Canon 10-18 mm for night sky

[hungryjoe]

Hey there,

My apologies if this has already been discussed.

I'm quite new to the world of astrophotography and looking to enter with baby steps. I have a Canon T3i with the kit 18-55 mm lens which I've tinkered around with. I liked the results I got in my limited experience, but now I have a bit of money to spend and I'm looking for an upgrade.

I've read great things (Ken Rockwell is very convincing..) about the new Canon 10-18 f4.5-5.6 IS STM, and at $300 the price is certainly right.

Anybody have any input on this lens with night sky photography? All in all it looks like a great lens, one I'd probably buy anyway.

Thanks!

 

[MoonTimber]

I'm wondering the same thing myself. I've read several posts and reviews praising the Rokinon/Bower, but the 10-18mm is ef-s and STM -- it's made for the cropped sensor in my Canon EF-S cameras, and the STM could be handy when I want to use the lens for photos during the day.

Of course, the Rokinon does have an obvious advantage with a f/2.8 vs f4.5 for the Canon lens.

 

[the jimmy]

I'm wondering the same thing myself. I've read several posts and reviews praising the Rokinon/Bower, but the 10-18mm is ef-s and STM -- it's made for the cropped sensor in my Canon EF-S cameras, and the STM could be handy when I want to use the lens for photos during the day.

Of course, the Rokinon does have an obvious advantage with a f/2.8 vs f4.5 for the Canon lens.

That's quite an advantage, unless you have a decent tracking mount the f4.5 is slow. Take a look at the Tokina 11-16 at f/2.8, it is a APS-C lens though. Many astro photoghpers use the Rokinon/Bower/Samyang lens and sing its praises for IQ and price. HERE is a good article on selecting a lens for astro work

 

[MoonTimber]

I'm wondering the same thing myself. I've read several posts and reviews praising the Rokinon/Bower, but the 10-18mm is ef-s and STM -- it's made for the cropped sensor in my Canon EF-S cameras, and the STM could be handy when I want to use the lens for photos during the day.

Of course, the Rokinon does have an obvious advantage with a f/2.8 vs f4.5 for the Canon lens.

That's quite an advantage, unless you have a decent tracking mount the f4.5 is slow. Take a look at the Tokina 11-16 at f/2.8, it is a APS-C lens though. Many astro photoghpers use the Rokinon/Bower/Samyang lens and sing its praises for IQ and price. HERE is a good article on selecting a lens for astro work

Thanks for the quick response!

I think I want the APS-C, don't I? I'll go read that article tomorrow and find out what a Tokina is at the same time.

 

[Landscapeforfun]

Read this article:

How to Pick a Lens for Milky Way Photography

The lens is the most important factor in the image quality of a landscape astrophoto. We outline all the most important traits of a great astrophotography lens in this complete guide.

www.lonelyspeck.com

If you click on the spreadsheet about 2/3 of the way through it gives a comparison of every different lens.

The article will describe to you how lenses are rated for night photography and then give scores for various focal length and f stop combinations.

Of course you also have to take into account field of view that you want. The best nightscape lens currently on the market is the Rokinon 24/1.4. It offers the highest score of pretty much any lens, but the FoV is fairly narrow (too narrow for a crop camera). A 14mm/2.8 has a good score, and a wide FoV which is why most people start off with that combination.

For a quick comparison here are a couple lenses scores that will probably interest you:

1. 18mm/3.5 (your kit lens): 568

2. 10mm/3.5 (the lens you are asking about): 758

3. 14mm/2.8 (the Rokinon lens): 1032

4. 11mm/2.8 (the Tokina lens mentioned above): 1149

As you can see, the kit lens is the worst since it has a narrow FoV and a slow aperature. The lens you asked about is a marked improvement over that, but you'll get the same amount of improvement once over if you go for the Rokinon 14mm. The best lens for a crop camera is actually the Tokina 11-16mm 2.8. It was designed for a crop camera so it has better focal length range, and it has a constant 2.8 aperture. If you can afford it I would recommend that lens for you, with one possible exception. If you plan on upgrading to full frame in the near future then I would go with the Rokion since it is the only one of those lenses that fits on a full frame camera. If you are sticking with your current camera for even a couple of years longer then go for the Tokina and don't look back.

 

[the jimmy]

Read this article:

http://www.lonelyspeck.com/lenses-for-milky-way-photography/

If you click on the spreadsheet about 2/3 of the way through it gives a comparison of every different lens.

The article will describe to you how lenses are rated for night photography and then give scores for various focal length and f stop combinations.

Of course you also have to take into account field of view that you want. The best nightscape lens currently on the market is the Rokinon 24/1.4. It offers the highest score of pretty much any lens, but the FoV is fairly narrow (too narrow for a crop camera). A 14mm/2.8 has a good score, and a wide FoV which is why most people start off with that combination.

For a quick comparison here are a couple lenses scores that will probably interest you:

1. 18mm/3.5 (your kit lens): 568

2. 10mm/3.5 (the lens you are asking about): 758

3. 14mm/2.8 (the Rokinon lens): 1032

4. 11mm/2.8 (the Tokina lens mentioned above): 1149

As you can see, the kit lens is the worst since it has a narrow FoV and a slow aperature. The lens you asked about is a marked improvement over that, but you'll get the same amount of improvement once over if you go for the Rokinon 14mm. The best lens for a crop camera is actually the Tokina 11-16mm 2.8. It was designed for a crop camera so it has better focal length range, and it has a constant 2.8 aperture. If you can afford it I would recommend that lens for you, with one possible exception. If you plan on upgrading to full frame in the near future then I would go with the Rokion since it is the only one of those lenses that fits on a full frame camera. If you are sticking with your current camera for even a couple of years longer then go for the Tokina and don't look back.

 

[Landscapeforfun]

Read this article:

http://www.lonelyspeck.com/lenses-for-milky-way-photography/

If you click on the spreadsheet about 2/3 of the way through it gives a comparison of every different lens.

The article will describe to you how lenses are rated for night photography and then give scores for various focal length and f stop combinations.

Of course you also have to take into account field of view that you want. The best nightscape lens currently on the market is the Rokinon 24/1.4. It offers the highest score of pretty much any lens, but the FoV is fairly narrow (too narrow for a crop camera). A 14mm/2.8 has a good score, and a wide FoV which is why most people start off with that combination.

For a quick comparison here are a couple lenses scores that will probably interest you:

1. 18mm/3.5 (your kit lens): 568

2. 10mm/3.5 (the lens you are asking about): 758

3. 14mm/2.8 (the Rokinon lens): 1032

4. 11mm/2.8 (the Tokina lens mentioned above): 1149

As you can see, the kit lens is the worst since it has a narrow FoV and a slow aperature. The lens you asked about is a marked improvement over that, but you'll get the same amount of improvement once over if you go for the Rokinon 14mm. The best lens for a crop camera is actually the Tokina 11-16mm 2.8. It was designed for a crop camera so it has better focal length range, and it has a constant 2.8 aperture. If you can afford it I would recommend that lens for you, with one possible exception. If you plan on upgrading to full frame in the near future then I would go with the Rokion since it is the only one of those lenses that fits on a full frame camera. If you are sticking with your current camera for even a couple of years longer then go for the Tokina and don't look back.

 

[MoonTimber]

Read this article:

http://www.lonelyspeck.com/lenses-for-milky-way-photography/

If you click on the spreadsheet about 2/3 of the way through it gives a comparison of every different lens.

The article will describe to you how lenses are rated for night photography and then give scores for various focal length and f stop combinations.

Of course you also have to take into account field of view that you want. The best nightscape lens currently on the market is the Rokinon 24/1.4. It offers the highest score of pretty much any lens, but the FoV is fairly narrow (too narrow for a crop camera). A 14mm/2.8 has a good score, and a wide FoV which is why most people start off with that combination.

For a quick comparison here are a couple lenses scores that will probably interest you:

1. 18mm/3.5 (your kit lens): 568

2. 10mm/3.5 (the lens you are asking about): 758

3. 14mm/2.8 (the Rokinon lens): 1032

4. 11mm/2.8 (the Tokina lens mentioned above): 1149

As you can see, the kit lens is the worst since it has a narrow FoV and a slow aperature. The lens you asked about is a marked improvement over that, but you'll get the same amount of improvement once over if you go for the Rokinon 14mm. The best lens for a crop camera is actually the Tokina 11-16mm 2.8. It was designed for a crop camera so it has better focal length range, and it has a constant 2.8 aperture. If you can afford it I would recommend that lens for you, with one possible exception. If you plan on upgrading to full frame in the near future then I would go with the Rokion since it is the only one of those lenses that fits on a full frame camera. If you are sticking with your current camera for even a couple of years longer then go for the Tokina and don't look back.

--
-Adam
https://www.flickr.com/photos/90719248@N04/

Thanks! That's a great summary. I'm planning to stick with my SL1 for at least the next four years unless something radical happens to my wallet, so I just added the Tokina to my Amazon wishlist. It's a lot more expensive (for me) than the other ones, but according to your chart that's the lens that's going to get me where I want to go.

 

[MoonTimber]

Read this article:

http://www.lonelyspeck.com/lenses-for-milky-way-photography/

If you click on the spreadsheet about 2/3 of the way through it gives a comparison of every different lens.

The article will describe to you how lenses are rated for night photography and then give scores for various focal length and f stop combinations.

Of course you also have to take into account field of view that you want. The best nightscape lens currently on the market is the Rokinon 24/1.4. It offers the highest score of pretty much any lens, but the FoV is fairly narrow (too narrow for a crop camera). A 14mm/2.8 has a good score, and a wide FoV which is why most people start off with that combination.

For a quick comparison here are a couple lenses scores that will probably interest you:

1. 18mm/3.5 (your kit lens): 568

2. 10mm/3.5 (the lens you are asking about): 758

3. 14mm/2.8 (the Rokinon lens): 1032

4. 11mm/2.8 (the Tokina lens mentioned above): 1149

As you can see, the kit lens is the worst since it has a narrow FoV and a slow aperature. The lens you asked about is a marked improvement over that, but you'll get the same amount of improvement once over if you go for the Rokinon 14mm. The best lens for a crop camera is actually the Tokina 11-16mm 2.8. It was designed for a crop camera so it has better focal length range, and it has a constant 2.8 aperture. If you can afford it I would recommend that lens for you, with one possible exception. If you plan on upgrading to full frame in the near future then I would go with the Rokion since it is the only one of those lenses that fits on a full frame camera. If you are sticking with your current camera for even a couple of years longer then go for the Tokina and don't look back.

--
-Adam
https://www.flickr.com/photos/90719248@N04/

Adam, I agree with your post, except only to correct the lens you listed in #2 above, the lens the OP is referring to is the NEW Canon 10-18 at F/4.-5.6. This is a new lens that isn't on the chart from the referenced website. This 10-18 is even slower and as such would have a lower score then the 758 given above.

Ahh I didn't realize it was such a slow lens. at f/4 it would be closer to 550, even worse than the kit lens I believe. I would NOT recommend you get that lens for night photography, it is simply too slow without a tracking mount.

--
-Adam
https://www.flickr.com/photos/90719248@N04/

I guess that's why it's so inexpensive! (for a Canon branded lens anyway)

 

[Landscapeforfun]

Read this article:

http://www.lonelyspeck.com/lenses-for-milky-way-photography/

If you click on the spreadsheet about 2/3 of the way through it gives a comparison of every different lens.

The article will describe to you how lenses are rated for night photography and then give scores for various focal length and f stop combinations.

Of course you also have to take into account field of view that you want. The best nightscape lens currently on the market is the Rokinon 24/1.4. It offers the highest score of pretty much any lens, but the FoV is fairly narrow (too narrow for a crop camera). A 14mm/2.8 has a good score, and a wide FoV which is why most people start off with that combination.

For a quick comparison here are a couple lenses scores that will probably interest you:

1. 18mm/3.5 (your kit lens): 568

2. 10mm/3.5 (the lens you are asking about): 758

3. 14mm/2.8 (the Rokinon lens): 1032

4. 11mm/2.8 (the Tokina lens mentioned above): 1149

As you can see, the kit lens is the worst since it has a narrow FoV and a slow aperature. The lens you asked about is a marked improvement over that, but you'll get the same amount of improvement once over if you go for the Rokinon 14mm. The best lens for a crop camera is actually the Tokina 11-16mm 2.8. It was designed for a crop camera so it has better focal length range, and it has a constant 2.8 aperture. If you can afford it I would recommend that lens for you, with one possible exception. If you plan on upgrading to full frame in the near future then I would go with the Rokion since it is the only one of those lenses that fits on a full frame camera. If you are sticking with your current camera for even a couple of years longer then go for the Tokina and don't look back.

 

[the jimmy]

Thanks! That's a great summary. I'm planning to stick with my SL1 for at least the next four years unless something radical happens to my wallet, so I just added the Tokina to my Amazon wishlist. It's a lot more expensive (for me) than the other ones, but according to your chart that's the lens that's going to get me where I want to go.

You might also keep an eye on B & H and Adorama they both sell used equipment that has been inspected and tested, and with a limited warranty. I have also seen this lens on Craigslist from time to time.

 

[jitteringjr]

I have a IOptron tracker and have good images with my 135/2 and 70-200/4 IS at 200mm with exposures up to about 2 min long. I'm sure I could get 5min at 10mm so the f/4.5 speed isn't a concern. However the lack of focus distance scale and the focus by wire have me worried. Has anyone used this for MW astro work and have you had issues with getting the focus right?

I tried a copy of the new Tokina 11-20/2.8, but my copy was horribly decentered and I returned it and it's been months now and no new copies have hit the local store and even B&H doesn't seem to have it much. Used 11-16's are very rare on the local craigslist too. Also, I read on the lenstip review showed the 10-18 does better than the 10-22 in the coma department. So I'm thinking the 10-18 might work for me.

 

[Eurotrax]

I have the canon 10-18mm and use it a lot for the astrophotography that i do; and im very happy with the results of it. I'm planning on buying the Rokinon 14mm for my 70D but just waiting for it to drop in price a bit more.