Kit guide
A low-light camera kit
A fast prime gathers several times the light of a kit zoom, for rooms, concerts and streets at night. Here is the lightest f/1.4 prime with a natural view for each system.
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Canon RF
720 g ready to shoot
Canon EOS R50 + Sigma 23mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary
f/1.4, frames like 37 mm · 720 g with the camera · 52 mm filter
Drawn beside it: the RF-S18-45mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM, 130 g more; the bag then weighs 850 g.
Sony E
663 g ready to shoot
Sony a6400 + Viltrox AF 23mm F1.4
f/1.4, frames like 35 mm · 663 g with the camera · 52 mm filter
Drawn beside it: the E PZ 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OSS II, 107 g more; the bag then weighs 770 g.
Nikon Z
835 g ready to shoot
Nikon Z50II + Sigma 30mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary
f/1.4, frames like 45 mm · 835 g with the camera · 52 mm filter
Drawn beside it: the NIKKOR Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR, 135 g more; the bag then weighs 970 g.
Fujifilm X
622 g ready to shoot
Fujifilm X-T50 + 7Artisans AF 35mm F1.4
f/1.4, frames like 53 mm · 622 g with the camera · 62 mm filter
Drawn beside it: the XF16-50mmF2.8-4.8 R LM WR, 240 g more; the bag then weighs 862 g.
Light in numbers
Each step down in f-number lets in more light: f/1.4 gathers about eight times the light of f/4 and ten of f/4.5. Against each camera's kit zoom:
- Canon EOS R50 with the 23mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary at f/1.4: about 10 times the light of the RF-S18-45mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM at its widest
- Sony a6400 with the AF 23mm F1.4 at f/1.4: about 6 times the light of the E PZ 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OSS II at its widest
- Nikon Z50II with the 30mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary at f/1.4: about 6 times the light of the NIKKOR Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR at its widest
- Fujifilm X-T50 with the AF 35mm F1.4 at f/1.4: about 4 times the light of the XF16-50mmF2.8-4.8 R LM WR at its widest
In a dim room where the RF-S18-45mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM needs 1/15 s at ISO 6400, the 23mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary gets about 1/160 s at the same ISO, fast enough for a person who is talking and moving a little, or the same 1/15 s at about ISO 640, with less noise.
The sharp zone is thin
Wide open, the sharp zone is shallow: on the EOS R50 at 1.5 m about 21 cm is sharp. Put the focus point on the nearest eye, or stop down to f/2.8 for a group.
Stabilisation steadies the camera, not the subject
EOS R50: no stabilisation in camera or lens; a6400: no stabilisation in camera or lens; Z50II: no stabilisation in camera or lens; X-T50: in-body stabilisation. Stabilisation lets you hand-hold a still scene at slower speeds; a moving person still needs about 1/125 s. The kit zoom stays in the bag for daylight and wide scenes.
Build your own kit · Lenses by subject
Facts from the makers' specification pages. How we check