In the Field: Canon EF Lenses for Astrophotography

Astrophotographer Ben Brotherton has captured worldwide attention for his stunning starry shots, as seen on the BBC. His work, created using Canon DSLR bodies and Canon DSLR lenses, proves you don’t need a setup that costs the earth to achieve out-of-this-world astrophotography. 

In this kit guide, Ben shares some of his favourite astrophotography images and the lenses used to capture them—and how they could be a good choice for your own astrophotography. Over to you, Ben.

I’ve been capturing deep sky images since 2015, from using my trusty Canon EOS 6D and Canon EOS 7D Mark II on a tripod to using a fully computer-controlled telescope setup. Although deep sky imaging may seem daunting, the key is to get started with what you already have.

A lot of photographers use the ‘holy trinity’ of f/2.8 lenses—the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8 L USM, Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM and Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L USM. Some will have a ‘nifty fifty’—like the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM—thrown in, too. 

These lenses are a really solid place to start for astrophotography. They provide access to most of the night sky without needing much extra. The fast f/2.8 aperture is also key to reducing high ISO noise and exposure times. 

While the ‘500 rule’ applies, to avoid star trailing—essentially the same as motion blur due to using too slow of a shutter speed—a basic star tracker will open up a whole host of opportunities. I highly recommend buying one if you want to capture more of the night sky. I personally use the Skywatcher Star Adventurer, but the GTI model is also a really good option.

By far, my go-to lens for deep sky work has been my Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS II USM. It’s fantastic wide open, lets a whole load of light in, and can handle the high humidity levels while out during a night shooting.

I have recently also been using a Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L USM, which is lighter than the IS model. This also has really good image quality in a smaller package. Something to note is that the focus throw of the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS II USM is larger than the f/4, making it easier to manually focus on stars.

When using a zoom lens, be sure to tape down your focus ring—and especially your zoom ring—once you’re set up and about to press the shutter button. Most zoom rings will slowly slip over time due to the weight of the glass.

I combine this often with a Canon EF 1.4x III Extender for some extra reach. However, increasing the focal length means your exposure times will have to be shorter. And the extender also decreases your aperture from f/2.8 to f/4. If you aren’t using a star tracker, this will mean you’ll need to raise your ISO to compensate. Keep this in mind when selecting your lenses—sometimes, when it comes to focal length, less is more.

The Orion constellation is one of the easiest areas of the sky to start with. It’s visibly huge and bright and appears in the winter months, so the nights are long to give you time to practice. In the summer, the constellation Cygnus is a good place to go. It rises very high, and the Milky Way runs straight through it, so capturing wide images is good here. Both of these regions are perfect for short and long focal lengths.

While the moon appears big, it’s actually quite small when you go to photograph it. So, with a 70-200mm you’ll need to crop in post. You can still capture a decent image.

For my wide images, I use a fairly uncommon lens to see in the wild—the Canon EF 28mm f/1.8 USM. The reasoning for this choice is simply that it’s my only fast wide lens—and it’s about using what you have. 

This lens is also a good option for night sky time-lapses as it can capture a wider scene and help give a perspective of your surroundings. I use mine often as a behind-the-scenes rig and recently to capture the Aurora Borealis. Its fast aperture gathers light quickly, and being wide angle means you get longer exposure times while still avoiding star trails.

The sweet spot I find is my EF 100mm f/2.8 L IS USM Macro. It’s fast, razor-sharp wide open and gives me a bit more focal length compared to a 28mm or 50mm. I can then frame the same objects without them looking tiny. While this is a fantastic lens, the non-IS version—the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM—will have similar results and allow you to save a bit of money. 

Just remember to turn off the image stabiliser when using an IS lens on a tripod or star tracker. Around 100mm, or thereabouts, is much more forgiving compared to the 70-200 f/2.8 IS II as it’s much lighter and can make framing much easier.

My final lens choice is definitely out there. Those who are currently photographing wildlife or sports may find an EF 400mm f/2.8 L IS III USM to be a really, really good choice. A fast f/2.8 aperture, details that are sharper than a knife, and a unique feature that comes into its own for deep-sky imaging—the manual autofocus speed switch. This allows you to increase the focus ring throw a lot, allowing fine focus adjustment to be way easier than any other lens I’ve used.

I recognise the elephant in the room is its huge price tag, but there’s nothing else that can come close. Even most dedicated telescopes cannot provide the same aperture and focal length together!  So, if you have access to a Canon EF 300mm f/2.8 L IS USMor EF 400mm f/2.8 L IS USM, these are incredible options for deep-sky imaging.

Want to learn more? Check out our astrophotography tips for beginners and recommended Sony lenses for astrophotography. Or, discover more camera gear guides on the MPB content hub.