{"id":120,"date":"2019-12-15T18:09:07","date_gmt":"2019-12-15T18:09:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lowlightphotographer.com\/?p=120"},"modified":"2020-01-01T21:22:50","modified_gmt":"2020-01-01T21:22:50","slug":"best-canon-dslr-cameras-and-lenses-for-low-light-photography","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lowlightphotographer.com\/?p=120","title":{"rendered":"Best Canon Cameras and Lenses for Low Light"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>KEYS TO STUNNING LOW LIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Whether you are taking photos at a concert, wedding or dance recital, nothing tests a camera and lens more than low light action photography.&nbsp; &nbsp;It is essential to use the right camera, lenses and settings to capture fast moving action in dim light without a flash<\/span><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">.&nbsp; The key is to use a camera with a large sensor and wide aperture lenses.&nbsp; This combination allows you to capture the maximum amount of light available to reduce motion blur and noise in photos.&nbsp; The second key is to use the proper camera settings to freeze action and minimize noise in low light.&nbsp; This includes fast shutter speeds, wide apertures (f-stops), and the lowest possible ISO setting.&nbsp; We recommend the following settings to capture stunning low light action photography:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">shutter speeds higher than 1\/125<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">wide lens apertures from f\/2.8 to f\/1.2<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">ISOs under 1600 (the lower the better)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">These settings are only possible with cameras that have large sensors and physically wide lenses.&nbsp; Size and settings matter in low light.&nbsp; <\/span><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">The main difference between a compact camera and full frame camera is their low light performance due to the size difference between their sensors and lenses.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1890\" src=\"https:\/\/lowlightphotographer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Canon-5d-Mark-IV-VS-Pentax-Q.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1236\" height=\"821\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lowlightphotographer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Canon-5d-Mark-IV-VS-Pentax-Q.jpg 1236w, https:\/\/lowlightphotographer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Canon-5d-Mark-IV-VS-Pentax-Q-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lowlightphotographer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Canon-5d-Mark-IV-VS-Pentax-Q-1024x680.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/lowlightphotographer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Canon-5d-Mark-IV-VS-Pentax-Q-768x510.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lowlightphotographer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Canon-5d-Mark-IV-VS-Pentax-Q-1536x1020.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/lowlightphotographer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Canon-5d-Mark-IV-VS-Pentax-Q-2048x1360.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/lowlightphotographer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Canon-5d-Mark-IV-VS-Pentax-Q-788x523.jpg 788w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1236px) 100vw, 1236px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><strong>OUR RECOMMENDATIONS<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Our recommendations are based on a number of factors that determine a camera&#8217;s low light performance.&nbsp; The best <\/span><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">cameras for taking low light action photos <\/span><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">have:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>an excellent selection of wide aperture lenses from f\/1.2 to f\/2.8<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">the largest sensor possible that fits your needs and budget<\/span><\/li>\n<li>phase detect or hybrid auto focus systems that acquires focus in low light<\/li>\n<li>the ability to take clean photos at ISO 1600 to 8,000<\/li>\n<li>fast burst modes (FPS) for capturing action in low light&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>bonus points for dual card slots and excellent battery life<\/li>\n<li>In Body Image Stabilization (IBIS) for reducing camera shake<\/li>\n<li>excellent video quality for videographers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit;\">BEST CANON MIRRORLESS CAMERAS FOR LOW LIGHT<\/strong><\/p>\n<table style=\"height: 206px; width: 100%;\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"width: 18.2034%; background-color: #daa520;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">Camera<\/span><\/th>\n<th style=\"width: 8.45472%; background-color: #daa520;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">Price<\/span><\/th>\n<th style=\"width: 5.98477%; background-color: #daa520;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">Mega Pixels<\/span><\/th>\n<th style=\"width: 6.54425%; background-color: #daa520;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">Pixel Pitch<\/span><\/th>\n<th style=\"width: 6.18936%; background-color: #daa520;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">Pixel Area<\/span><\/th>\n<th style=\"width: 7.53169%; background-color: #daa520;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">Pixel Density<\/span><\/th>\n<th style=\"width: 8.27714%; background-color: #daa520;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">ISO<\/span><\/th>\n<th style=\"width: 5.76783%; background-color: #daa520;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">AF Points<\/span><\/th>\n<th style=\"width: 8.0618%; background-color: #daa520;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">AF Sensitivity<\/span><\/th>\n<th style=\"width: 4.70545%; background-color: #daa520;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">FPS<\/span><\/th>\n<th style=\"width: 8.36004%; background-color: #daa520;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">Shutter Speed<\/span><\/th>\n<th style=\"width: 5.74465%; background-color: #daa520;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">IBIS<\/span><\/th>\n<th style=\"width: 14.1712%; background-color: #daa520;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">Video<\/span><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 18.2034%; text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/shrsl.com\/20unp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Canon EOS RP<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 8.45472%; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\"><a class=\"fasc-button fasc-size-medium fasc-type-glossy\" style=\"background-color: #daa520; color: #000000;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/shrsl.com\/20unp\">BUY<\/a><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 5.98477%; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">26MP<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 6.54425%; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">5.73<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 6.18936%; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">32.83<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 7.53169%; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">3.05<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 8.27714%; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">100-40,000<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 5.76783%; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">4,779<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 8.0618%; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">EV -5^^<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 4.70545%; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">5fps<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 8.36004%; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">1\/4000 sec<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 5.74465%; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">No<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 14.1712%; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">4K<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 18.2034%; text-align: left;\"><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/shrsl.com\/20unj\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\">Canon EOS R<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 8.45472%; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\"><a class=\"fasc-button fasc-size-medium fasc-type-glossy\" style=\"background-color: #daa520; color: #000000;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/shrsl.com\/20unj\">BUY<\/a><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 5.98477%; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">30MP<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 6.54425%; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">5.34<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 6.18936%; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">28.52&nbsp;<a id=\"photosite2\" title=\"Pixel area calculation for Canon EOS R\" href=\"https:\/\/www.digicamdb.com\/compare\/canon_eos-rp-vs-canon_eos-r\/#photosite_2\"><\/a><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 7.53169%; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">3.51&nbsp;<a id=\"density2\" title=\"Pixel density calculation for Canon EOS R\" href=\"https:\/\/www.digicamdb.com\/compare\/canon_eos-rp-vs-canon_eos-r\/#density_2\"><\/a><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 8.27714%; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">100-40,000<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 5.76783%; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">5,655<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 8.0618%; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">EV -6<span class=\"sup\">^<\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 4.70545%; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">8fps<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 8.36004%; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">1\/8000 sec<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 5.74465%; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">No<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 14.1712%; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">4K<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><strong>LOW LIGHT CAMERA CRITERIA<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><strong><strong>Sensor Size: <\/strong><\/strong>Cameras with &#8220;Full Frame&#8221; sensors are the top choice for capturing low light photos due to the large size of their sensors.&nbsp; <\/span><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">However, cameras with smaller sensors like APS-C and Micro Four Thirds cameras can also capture low light photos when paired with wide aperture lenses.&nbsp; For APS-C cameras, we recommend buying lenses with apertures from f\/1.2 to f\/2.8.&nbsp; For MFT cameras, we recommend buying lenses with apertures from f\/0.95 to f\/1.4.*<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><em>*Be aware opening a lens to its widest aperture (f-number) decreases the depth of field which makes it much harder to focus on moving subjects in low light.&nbsp; The benefit of full frame cameras is they allow you to use higher f-stops to increase the depth of field which improves the ability to focus.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><strong>Pixel Pitch<\/strong> is the distance from the center of one pixel (photosite) to the center of the next pixel measured in \u00b5m.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><strong>Pixel Area <\/strong>is the size of the photosite measured in \u00b5m\u00b2.&nbsp; Larger photosites capture more light and information.&nbsp; However, large photosites take up more space on the sensor which lowers the number of megapixels and resolution of photos.&nbsp; <\/span><span class=\"s1\">Although having more megapixels is useful when you need to crop and&nbsp; enlarge photos, .<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><strong>Pixel Density<\/strong> is how many million of pixels fit in one square centimeter of the sensor measured in MP\/cm\u00b2.&nbsp; <\/span><span class=\"s1\" style=\"font-size: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Serif';\">Smaller sensors that cram more pixels together have poorer low-light performance and produce noisier photos.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><strong>ISO<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><strong>AF Points (Auto Focus Points): <\/strong>In most cases, <span class=\"s1\">DSLRs outperform mirrorless cameras for capturing fast action in low light due to their phase detection autofocus systems.&nbsp; However, mirrorless cameras with hybrid autofocus systems (that combine phase and contrast auto focus points).<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">In low light, AF performance drops regardless of system, since the sensors have less light and contrast to work with.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Canon&#8217;s Dual Pixel AF system is very different in that the majority of the actual photosites on the sensor function in a dual role: they can measure both phase info and luminance, even at the same time. This is especially useful when shooting video.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><strong>AF Sensitivity <\/strong>refers to a cameras ability to autofocus in low light.&nbsp; A camera with an EV value of -3 to -6 is capable of focusing under moonlight and darker.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><strong>Shutter Speed and FPS (Frames Per Second)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><strong>IBIS&nbsp;<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>VIDEO RESOLUTION<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>KEYS TO STUNNING LOW LIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY Whether you are taking photos at a concert, wedding or dance recital, nothing tests a camera and lens more than low light action photography.&nbsp; &nbsp;It is essential to use the right camera, lenses and settings to capture fast moving action in dim light without a flash.&nbsp; The key is [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1736,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-120","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-canon-cameras-lenses-low-light","category-low-light-cameras","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lowlightphotographer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lowlightphotographer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lowlightphotographer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lowlightphotographer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lowlightphotographer.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=120"}],"version-history":[{"count":61,"href":"https:\/\/lowlightphotographer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1898,"href":"https:\/\/lowlightphotographer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120\/revisions\/1898"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lowlightphotographer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1736"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lowlightphotographer.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=120"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lowlightphotographer.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=120"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lowlightphotographer.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=120"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}