Prime Lens for Night Photography

[Wayno]

Hello,
I've been bitten by the Milky Way bug. I am lucky to work in the remote Kimberley, so I can avoid all the light pollution that cities and towns give off.
I'm seeking advice on lenses.
I own the Canon 17-40mm wide angle lens. Great lens, and my go to lens for night photography.
I've been thinking about purchasing a prime lens.
What are peoples thoughts? Should I stick with what I currently have, or move to a prime lens? And if so, what size?

Cheers,

[Allann]

Take a look at the Rokinon series, either the 14mm 2.8 or 24mm 1.4 are excellent for the price. One thing to note is that these are manual focus only. But you can't auto-focus at night anyway, so why spend extra if you want something specific, right?

[teylward]

I think a prime lens would be a great idea in my opinion. A good prime lens will be a lot sharper over the whole frame than a zoom, which should be good for night shots. You can pick up some great prime lenses for a decent price.

[Wayno]

Thanks for the options guys.
I have read that the Rokinon/Samyang lenses are a very good option, and at a good price.
There are 2 that stand out - the 14mm f2.8, or 24mm f1.4. Is it better to have a lower f stop, or wider viewing angle?

Cheers,

[Allann]

the 14mm f2.8, or 24mm f1.4. Is it better to have a lower f stop, or wider viewing angle?

If it was me, it would be the 14 for this specific requirement. If it was to also include other needs, the 24 is more versatile. Only you can really answer that question. But why not get both? That is still cheaper than a new 16-35 mkII for example. That's about $1000 for both, and you'll end up with two very good lenses. I see you are advance level, so I'm sure you'll understand the impact 2 stops affords an image.

[Morgo]

Samyang 14mm f2.8 is great for astro.

[Wayno]

Yes, buying both lenses would solve all problems Jon.
With a 5 week old baby, and only one income coming in my budget is restricted.
For now....

[Wobbles]

I've recently done a lot of research on this specific subject.. and just purchased, you guessed it, a Samyang 14mm f/2.8! A lot of astrophotography 'experts' agree the Samy is arguably the best (for price) wide field Milky Way lens around. It's better than the $2k+ Canon equivalent with less coma exhibited and only just pipped by the $1.5k Nikon 14-24 for sharpness. I'd class the 24 as a more 'specialist' lens, yes the 1.4 is handy at night but it's neither ultra-wide nor distortion free. My next planned purchase is a Samy 35 f/1.4 for starscape panoramas.

Regards
John