Best Cameras for Low Light Photography
While most modern cameras can take good pictures, not all can do it in tough conditions. The more challenging the shooting environment, the better the camera needs to be. Photography is all about capturing light and situations with very little light can be a challenge for even the best cameras.
Good low light capabilities is not just for dark concert venues or the Northern Lights. There are low light applications for all sorts of shooters. Sports photographers must be able to shoot high ISOs in arenas and wedding photographers may need to take clear photos in dimly-lit reception halls or churches. Street photographers often find that a lot of a city’s most interesting people come out at night. Landscapes can often look way more dramatic in the dark – not to mention the challenges of astrophotography!
All of those things require a camera that excels in low light. There are cameras that specialize in this, such as the Canon ME20F-SH. But at nearly $20,000, a camera like that isn’t attainable for most. The following is a list of cameras that can handle almost all lighting situations but are suitable for a variety of shooters and budgets.
In this article we will talk about what makes a good low light camera and tell you about some of the best ones on the market for a variety of price points and skill levels.*
Great Cameras for Low Light Photography
- Nikon D5
- Sony a7S II
- Canon 5D Mark III (Update: Canon 5D Mark IV)
- Nikon D7200 (Update: Nikon D7500)
- Sony a6300 (Update: Sony a6500)
- Canon 7D Mark II
- Panasonic GH4 (Update: Panasonic GH5)
Things to Consider in a Camera
Sensor Size
Sensor size is relevant to most areas of photography but when it comes to shooting in dark conditions it becomes even more important. Full frame cameras (those with sensors equivalent to 35mm film cameras) are the gold standard and capture the most light. Capturing more light is always useful but it becomes even more so when light sources are scarce. A full frame camera will almost always outperform a crop sensor (APS-C) or Micro Four Thirds (MFT) camera in low light conditions.
Unfortunately, full frame cameras do have their downsides. Full frame cameras are generally heavier and more expensive than their crop sensor or MFT counterparts. Photographers who don’t want to spend a lot of money or haul around a super heavy load may want to look at a camera with a smaller sensor even though it probably won’t perform quite as well when things get dark.
ISO
ISO is the measure of how much light your sensor can capture. Increasing ISO allows you to increase your shutter speed, which is especially useful if you are shooting handheld or trying to capture objects in motion. High ISOs come with significant downsides, however. The higher you push your ISO, the more noise you will get in your image—but some cameras handle high ISOs better than others. In other words, just because a camera can shoot at a high ISO doesn’t mean that you will want to!
Noise
Noise is the distortion that happens in digital photos when the ISO is pushed high and it can be a challenge when shooting in low light situations. Similar to grain in film photography, noise appears in an image as variations in brightness and color in the photo—and it doesn’t look good. A noisy photo will not be sharp or pleasing to the eye. Noise levels can be avoided by shooting at lower ISOs using wider apertures.
With all that in mind, let’s talk about some of the best cameras out there for photographers who shoot in low light situations.
Cameras for Low Light Photography in a Range of Price Points/Skill Level
Full frame cameras are far and away your best bet when it comes to low light photography. The cameras on this list may be heavy and pricey but the images they produce in dark settings will be much better than those from cameras with smaller sensors. For serious photographers who see themselves spending a lot of time shooting in the dark, these are the way to go.
Nikon D5
The Nikon D5 is expensive but it might just be one the best low light camera on the market. This camera blows its competition out of the water when it comes to the ability to take sharp, clear images in the dark.
The Nikon D5 DSLR Camera w/ Dual CF Slots is the updated flagship to the Nikon D4 and has improvements even over the Nikon D4s, most notably 4K video and an ultra-extended ISO of up to 3,280,000 – all while maintaining a super quick shooting speed of up to 14 frames per second.
Not only can this camera shoot a maximum ISO of up to 3,280,000 (although you probably won’t want to shoot ISOs anywhere near that high due to poor image quality), but it also has a 20.8 MP sensor and the ability to shoot at speeds of up to 14 FPS. If you love low light photography and aren’t afraid to drop some coin to get the best camera for your craft, this is the way to go.
Sony a7S II
Sony made the a7s II with the low light photographer in mind. This full frame mirrorless camera may come in a small package but it is mighty when it comes to low light shooting. This camera’s 12.2 MP sensor is able to shoot at ISOs of up to 409,600. While you probably won’t want to push the ISO that high due to problems with noise, it’s good to know that you can.
The relatively low megapixel count sensor of the a7S II is designed specifically for video recording in low light and features a full sensor readout without any of the line skipping found in very large megapixel-count cameras.
This camera is also widely known for its ability to lock in focus in near darkness, something that other cameras struggle with. The a7S II is a good choice for photographers and videographers who want to be able to take exceptionally high quality imagert in low light situations but don’t want to haul around a heavy full frame DSLR to do it.
New! See Also:
Canon 5D Mark III (Update: Canon 5D Mark IV)
The 5D Mark III is Canon’s perennial workhorse of a camera and it has earned its high standing among the ranks of professional grade DSLRs. While this camera may not have the staggeringly high ISO capabilities of some of the others, it makes the list because it works really well in all conditions—including those that are seriously lacking in light. Can it match the D5’s shocking ISO rates? No, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not a really good option for low light photographers. The 5D Mark III’s ability to shoot in low light and do so at a fraction of the price of its nearest competitors make it a powerful tool for the night time photographer. For an updated version of this camera, see the Canon 5D Mark IV.
The Canon EOS 5D Mark IV Digital SLR improves on the 5D Mark III with a boost in megapixels, ISO, shooting speed, a touchscreen LCD, built-in WiFi, and, most notably, with 4K video and Dual Pixel CMOS AF. Low light performance is improved overall with the DIGIC 6+ image processor, which can also shoot at a quicker 7 FPS over the 5D Mark III’s maximum of 6 FPS.
Full frame cameras may be the best for low light photography but they aren’t an option for everyone. If you are on a budget or don’t like the idea of carrying a heavy professional level DSLR, these APS-C sensors cameras are your next best bet. What they lack in that huge sensor they make up for in being slightly lighter in weight and way more affordable.
Nikon D7200 (Update: Nikon D7500)
The D7200 by Nikon is a good camera for low light photography for those who don’t want to spring for a full frame DSLR. This APS-C sensor camera was designed with low light photographers in mind. This camera has the ability to shoot at ISOs up to 102,400, which is far higher than any of the other APS-C DSLRs or MFT cameras on our list. As with all cameras, noise increases significantly with high ISOs but the D7200 handles it as well as any APS-C camera can. This is a camera that hits the sweet spot between value and quality. For an updated version of this camera, see the Nikon D7500.
The Nikon D7500 Digital SLR Camera combines a lot of the performance of the D500 but in a more compact and, ultimately, more affordable package. It had replaced the D7200.
Sony a6300 (Update: Sony a6500)
The a6300 is a crop sensor mirrorless camera designed for photographers who want a high quality, smaller rig at an affordable price. This camera’s ISO maxes out at 51,200 and it can shoot up to 25,600 ISO with very minimal noise.
The sensor in the a6300 features a unique design that uses thin copper wiring and enhanced circuit processing to boost light-gathering abilities, reduce noise, and increase readout speeds to benefit video recording and general high ISO shooting, including night work.
Sony has become the world leader in low light mirrorless cameras and while the a6300 can’t quite stand up to the extremely powerful a7S II, it’s also a third of the price. The a6300 is an ideal option for photographers who want a well-priced mirrorless APS-C camera for low light photography. For an updated version of this camera, see the Sony a6500.
Canon 7D Mark II
The 7D Mark II is a good crop sensor DSLRs for low light photography. This camera, which was designed with sports and wildlife photographers in mind, has one of the most powerful autofocus systems on the market in its price point with a whopping 65 cross-type autofocus points.
The Canon EOS 7D Mark II Digital SLR improves on the 7D with expanded ISO, triple the AF points, and higher frames per second.
While it won’t take low light photos as well as any of the full frame bodies above, its ability to capture usable photos at moderately high ISOs make it a good choice for photographers who want an APS-C camera for low light photography.
Panasonic GH4 (Update: Panasonic GH5 and GH5S)
Panasonic’s GH4 is one of the most capable, well-priced mirrorless cameras on the market. It shoots very well in all conditions, including in the dark. Will the GH4 be able to hang with a full frame or APS-C sensor camera in low light? No. But for an MFT camera it does very well. With a fast lens on the front the GH4 can handle ISOs up to 1600 without noise becoming too much of a problem. And it does very well during the day. The bottom line here is that if you want a small camera that takes excellent daytime photos, can handle low light photography reasonably well, and won’t cost you several thousand dollars, the GH4 is an excellent choice.
The Panasonic Lumix GH5 Micro Four Thirds Camera improves on its predecessor, the GH4, with silky smooth 4K 60p/50p shooting, internal 4:2:2 10-bit recording (with the option for simultaneous live signal feeding to an external monitor or recorder), dramatic slow motion in Full HD up to 180 FPS, and built-in rack focus transitioning.
We hope this article has helped you narrow down which camera best fits your needs and budget for low light photography. If you are having a hard time deciding whether to drop all that cash on a full frame camera or if a crop sensor camera will get the job done, remember that you always have the option of renting.
Kymberly Cortigiano
Cortigiano is a food, lifestyle, and event photographer with a contemporary aesthetic. She received an undergraduate degree in photography at Drexel University and has gone on to work as a freelance photographer and teaching artist in the San Francisco Bay Area.
42 Comments
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Franklin
I have been researching low light cameras and came across your blog, it is a bit outdated now, but still useful information.
So many good cameras on the market right now, my favorite is the Panasonic Lumix ZS200, does exactly what I want.Being inside for most of the month (quarantine) I have been shooting a lot more indoors, I’m excited to go outside again soon, but will practice my low light skills until then.
If anyone is interested, I also wrote an article on best low light cameras, slightly different perspective then this review 🙂
https://www.rungunshoot.com/best-cameras/low-light-Stay safe and hopefully we will be out and about shooting photos soon!
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Paulo
Oh! Why didn’t you mention my camera??
Grow up, people! This article is based on someone’s opinion. Different people have different opinions. If they don’t include your favorite camera, it’s because they have a reason for it.Also, why would you criticize others without even understanding the technical aspects of the matter being discussed? Clearly, some people have no idea how a camera takes pictures in low-light. Just saying…
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Tim
Thanks
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Stephen Kucharski
I take a bit of issue with this… The Canon 6D (first one) was much better at low light capture than the Canon 5DMKIII and even outperformed the very expensive top of the line 1DX in low light. It was so good in fact there was a special astronomy version of the 1st Gen 6D. It’s generally accepted to be close to the Sony A7 in terms of low light performance. I am really shocked that camera was not mentioned on the list. It is definitely better at low light than the 5DMKIII.
I know with all the different body’s out there performance measuring could be an issue but come on, this is basic stuff. If you are going to write an article due your due diligence.
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camiel iuliu ciorba
agree, and also very important is the softwear between an 2013 fullframe and 2018 fullframe .
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Thomas
That article is a joke … long-time-exposures @ 100ISO doesn’t have anything to do with low-light photography …
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Ian Cuthbert
It’s a factor of the size and density of photo sites, which in turn dictates the signal to noise ratio. Larger sensors with lower resolutions will, with current technology (this could change of course) will always have the advantage because the photo sites can be larger, thereby reducing signal to noise ratio. This is undoubtedly why cameras like the Nikon D750 and Nikon D(x) are such good high ISO/low light performers. It’s still hard to find cameras with low light performance which beats a Nikon D3 (I had a D3s, even better, for a few years), even nine years after its launch. This is in large part to do with a relatively low resolution, full frame sensor.
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Ian Cuthbert
Simply amazed that the Nikon D750 is not included in this list. It has almost unsurpassed low light/high ISO performance, even three years after its introduction. Only the D5, Canon 5D mkiv and the two very later Sonys (A9 and A7R iii) get close. Arguably, only the D5 betters it.
As an event photographer – often shooting in event venues and theatres in poor light, with no flash and mobile subjects – low light/high ISO performance is top of my list of camera and lens characteristics. Whilst the D750 has some drawbacks, so far I have yet to come across a camera delivering such consistently clean and usable images at ISO 12800. It’s not just the low levels of noise but also the quality of noise and how shadows and blacks are rendered.
I have recently ben considering moving to a new camera or even brand and system, but my research and trials have so far convinced me that, short of getting a couple of Nikon D5s (way outside my budget), there is nothing yet worth the expense and effort of switching. The D750 is just so good and its current low price makes it an absolute low light bargain. I’ll keep waiting and watching.
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Alexandria Huff
Are you more strongly considering the a7R III or the a7R II? The II is great but, of course, the III being newer you’re going to gain a few benefits. The a7R III takes a lot of the favored features of the venerable a9 (high FPS – though not as high, AF tracking, longer battery life, joystick) and packaged them in a relatively more affordable camera. At the same time, it’s going toe-to-toe against the 5D Mark IV – surpassing it in MP count, AF points, and stabilization. The a7R III is going to be a great camera for folks who already love working with extremely large file sizes for commercial and fine art work but who have, in the past, been hamstrung by slower shooting speeds. If you’re looking for just better light sensitivity than you’re likely getting with whatever you’re shooting now, the a7R II is certainly sufficient – and you might get a good price on one as people get more and more excited for this III release and as we approach Christmas.
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John Gamble
Hi just wondering where the Sony A7rii sits compared to these? considering buying the A7riii but a good portion of its use will be night time landscape/sky photos and time lapse. I know the A7sii is the go to but am looking at a all round camera. Cheers
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John Shutz
The Canon 6D is the most popular and sought after DSLR for use in taking deep sky images bar none. It is the most mentioned on astronomy websites and blogs and excels in this capacity. World renown astrophotographer and author Tony Hallas gave a talk at an astrophotography seminar and could not say enough good things about the Canon 6D, he went so far to say it’s performance (depending on user skills) comes close to what CCD cameras can do in image quality. He said, “close, but not quite”. Not bad for a bayer matrix sensor against a dedicated CCD using narrowband filters. I still consider myself a novice when it comes to deep sky imaging, I’m not talking about a tripod mounted 20 second exposures of the Milky Way either. I’m into it equipment wise in a serious way, for starters, the German equatorial mount I have is close to 10 grand just for that, add to it a high priced apochromat triplet lens refractor and the DSLR turns out to be the least expensive tool on the list.
I just need tons more research and practice (and clear skies) to utilize the equipment to a higher potential, even with my Canon 60Da crop sensor camera, a camera modified at the factory to allow more of the Ha wavelength to hit the sensor. The learning curve is steep no matter what you use to image with, but even steeper when one decides to move up to CCD imaging. However, you don’t have to buy the best and most expensive DSLR to get into astrophotography, many amateurs simply buy an older Canon, one with live view and have the filter array modified professionally, or, some do it themselves. You can pick up one of these modified cameras on the cheap, as low as $500 or less and with it you can potentially create fantastic images. Of course, the camera is only one piece of the puzzle, the most important is the mount, that is where your money should go, because if you can’t produce round stars in your images with precise tracking and guiding, you might as well hang it up. That’s just for starters because there are numerous things that can go wrong on any given all night session under the stars, at least in my case that is. Then I bought Photoshop CS6 and started over again, everything about this hobby is baby steps and ultimately you are powerless for the most part to do anything about mother nature in terms of good nights to image under. You will be surprised how few nights you really have in a month that would qualify as very good for imaging, whether it’s because of atmospheric “seeing”, or other issues like clouds, rain, smoke, haze, light pollution, vision obstructions, hot weather, the list goes on.
One day I’ll wake up and downsize to a smaller set up, one that is easily portable and avoid most of these imaging pitfalls by retreating to dark sky locations and do my imaging there instead of trying to be a backyard amateur imager in a light and air polluted environment.
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Peter Kaliniecki
Where does the Pentax K-3 II fit in this pantheon?
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Jim conlon
I have to agree with you totally ….I don’t own one of these expensive cameras but when I purchased a fujifilm finepix Hs 30 exr 4 years ago I was directed in purchasing this camera for its qualities ,…only later to discover that it was not at all the camera that reviews like this lived up to ….a lot of disgenious reviews or maybe people that made reviews after taking a few pictures . The more one uses their camera the more they will find those flaws or errors in the manufacture .
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Alexandria Huff
The Sony a7S II excels in low light and is relatively compact: https://www.borrowlenses.com/product/Sony-Alpha-a7S-II-Mirrorless-Digital-Camera
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Padmakar Srivastava
Pentax K-1 is an excellent camera. With its pixel shift mode your pictures will be close to medium format quality. This mode is not available in Canon or Nikon.
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John Troulis
I’m looking for a compact camera to take into a concert. Obviously a low light situation. Any suggestions?
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David Leung
The D700 was just the cheaper version of the D3. When the D3s came out, I sold the D700, The D3s is still very competitive low light camera. I used it for those low light HS stadiums.
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Walter
Digital noise is not similar to film grain. Digital noise is a part of the image, film grain is not. You may need to think about
this for awhile, but your analysis is a falsehood. -
Alexandria Huff
Larger pixels found on larger sensors have higher maximum signal capacities per pixel but this also assumes a bunch of things: that we’re comparing recent technology to other recent technology (not old full frame cameras to brand new APS-C ones) and, ultimately, the lens you’re using. For the purposes of beginners, it’s a safe assumption that modern full frame sensors are going to tend to have the best possible light-gathering features in part by virtue of having the larger surface area to work with. You can explore more here: http://www.clarkvision.com/articles/digital.sensor.performance.summary/ & http://scien.stanford.edu/jfsite/Papers/ImageCapture/Farrell_Feng_Kavusi_SPIE06_final.pdf
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John Rowbottom
Get your facts straight – low light sensitivity is NOT related to sensor size ! It is a function of how the manufacturer obtains higher ISO values and the manner in which the data from the sensor is manipulated. I have had several APS-C sensor cameras all of which had very different low light sensitivities despite each being the same size. Another point – all sensors, irrespective of size, require exactly the same amount of light per unit area for correct exposure otherwise our ISO system is all b’s’t and our exposures are guessomatic !
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Luke
For completeness, this list should include the Canon ME20F-SH.
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Dan Murphy
For those of you looking for real information on the best low cameras for low light photography, BE WARY OF THIS ARTICLE! I bought my first DSLR based on articles like this and I’m sorry to say that some of these reviewers must just be disingenuous. Why? because they gravitate toward Canon and Nikon. If you go over to Imaging Resources and use their “comparometer” you will see what I mean. They have the exact same images at high ISO of differing cameras so you can compare all of the cameras this article mentioned and then for the heck of it select the Pentax K-1 and come back here and tell people what you found. I think what what you will find is that this article is a joke, because if they wanted different brands and different formats as they mentioned in one of their replies, then the K-1 should easily have been on this list. The nikon D5 is a great low light camera and deserves to be on this list: $6500. The Sony a7S ll is a great low light camera and deserves to be on this list:$2700 The Canon 5D Mark lll is a great low light camera and deserves to be on this list: $2650 …The pentax K-1? It is a great FULL FRAME low light camera and deserves to be on this list: $1800 Better than numbers 4-9 on the article list though???? Not even close! Go over to imaging resource for yourself and and I think you’ll agree.
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Alexandria Huff
For low light sensitivity, right now the Sony a7SII can’t be beat. If I had to shoot in a place like a club without personal lighting, that would definitely be my go-to: https://www.borrowlenses.com/product/Sony-Alpha-a7S-II-Mirrorless-Digital-Camera.
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Audrey
What would be a good camera for taking pictures inside the club, I am tired of lugging all those extra lights with me when I go do a job.
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brad
naturally full frame camera with low number of pixels that the best way to know if the camera is good or not in low light situation mark these words .
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brad
this is wrong the real tip of the good low light camera is about pixel low pixel number = good low light sensor
what about nikon DF nikon D3s canon 6D sony a7s canon 1Ds -
motdeblyke
The reviewer must have lived on planet x for a long time. He also forgot to mention one of the kings of low light: Nikon D700
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jcaps
Pentax K-1…..Title should have been The 9 best “mainstream” cameras for Low Light Photograpy
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jomateix
Where is the Samsung NX1??
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Alexandria Huff
The D500 is, indeed, another great one. But the author was trying to find a range of brands and price points without weighing too heavily on any one, hence the D500’s omission. It is featured in another lists for sure, though!
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ken
you left out the D500, idiots….
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David B
The Sony A7RII destorys nikon hands down….
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Nikos C
what about nikon D750? almost beat sony a7sii
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Alexandria Huff
D5 is newer and I think she wanted to only include 1 pro body form factor DSLR in the Nikon brand in the list. But, yes, there are several others with good dynamic range that didn’t make it in the list.
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J.S.
LOL! Nikon D3s was not mentioned….
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Kevin Smith
Hi, just wondering why the Nikon D3s was not mentioned, it has a very good low light performance.
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