A Real-World $500 Night Photography Kit That Gets Pro Results

You'd love to purchase a quality camera, lens, and even a tripod. But photography is expensive! Is it possible to purchase these for as low as $500? Let's have a look!

To create this list, you're almost assuredly going to need to purchase used gear. But the point is that it is possible. To make the choice of going used more reliable, I've priced everything using reputable companies such as B&H Photo and Video. B&H thoroughly checks their gear and offers warranties. You can also purchase these items used on eBay and elsewhere from private parties, sometimes for lower prices. However, unless you trust the seller, you might not get as much consistency in quality or as strong of a warranty.

Cameras for $200 or Under

I looked for a professional camera that would still be able to take outstanding night photography photos. I knew I had to find one that was a little long in the tooth to fit the bill. The Nikon D700 is one such camera. The Nikon D700 full frame DSLR offers a robust weather-sealed magnesium-alloy body, a CF card slot, and much more. I used to meet photojournalists who used this because they said that it would never fail them.

Yes, it's only 12.1 MP. The upside of this is that it does well in low light. With 12.1 MP, you can still have enough resolution to create large poster-sized prints. I've seen night photography prints taken with this camera at poster size, and they looked fine.

As of this writing, I was able to find Nikon D700s used for around $200 and up at reputable companies. The prices for these have hovered below and above this price range for the past couple of years.

I am mostly familiar with Nikon, but here are some other top choices for around $200 or under:

• Canon EOS 5D DSLR, 12.8 MP body (full frame)
• Canon EOS 70D 20 MP DSLR (APS-C sensor)
• Nikon D7000 16 MP DSLR (APS-C sensor) — I photographed with a D7000 for about eight years and can attest to its image quality, as well as semi-pro features such as decent weather sealing and two SD card slots.
• Pentax K-5 16.3 MP DSLR (APS-C sensor, surprisingly good low-light capabilities for its age)

Lens

The Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 IF ED UMC is inexpensive, although surprisingly sharp. It has a wide f/2.8 aperture, perfect if you wish to do high-ISO Milky Way photos. Many night photographers love to capture an enormous part of the night sky, so this ultra-wide lens fits the bill quite well.

The lens is manual focus. However, this is not unusual, as most night photographers don't use autofocus. The stars are too dim for almost all cameras to focus.

As of this writing, I was able to easily find a Rokinon 14mm lens between $99–$149 at reputable companies, and lower on sites such as eBay.

Other lenses that are worth a look:

• Nikon 20mm f/2.8D (full frame)
• Tamron 17–35mm f/2.8–4 Di OSD (full frame)
• Sigma 10–18mm f/2.8 (APS-C sensor)
• Samyang (or Rokinon) 12mm f/2 (APS-C sensor)
• Tokina AT-X 11-16mm f/2.8 Pro DX (APS-C sensor) — I used one of these with a Nikon D7000, and felt that this was a solidly built lens. There is some coma at f/2.8 in the corners, but it goes away by f/4. You can probably say this about a number of lenses, so it's best to check. Or, as a workaround, you can shoot slightly wider than intended, then crop away a small amount from the edges during post-processing.

Tripod

When you select a high-quality night photography setup, you never overlook a quality tripod. You are going to be fiddling with a tripod almost as much as the camera or lens.

A tripod must be rock solid, both to produce a sharp image and to keep your precious equipment safe.

A great choice is the NEEWER LITETRIP LT38 Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod with ball head. It has:

• Load capacity: 22 pounds
• Height range: 18" to 61" (using the center column); 52" without the center column
• Folded length: 19.7"

It's a very sturdy tripod for its size, and the ball head is a quality ball head. I could not find many of these used because the LT38 is a very new model. However, the legs and tripod together sell new for about $200. There are similar NEEWER models, such as the LT32 62-inch model, that sell for $149 new.

Another great choice is the Manfrotto Befree Advanced Travel Aluminum Tripod with 494 Ball Head. This supports 19.8 pounds while still achieving a maximum height of 59.1 inches when extending the center column. It also folds down to 15.7 inches.

An aluminum tripod is a little heavier than carbon fiber tripods. However, this can be a good thing, especially in high-wind areas. And as a bonus, aluminum tripods are less expensive.

As of this writing, I was able to find a Manfrotto Befree Advanced Travel Aluminum Tripod with 494 Ball Head for $137 used.

You can find tripod and ball head combinations for even less money than the NEEWER or the Manfrotto I mentioned. Just make sure it is solid and robust.

More Thoughts About Our $500 Night Photography Kit

It's easy to find a quality camera, lens, and tripod for under $500 that still offer the ability to make high-quality photos. After all, some years ago, many photographers were using this gear, and it didn't stop them from making high-quality professional photos.

If you shop around or vary the items a bit, it's quite possible to get this under $500. For instance, if the D700 was $220, the Rokinon was $120, and the Manfrotto tripod and ball head are $137, that would be $477, plus whatever tax and shipping might be where you live.

In putting together this inexpensive night photography kit, I assumed that you would want to photograph anything that the night threw your way. You would be able to use this to photograph the Milky Way in very dark skies. But you would also be able to use it for other scenarios, such as mixed-light urban photography, light painting during full moon photography, and quite a few other scenarios!

I also wanted the entire kit to be robust and offer professional features.

You probably would also want to purchase a CF card and a cheap remote shutter release. These were not included in the $500 limit but would not cost too much more. They are items that you might already own anyway. Unless you know the person selling the equipment, the safest bet is to purchase from places that check out the equipment and offer warranties, such as B&H Photo and Video.

If you want to sharpen your night photography and post-processing skills, Photographing the World: Landscape Photography and Post-Processing is an excellent resource to pair with this kit.