The Best Lenses for Moon Photography (Buyer’s Guide & Lens List)


In this guide to the best lenses for moon photography, we’ll explain everything you need to know to select the best lens at the right price.

Visions of the moon have fascinated humanity for thousands of years. Given the folklore, myths, mysteries, and even conspiracy theories about Earth’s moon, it’s no wonder people are fascinated with the floating hunk of rock.

The moon has inspired and motivated humanity in countless ways. Wallace and Gromit visited the moon in A Grand Day Out, and humanity chased its dream to land on the moon during the space race of the 1960s.

I’ve taken the time to research the very best lenses to master your moon photography and capture a little bit of celestial magic!

While we’ve all seen countless pictures of the moon, your lens choice can make or break your stargazing efforts. As a result, your lens choice also determines the style of image you capture.

For the best lenses for close-up lunar photography, make a wish to our closest celestial neighbour and read on.

Getting Started

 

Any form of night sky photography or astrophotography requires a little prep, a little luck, the right camera, and the best possible lens for the job.

While that makes it sound super simple, much more is involved than you think.

Before you pack everything in the car and head to a dark location, stop and check that you have everything you need. After all, poor preparation promotes poor performance.

Tripod

Night sky or lunar photography demands critical camera gear. A lightweight yet compact and stable tripod is one of the most essential pieces of kit for any form of astrophotography.

Night sky photography typically requires longer exposure times (slower shutter speeds), allowing enough time for light to pass through the lens and to the camera image sensor.

When shooting long exposures, the image sensor registers any camera movement and blurs the image. A strong tripod provides a stable platform for mounting your camera and lens while ensuring no camera shake.

Note: If shooting with a tripod, switch image stabilization OFF on both the lens and camera body.

Camera

Depending on the model, capturing high-quality moon images with the camera you already own is possible.

Regardless of shooting with a full-frame, APS-C cropped sensor, or a Micro Four Thirds camera, the moon is within reach, provided you have the right lens.

If you’re shopping for a new camera to capture lunar shots, ensure it features excellent low-light performance, especially when shooting with a high ISO.

Teleconverters

A lens teleconverter is a compact tube that creates a magnification between the camera body and the rear of the lens or mount.

Teleconverters are also called extenders as they extend the focal range of compatible lenses by magnifying the optics.

All leading camera brands offer teleconverters with a 2x and/or 1.4x magnification. For example, a 600mm telephoto prime lens with a 2x teleconverter becomes a 1200mm focal distance (600mm x 2 = 1200mm).

Not all lenses support a teleconverter, so checking that your lens is compatible is critical.

Accessories

Anyone with experience shooting nightskies, astrophotography, or moon photography will list additional accessories that make the experience and outcomes ideal. Here are the top accessories to optimize your moon photography experience:

  • Extra batteries: Long exposures drain batteries faster than regular shooting. Charge and pack as many batteries as you have.
  • Spare memory cards: Always carry at least one or two in case you quickly fill up the one in the camera.
  • Headlamp: While you can pack a small torch, a headlamp is a great way to illuminate the situation while keeping your hands free.
  • Hand warmers: Speaking of hands, keeping a disposable hand warmer in your jacket pockets is a good way to keep them warm on cold nights.
  • Gloves, scarf, and beanie: It’s incredible how quickly the temperature can drop at night, especially if you’re located in a vast open space. Rug up to ensure that you remain comfortable while shooting for the moon.
  • Folding stool: Night sky and lunar photography can often take hours. Pack a small folding camp stool or chair and relax while your camera and lens do all the hard work.
  • Multitool: I always recommend carrying a multitool or Swiss Army Knife. You never know when you’ll need a tool to free up a frozen tripod leg lock.
  • Apps: There are countless apps available to help you track astral events, locate noise-pollution-free vantage points, and track the moon phases. One of the best is The Photographer’s Ephemeris (TPE). Be sure to check out our comprehensive guide here.

Lenses

It’s time for the main event: The lenses!

A 200mm APS-C or 300mm full-frame lens can yield good results. However, if you want to get super close to see greater detail on the moon’s surface, you’ll need a super-telephoto lens and even a lens teleconverter.

Ideally, a 400mm or 600mm telephoto lens will provide a detailed, compressed, high-resolution view of the moon.

How to Choose a Great Lunar Photography Lens

 

Imagine capturing moon images in which the surface colour, craters, impacts, and surface texture stand out in stunning detail.

You need the best lens for the job to achieve jaw-dropping night sky images of the moon.

Every lens offers unique characteristics, features, performance, specifications, and exceptional image quality.

Let’s discuss focal length, aperture, stabilization, and whether to use a prime or zoom.

Focal Length

As mentioned earlier, you’ll need a telephoto lens paired with your DLSR or mirrorless camera to achieve the range required for moon photography.

Let’s start with a focal length that frames the moon with an even amount of the night sky surrounding it in the background.

If you’re shooting on an APS-C or cropped-sensor digital camera, you’ll need a telephoto zoom or prime with a 200mm or 300mm focal range.

Given the sensor crop factor, a 200mm APS-C lens is equivalent to a 300mm full-frame lens, and a 300mm APS-C lens is equivalent to a 450mm full-frame equivalent.

Full-frame DSLR or mirrorless systems work best with around a 400mm full-frame focal length lens.

You’ll need more reach to fill the frame with the moon’s surface and exclude the background night sky.

APS-C systems could add 1.4x to a 300mm lens to produce a 420mm focal length (1.4 x 300mm = 420mm), which would be approximately 630mm full-frame equivalent.

Or a x2 teleconverter would result in a 600mm focal length (2 x 300mm = 600mm) with a 900mm full-frame equivalent.

For the best moon photos, straight-up full-frame camera systems should opt for a 450mm to 600mm focal length.

Prime or Zoom

A detailed, black-and-white photograph of the full moon against a dark night sky, showing visible craters and surface patterns.A detailed, black-and-white photograph of the full moon against a dark night sky, showing visible craters and surface patterns.

It’s horses for courses when selecting a prime lens with a fixed focal length over a zoom lens with a variable focal length.

Prime lenses are often smaller and lighter than zooms and feature a fixed focal length. A zoom lens extends throughout a variable focal range, such as 100-400mm or 70-300mm.

I prefer to shoot with prime lenses as they typically offer faster maximum apertures and a compact design.

However, a fixed-focal-length prime lens isn’t as flexible as a zoom lens. With a zoom lens, you can compose multiple shots at different focal lengths to capture a greater range of images of the same subject.

Provided your lens offers a suitable focal length to partially or entirely fill the frame with the moon, you’re on a winner.

Aperture

While aperture is less critical to great moon photography lenses, the wider the max aperture, the more light will pass through to the image sensor.

However, faster-aperture telephoto lenses are very expensive, so working with a narrow maximum aperture will still yield exceptional results.

Moon photography works best when narrowing the aperture to f/8 or f/11 (or anything in between).

Almost all telephoto lenses suitable for moon photography offer a variable aperture range between f/4.5 and f/16, even narrower.

Stabilization

Most current and older digital DSLR and mirrorless camera bodies and lenses offer two forms of image stabilization.

In Body Image Stabilization (IBIS) refers to the stabilization system built into the camera body that compensates for camera shake, especially with longer exposures or low-light photography.

Optical Image or Lens Image Stabilization (OIS) refers to technology built into the lens to compensate for shake and unwanted movement.

In most camera systems, the camera and lens stabilization systems work in tandem to deliver optimal stability.

Image stabilization uses computational and mechanical technology to compensate for minute movement in a camera body or lens. It’s designed to prevent blurred images caused by a camera moving or shaking.

When shooting the moon handheld (without a tripod), I highly encourage using camera and/or lens image stabilization to reduce the impact of movement while holding the camera.

If you’re shooting your moon images with a tripod, you should always turn off the camera IBIS and lens OIS.

When mounted to a tripod, a camera and/or lens with IBIS and OIS switched on can produce blurry images as the image stabilization system fights against the tripod.

Recommended Lenses

A detailed photograph of the Moon in its waxing gibbous phase, showing visible craters and surface texture against a black background.A detailed photograph of the Moon in its waxing gibbous phase, showing visible craters and surface texture against a black background.

Okay, it’s time to talk specifics. Selecting the right lens for moon photography will ensure you get the best possible images.

Lens choices have become incredibly complex, especially in such a crowded first and third-party lens market.

Selecting the correct lens for the mount and sensor of the DSLR or digital mirrorless camera is critical.

Almost all leading brands offer full-frame and APS-C camera systems that require lenses specific to that image sensor size and the metal mount at the front of the camera. The same goes for Micro Four-Third (MFT) camera systems.

Many third-party manufacturers develop lenses to suit a multitude of APS-C, MFT, or full-frame lens mounts. In many cases, the third-party option is cheaper and equal to (if not better) in performance and image quality than the branded version.

Our favorite amateur moon photography lens is the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary zoom lens.

The full-frame telephoto zoom is incredibly versatile and delivers exceptional image outcomes for the price. Plus, the 150-600mm focal length offers considerable flexibility and ideal reach to capture stunning and detailed shots of the moon.

But wait, there’s more! Adding a 2x teleconverter expands the system’s focal range to 300-1200mm, allowing you to zoom right in and capture insane levels of detail.

The Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 is available for Nikon FX (DSLR), Canon EF (DSLR), and Sony FE mount digital cameras.

Available for Nikon FX [Amazon | B&H] | Canon EF [Amazon | B&H] | Sony FE [Amazon | B&H]

Tamron also makes a 150-600mm f/5-6.3 for Canon and Nikon DSLRs, but it’s significantly more expensive (just under US$1400). Nikon FX [Amazon | B&H] |  Canon EF [Amazon | B&H] |

Best Canon Lenses for Moon Photography

A waxing gibbous moon is shown against a black night sky, with detailed craters and surface features visible.A waxing gibbous moon is shown against a black night sky, with detailed craters and surface features visible.

Canon owners rejoice! There’s a vast range of first and third-party telephoto prime and zoom lenses to suit moon photography.

The range of proven optics is impressive for those shooting with an older Canon full-frame EF mount or APS-C EF-S mount DSLR.

Anyone shooting with a newer Canon RF mount digital mirrorless camera, such as the R5 Mark II, has a growing range of Canon and third-party glass.

Here are the best moon photography lenses for your digital camera:

  • Canon EF-S 55-250mm IS STM (Best Budget APS-C Lens): The EF-S mount lens is ideal for Canon APS-C DLSR camera bodies. The highly affordable lens delivers sharp outcomes and excellent reach with an 88-400mm full-frame equivalent focal range.[Amazon | B&H]
  • Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 (Mk I or Mk II) [Amazon | B&H] The full-frame Canon DSLR telephoto zoom features great build qualities, excellent optics, and a reasonable price. Unfortunately, the lens isn’t compatible with Canon’s extenders/teleconverters. But you can drop the full-frame lens on a Canon APS-C DSLR and gain a 480mm equivalent focal length.
  • Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L [Amazon | B&H] Considered one of Canon’s best DSLR telephoto zooms, the weather-sealed 100-400mm offers a fast aperture (for a telephoto lens), outstanding optical outcomes, and a durable construction. If you add the Canon 2x teleconverter to the mix, the focal length doubles to 800mm (1280mm equivalent with APS-C).
  • Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 [Amazon | B&H] Moving to the Canon mirrorless system, the RF 100-400 is a class-leading and flexible zoom lens that also offers image stabilization for handheld shooting. If you drop the Canon RF 2x teleconverter onto the lens, you’ll achieve an 800mm full-frame focal length (1280mm equivalent with APS-C).
  • Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 [Amazon | B&H] One of the best full-frame RF mount super-telephoto zooms is the 100-500mm, thanks to its fast maximum aperture, superior optical qualities, image stabilization, and precision performance. The 500mm focal length is ideal for detail moon shots, and with the 2x teleconverter, the 1,000mm focal range is remarkably fun (1600mm equivalent with APS-C).
  • Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 [Amazon | B&H] The full-frame telephoto zoom offers exceptional flexibility for moon photography. The 600mm max zoom is ideal for full-screen shots of the moon in glorious detail. Plus, with the 2x teleconverter, the Sigma delivers a 1200mm focal range (1800mm equivalent with APS-C).
  • Tamron 150-600mm f/5-6.3 [Amazon | B&H] Tamron’s super-telephoto zoom is considered one of the best third-party lenses for moon photography. The 600mm maximum focal length doubles to a whopping 1200mm with a Canon 2x teleconverter. While the Tamron isn’t cheap, it’s half the price of the nearest Canon-branded alternative (1800mm equivalent with APS-C).
  • Canon RF 800mm f/11 [Amazon | B&H] Canon’s canon of an optical marvel is a unique bit of kit. With an 800mm focal length, detailed moon shots are guaranteed. However, given the f/11 maximum aperture, you’ll need to expose for longer durations to allow ample light to pass to the image sensor. Here are some crazy numbers! Add a Canon 2x teleconverter and the super-telephoto prime for a 1600mm focal length or drop the lens on an APS-C Canon for a 2400mm equivalent!

Best Nikon Lenses for Moon Photography

A photograph of a reddish full moon, also known as a blood moon, centered against a dark sky with scattered stars.A photograph of a reddish full moon, also known as a blood moon, centered against a dark sky with scattered stars.

It’s Nikon’s turn. Like Canon, Nikon offers a massive range of first-party NIKKOR and third-party lenses suited to Nikon F and Z mount systems.

Nikon is renowned for its optical performance and excellent image quality, which are evident in almost every lens it produces.

Whether you shoot full-frame, APS-C, DLSR, or Nikon Z digital mirrorless cameras, there’s a great moon photography lens for you.

Let’s check them out!

  • Nikon AF-P DX 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3G [Amazon | B&H] The Nikon 70-300mm is the best beginner’s lens for moon photography. It’s affordable, boasts superb image quality, and has an excellent 450mm full-frame equivalent focal length. It’s a flexible zoom that also features image stabilization and a relatively fast maximum aperture.
  • Nikon NIKKOR Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S [Amazon | B&H] Nikon’s Z mount 100-400mm is a superb full-frame telephoto zoom offering exceptional image outcomes and the ability to zoom in and out to get the best moon composition possible. While the zoom includes all of Nikon’s bells and whistles, it comes at a considerable cost. However, if you add the Nikon Z 2x teleconverter, the lens becomes an 800mm equivalent (1200mm equivalent with APS-C).
  • Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E [Amazon | B&H] Nikon’s F mount DSLR full-frame zoom lens boasts a constant f/5.6 maximum aperture for optimal light input. Given the flexible 200-500mm focal length, it hits the moon photography sweet spot for excellent detail and colour reproduction. Add the 2x teleconverter for a staggering 1000mm full-frame view (1500mm equivalent with APS-C).
  • Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 [Amazon | B&H]. Many excellent third-party telephoto lenses are ideal for moon photography with a Nikon full-frame DSLR. The Sigma 150-600mm zoom grants unbeatable flexibility and choice to compose shots with the moon in part of or the complete frame. Fit a 2x teleconverter to your Nikon FX or DX-format DSLR to achieve a 1200mm focal length (1800mm equivalent with APS-C).
  • Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 G2 [Amazon | B&H] Another premium third-party option is the Tamron 150-600mm. It’s considerably cheaper than a Nikon-branded alternative, offering excellent image outcomes and glorious lunar surface details. Designed for Nikon’s full-frame (FX) DSLRs, adding a 2x teleconverter pushes the focal range to a whopping 1200mm (1800mm equiv. with APS-C).
  • Nikon Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 [Amazon | B&H] The final Nikon-friendly lens is the uncompromising NIKKOR 180-600 Z-mount full-frame telephoto lens. The feature-packed telephoto zoom boasts image stabilization, customizable function buttons, and a programmable control ring. Plus, the image quality is second to none. Once again, the Nikon Z 2x teleconverter produces a 1200mm full-frame focal distance with enough reach to make out details and deliver accurate colour (1800mm equiv. with APS-C).

Best Sony Lenses for Moon Photography

A half-moon is shown in a dark sky, with visible craters and surface details illuminated on one side.A half-moon is shown in a dark sky, with visible craters and surface details illuminated on one side.

Let’s not forget Sony shooters!

Unsurprisingly, the Japanese electronics and imaging giant boasts some of the sharpest moon-photo-capable telephoto zooms and primes.

Sony and countless third-party brands develop a wide range of precision optics for amateurs, enthusiasts, and professional photographers.

Known for performance, colour reproduction, and clarity, Sony E full-frame or APS-C cameras and lenses are ideal for this genre.

  • Tamron 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 [Amazon | B&H] If you’re looking for a beginner-friendly telephoto zoom lens for moon photography, the affordable Tamron 70-300mm is hard to ignore. It’s a brilliant choice with a relatively fast maximum aperture, quick focus performance, and a moisture-resistant body. Plus, if you fit the full-frame lens to a Sony APS-C camera, the focal length extends to 750mm equivalent. Unfortunately, the Tamron lens is not compatible with a Sony teleconverter.
  • Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG. [Amazon | B&H] Sigma’s full-frame 100-400 telephoto zoom offers greater reach and features than the Tamron, but at a higher price. Regardless, the enthusiast-level full-frame lens delivers excellent image outcomes, featuring image stabilization for handheld moon shots. It’s good value. Add a 2x teleconverter for an 800mm full-frame equivalent (1200mm equivalent with APS-C) .
  • Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM. [Amazon | B&H] Where the Sigma 100-400 is a good value, the Sony 100-400 is almost double the price. However, the GM pro-grade lens delivers insane image detail levels and rich colour reproduction. The full-frame lens boasts lightning-fast focus speeds, image stabilization, and a dust and moisture-sealed design. With the 2x teleconverter, the focal length pushes out to 800mm. (1200mm equivalent with APS-C). Check out our full review.
  • Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 [Amazon | B&H] Another cracker of a lens from Tamron is the 150-500mm. Once again, that extra reach and flexibility are perfect for lunar photos where you want to fill the entire frame with the moon’s surface. While the Tamron doesn’t support Sony’s 2x teleconverter, it will deliver a 750mm full-frame equivalent when mounted to a Sony APS-C digital mirrorless camera.
  • Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 [Amazon | B&H] Sigma’s 150-600mm beast is ideal for sports, wildlife, and lunar photography. It’s also an ideal telephoto moon lens for enthusiasts, thanks to its dual zoom system, relatively fast max aperture, and image stabilization system. With an E mount 2x teleconverter, the full-frame Sigma extends to 1200mm and provides more than enough reach for stellar moon shots (1800mm equivalent with APS-C).
  • Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 [Amazon | B&H] If the Sigma 150-600mm caught your eye but you’d prefer native glass, the Sony 200-600mm is the best lens for moon photography. While it’s a pricey bit of kit, its image quality and resolution are second to none. It’s one of the fastest and sharpest telephoto zooms in the range. Of course, if you drop a 2x extender on it, you’ll gain 1200mm of full-frame reach (1800mm equivalent with APS-C).

Best Fujifilm Lenses for Moon Photography

A close-up view of the moon against a dark blue sky, showing detailed surface textures and craters.A close-up view of the moon against a dark blue sky, showing detailed surface textures and craters.

Here’s a range of Fujifilm and X mount lenses close to my heart.

The Fujifilm X Series of digital mirrorless cameras features an APS-C image sensor that offers a 1.5x crop of a full-frame sensor.

Once again, first and third-party developers support the Fujifilm X mount. Here are a few of my favorite things.

  • Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG [Amazon | B&H] Sigma’s behemoth is among the best value options for moon photography with a Fujifilm X camera. It features a relatively fast aperture, a 150-600mm full-frame equivalent focal length, and excellent image outcomes. Drop a Fujifilm 2x teleconverter in the mix; that focal range skyrockets to 300-1200mm.
  • Fujifilm XF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 [Amazon | B&H] Fujifilm’s native X Series glass is highly regarded for image sharpness and colour reproduction. The 100-400mm offers a very bright maximum aperture, weather-sealing, and a removable tripod collar. As with the Sigma, the full-frame equivalent focal length of 150-600mm doubles to 1200mm with the 2x teleconverter.
  • Fujifilm XF 150-600mm [Amazon | B&H] While the 100-400mm options above are more than capable of capturing frame-filling shots of the moon, sometimes you want even more reach. With an APS-C 150-600mm telephoto zoom, you gain a 229-914mm focal length in full-frame terms. That kind of reach will snag you rich, detailed shots of the lunar surface. Unfortunately, the Fujifilm 150-600mm isn’t compatible with the 2x teleconverter.

Best MFT Lenses for Moon Photography

A close-up view of the moon’s surface showing many craters and its rough texture, with half of the moon visible against a dark background.A close-up view of the moon’s surface showing many craters and its rough texture, with half of the moon visible against a dark background.

Our final batch of recommended moon photography lenses is ideal for anyone rocking an OM Systems (formerly Olympus) or LUMIX mirrorless camera with a Micro Four-Thirds image sensor (MFT).

MFT systems feature a much smaller image sensor than full-frame and APS-C systems. Regardless, plenty of folks use compact mirrorless systems for astrophotography and moon photography.

Given the cropped MFT sensor, lenses gain a 2x crop factor to double their focal length for a full-frame equivalent.

  • Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 100-400mm f/5-6.3 IS [Amazon | B&H] The image-stabilized and weather-resistant lens is a bit of a beast, but it produces excellent image sharpness and color reproduction. The 100-400mm MFT format equates to a 200-800mm full-frame equivalent that doubles yet again when the OM System MC-20 teleconverter is added. As a result, the final focal distance extends to a whopping 1600mm full-frame equivalent. It’s also one of the best value lenses in the system.
  • Panasonic Leica 100-400mm f/4-6.3 II [Amazon | B&H] Panasonic and Leica are household photography names, and the dynamic duo team up to develop outstanding MFT lenses. The 100-400mm offers the same focal length os the above OM System (Olympus) lens but with a much brighter maximum aperture.

Should I Use a Teleconverter with Lunar Photography?

 

A teleconverter is a handy lens adaptation tool, especially if your lens’ native focal length doesn’t give you enough reach.

For example, you have two options if your full-frame Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 isn’t giving you the reach you would like.

The first is to fork out more cash for a new lens (such as the Canon RF 800mm f/11), or you can use a teleconverter.

Most brands offer a 1.4x or a 2x teleconverter that magnifies the focal length by that multiplier.

With our previous example, fitting the Canon Extender RF 2x with the RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 will result in a 200-800mm focal length. As a result, you now have an astonishing focal range for gloriously detailed lunar landscapes.

Buying a teleconverter is far cheaper than buying a new lens with a much longer focal length.

If you need a more detailed guide to teleconverters, read our guide to the pros and cons of using teleconverters.

It’s also important to check that your lens is compatible with the teleconverter for that lens mount. Here’s a list of the 2x teleconverters available for DSLR and mirrorless systems for all leading brands.

Other Options

A close-up view of a cratered, gray planetary surface against the blackness of space, showing detailed texture and features.A close-up view of a cratered, gray planetary surface against the blackness of space, showing detailed texture and features.

Moon photography is another form of night sky photography that borrows heavily from the broader astrophotography category.

As a result, many processes and approaches carry over to capturing stunning photos of the moon.

While you can drop a Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM onto your Sony Alpha mirrorless body and be done with it, there are ways to take the craft even further.

Using an Amateur Telescope

 

Moon, astro, and night sky photography are closely related to astronomy and star gazing. If you’ve ever taken a peep through a telescope, you’ll no doubt have marvelled at the view.

Most high-end telescopes produce a greater focal length than super telephoto zooms and primes. So why not use a telescope to capture your moon shots?

If you’re serious about lunar photography, another neat option is to pick up a high-magnification telescope (often sold by camera stores) and adapt it to support your DSLR or mirrorless camera.

There are adapters (T-rings) available for most of the popular DSLR/Mirrorless lens-mount systems for attaching a camera in place of the telescope’s eyepiece.

While a telescope will cost around the same as a high-quality telephoto lens, you’ll gain greater reach and, as a result, high levels of detail, contrast, and color. Plus, the T-Rings used to mount your camera to the telescope are inexpensive.

Photo Stacking

A sequence of nine moon phases arranged in an arc from left to right against a dark night sky.A sequence of nine moon phases arranged in an arc from left to right against a dark night sky.

Photo stacking, or focus stacking, allows you to capture multiple images of the same subject and then ‘stack’ them together later in post-production.

Photo stacking is more commonly used in genres such as landscape and macro photography when shooting with a narrow depth of field.

With a wide max aperture, the depth of field becomes very narrow, resulting in only some elements being in focus. If you want the entire frame in sharp focus, without losing the sharpness of a wide aperture, you take multiple shots with a progressively shifting focus point.

Later, in image editing software, you stack the images together to form a sharp image. Find out the best software programs for focus stacking here.

The same approach is often used in moon photography to achieve greater image detail, edge-to-edge sharpness, and significant noise reduction. It can also show the moon’s journey across the night sky.

FAQs About the Best Lenses for Moon Photography

Is a 70-300mm lens good for moon photography?

A 70-300mm lens is excellent for moon photography. At the 300mm end, the moon will appear in frame, with enough night sky in the background to neatly frame it and provide exceptional image contrast.

Is 400mm enough for a moon?

A 400mm full-frame equivalent lens is an excellent focal length for lunar photography, as more of the moon will fill the image frame. Image detail will be sharp, and the color contrast will be more prominent.

Do I need image stabilization in my lens if my camera already has it?

Lens image stabilization (OIS) isn’t necessary, especially if you have in-body image stabilization (IBIS) in the camera. However, you only need OIS and/or IBIS if you intend to shoot the moon handheld. If you’re using a tripod, you must turn off OIS and IBIS to prevent blurry images.

Do I need a fast lens for moon photography?

You don’t need a fast aperture or focusing system for moon photography. Most telephoto lenses feature an average max aperture of f/5.6. In most cases, you would set your aperture between f/8 and f/11 for moon shots. As for fast focusing, the moon isn’t going anywhere in a hurry!

Can I photograph the moon with a smartphone?

Yes, you can capture great images of the moon with a smartphone. Our comprehensive guide outlines the process step-by-step.

What is the best ISO for moon photography?

When shooting moon photography, the best ISO is around 100, or as low as your camera’s ISO range will allow. The moon is incredibly bright in the night sky due to its proximity to Earth. A lower ISO mitigates excessive noise created during long exposures.



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