The best Canon kit for low-light and night photography

"That said, a problem with using DSLRs in the dark is that, when you look through their optical viewfinders, you're at the mercy of ambient light conditions and might see barely anything at all. However, with the electronic viewfinders in EOS R System cameras, the viewfinder brightness is adjustable. You can literally see in the dark. What's more, exposure simulation gives you an accurate preview of exposure levels and other settings you have applied. On top of that, EOS R System cameras can autofocus in almost complete darkness, which can make all the difference between getting the shot and missing it altogether because your eyes can't see what is in focus."

Breakthroughs in image sensor design and image processor technology in the EOS R System range deliver superior image quality, even at very high ISO settings. Advanced image stabilisation systems delivering up to 8-stops of stabilisation are a game-changer for low-light photography and street photography at night.

Here, Mike reveals the best Canon mirrorless camera for night photography and the kit that should be in every low-light photography enthusiast's kitbag.

"All EOS R System cameras work really well for this but I favour the Canon EOS R5," Mike says. "It has a high megapixel count for retaining ultra-fine detail, plus advanced image stabilisation that's worth up to 8-stops, enabling you to shoot handheld and play the angles in conditions that previously were prohibitive. Image quality at high ISO settings isn't as noise-free as high-ISO images from the Canon EOS R6 but, because you have such high resolution, you can downsize the images if necessary, say from 45 to 30 megapixels, where resampling further reduces the appearance of any noise."

The sheer tonal range of night-time cityscapes can be a challenge for any camera. "There's often a massive difference between brightly lit areas and near-black shadows," Mike points out. "The Canon EOS R3 comes into its own for creating HDR (High Dynamic Range) images in-camera. Other EOS R System cameras have this function but the super-fast drive rate and data read-out of the EOS R3 means that you can fire off three exposure-bracketed shots in as little as 30 milliseconds, the blink of an eye, effectively creating HDR images even of moving objects.

Mike favours the Canon EOS R6 for low-light portrait photography. "It shares a lot of the EOS R5's finer points but can autofocus in even darker conditions, right down to -6.5EV as compared to the EOS R5's -6EV," he says. "The intelligent face-detection and eye-detection autofocus technology powered by deep-learning AI keeps on working really well even under very low lighting. This means accurate focusing in portrait photography with a really shallow depth of field is no longer a worry, so you can just concentrate on the creative elements, like the pose and the composition that make for a great shot. Again, highly effective image stabilisation offers the freedom of handheld shooting.

For capturing light trails and painting with light, Mike says there aren't really any specific criteria for camera and lens choice. "You'll be using long exposures, so you don't need a lens with a fast aperture. However, operating the camera remotely can be a big advantage, so it's great using a camera like the Canon EOS RP with the Canon Camera Connect app. You can fully control the camera from your smartphone, via Bluetooth or by creating a Wi-Fi hotspot. So, for light painting, you can get into place and then start and stop the exposure, as well as checking the results, without having to run back and forth to the camera each time. For light trails, remote operation avoids the risk of vibrations caused by touching the camera.

"The Canon RF 24-105mm F4-7.1 IS STM is a perfect choice of lens for this sort of night shooting. Its small size and lightweight build are ideally matched to the EOS RP, and it's competitively priced. The big zoom range adds versatility, while the relatively narrower aperture is no drawback when you're using long exposures."

"For astrophotography I'd definitely go for the Canon EOS R5, with its high resolution," says Mike. "It's often vital to retain as much fine detail as possible in the sky. If small stars disappear from the image, that's a major concern. It's amazing how much detail this camera can capture in the night sky. I've seen images taken on an EOS R5 with a Canon RF 800mm F11 IS STM and a Canon Extender RF 2x where Saturn's rings are clearly visible.

"Generally in astrophotography, you need to keep shutter speeds fairly fast, to avoid stars and other celestial objects smearing across the sky. Wide viewing angles with wide apertures are the ideal combination, and the Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS USM is the most obvious choice. For a smaller, lighter and less expensive option, the Canon RF 16mm F2.8 STM is ideal. For EF lenses with a mount adapter, I'd go for the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III USM zoom or the Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L II USM prime."

For the ultimate in all-round versatility and performance, when you plan to shoot both stills and video in low-light conditions, Mike recommends the Canon EOS R6 and Canon RF 24-70mm F2.8L IS USM zoom lens. "The EOS R6 delivers exceptional image quality at really high ISO settings, and the Nano USM autofocus system of the lens is super-fast for stills but also really smooth and silent for video focus transitions. You can actually alter the transition speed for autofocus when shooting video, so that pull-focusing has exactly the look and feel that you're after.

"For prime lenses, I'd pick the Canon RF 50mm F1.2L USM as a superb low-light lens, even though it's better suited to stills than video. The Canon RF 35mm F1.8 Macro IS STM wins out as a high-performance yet affordable all-rounder, with a really natural viewing perspective.

"If you want an EF-mount alternative, I'd suggest the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM for outright performance and versatility."