A good lens is important for astrophotography, and often, such lenses are not cheap. But when combined with one of the best cameras for astrophotography, the results are truly stunning.
If you’re in the market for a wide-angle zoom lens that works well for Astro, you should check this out Black Friday deal on Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8 L IS USM lens – Now $2099 (RRP $300 off).
It’s worth noting that Amazon dropped it to $1999 in last year’s deals, so it’s worth waiting until Black Friday (or Cyber Monday).
When I reviewed the Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8 L IS USM lens, it ticked every box and I was very impressed with its sharpness and overall image quality. A great lens for astrophotography should have a wide focal length, a large aperture, and be sleek and easy to use (especially in the dark) – this lens has it all. That’s why we rated it as one of the best lenses for astrophysics photography.
However there are a few things to consider. It’s not a very light lens at 840 grams, so you should be happy to carry that weight around with you. In our full Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8 L IS USM review, we noticed a slight drop-off in terms of sharpness towards the edges of the frame when shooting wide open at f/2.8, but that’s not the case. It’s not enough to destroy a photo.
The image stabilization on this lens is very impressive, and I was able to get a handheld view of the Milky Way with a 1.6 second exposure. The lens itself has 5 stops of image stabilization, which can be bumped up to 8 stops when attached to a suitable RF mount Canon camera with in-body image stabilization.
If this is the case Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8 L IS USM Black Friday deal Tempting you to go Canon, you’ll need one of the best mirrorless cameras to pair it with — and Canon EOS R3 is $1000 off in this Black Friday deal.
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Key Specifications: 15-35mm focal length, f/2.8 maximum fixed aperture, 82mm filter thread, Canon RF mount compatible, 840g/1.85lbs, 3.5 x 3.5 x 5 inches, has two buttons.
Consensus: It’s fast, sharp and versatile — the Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM lens is one of the best lenses money can buy for Canon RF cameras.
Buy if: You have a good budget and shoot a variety of photography styles.
Don’t buy: If you’re a beginner and don’t have a huge budget, or you want a prime lens with a wide aperture, you’re totally shooting astro.
Alternative Models: If you only focus on astro, you’ll need a prime lens with a wide aperture. Unfortunately, ultra-wide-angle primes with an aperture wider than f/2.8 are very rare in Canon’s RF lens catalog, but if you’re on a budget, this Canon RF 16mm f/2.8 STM lens Does the job, but it’s not as good image quality as the 16-35mm f/2.8 L IS USM. You can use Sigma 14mm f/1.8 Art DG HSM lens Even on the EOS R camera, it’s good for astro with its wide f/1.8 aperture.
If wide focal length is what you want, try this one Canon RF 14-35mm f/4 L IS USM Contract. It may not be ideal for astro due to the f/4, but you get an extra 2mm at the wide end for landscapes, and it’s a lot cheaper.
Check out our Black Friday 2023 Deals Page For a roundup of the best discounts and deals Telescopes, Telescopes, Cameras, Star projectors, Drones, Lego More teeth.