a bargain in comparison to some of those featured here.
We’ve been saying all the way through this piece that high resolution is no friend to low light photography, but here’s one camera that provides the exception to the rule.
With its high resolution sensor it makes for a good all rounder, while still putting in a good low-light performance thanks to a fast and sensitive AF system and a good expandable ISO range.
Many will prefer the handling of a DSLR compared to mirrorless, while the lens range for DSLRs is still yet to be rivaled by their mirrorless counterparts. The big downside here is that there is no image stabilisation in the body, so you’ll be relying on image stabilized lenses for handheld shooting.
- Sony A9 II
Best low-light camera for professional photographers
A professional-level camera is probably going to be complete overkill for most enthusiast photographers, but if you want the best of the best and have the budget to spend, the Sony A9 II really is a fantastic option.
Arguably targeted primarily towards action and sports photographers, given that a lot of those subjects take place in dimly-lit environments, you can see why Sony has equipped the camera with decent low-light prowess.
It’s got a very well performing image stabilisation system, while the modest pixel count on the full-frame sensor makes it good for capturing as much light as possible. The AF is incredible, and although it’s only sensitive down to -3EV, that should still be enough for most scenarios.
The major downside here is of course price. A professional camera commands a professional price tag. If you’re keen to get in on the action, try looking at the camera’s predecessor (the Sony A9) for a hefty saving.
- Canon G1X Mark III
Best low light camera for travel
If you’re looking for a great travel-friendly compact camera that will surely beat your smartphone in low light conditions, then the Canon G1X Mark III could be the one for you.
Canon impressively included a DSLR-sized sensor in this (almost) pocketable device, so you’ve got a lovely big APS-C sized sensor perfectly primed for gathering light in dim conditions. It’s a shame that the 3x optical zoom lens has a maximum aperture of f/2.8, otherwise this could have been pushed even further.
Now showing its age, the G1X range hasn’t been upgraded since the Mark III. It’s unlikely to be anybody’s primary camera, but for keeping size to a minimum but still having a decent degree of flexibility, it’s certainly a contender.
- Olympus Tough TG-6
An underwater camera this works surprisingly well in low light
This neat little compact camera has been included for a niche reason. If you’re somebody who likes to shoot underwater from time to time, you’ll already be aware that light is limited the further down you go.
For that reason, the TG-6 has some great low-light credentials for an underwater camera that sees it outperform some of its direct rivals. It has modest resolution on albeit a small sensor, with an accompanying f/2 lens which should let plenty of light in.
Combined with a decent 100-12800 ISO range, this is a camera that performs admirably well in challenging lighting conditions, with it even shooting in raw format to help you claw back any missing detail in your underwater shots.
- Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Best smartphone for low light
Although lots of smartphones are adept at low light shooting, if we have to pick one out winner, it would be the Samsung S21 Ultra.
This flexible smartphone gives you four different lenses to choose from, with the main sensor boasting a very high megapixel count, larger than average sensor, wide aperture lens and optical image stabilization.
It also has a well-performing night mode which produces impressive imagery, particularly with the main and first telephoto lens. One of the big reasons why the Samsung just about edges it over the iPhone is because of its much more flexible native camera app. You can take full control over a range of specifications in the Pro mode, as well as shooting in raw format if you want to.
- Apple iPhone 13 Pro
The best iPhone ever made with 3 upgraded cameras
Smartphone manufacturers have put a lot of know-how into perfecting their low light offerings, and that’s particularly the case for the best iPhones. We’re now a couple of generations along from the first Night mode, and each one seems to outdo the last.
Night mode works by shooting a set of short exposures and then merging them together for the best detail and light gathering capabilities. Although many smartphones offer some variation on this setup on the current market, Apple does it extremely well and repeatedly so.
On top of that, there’s also a set of other useful features that also boost the phone’s low-light prowess. The large main sensor, coupled with an f/1.6 lens means it works well in dim conditions even when shooting outside of the Night mode. There’s also sensor shift OIS to help keep things as steady as possible, too.
The possibility to shoot in raw format means you can really manipulate files to get the most from them, but it remains disappointing that Apple doesn’t offer a “pro” or “advanced” shooting mode for its enthusiast users.
