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The Best X Series Lenses for Low Light

From dusky landscapes to nighttime street photography, there’s a wealth of imaging opportunity lurking in the shadows. These X Series lenses can give you the edge in challenging light conditions

Photographers are obsessed with light – and for good reason. Where there’s no light, there’s no photography. But it’s still possible to make amazing images in low-light settings. If you want to make photos when it’s darker, there are a few ways to gain an extra couple of stops of light. The best starting point, though, is working with an appropriate lens.

How to take low-light photos

If you need to push up your exposure value, you have three choices: reduce shutter speed, boost ISO or open the aperture. These affect the image in different ways. Lower shutter speeds can introduce motion blur, higher ISOs can introduce noise and wider apertures reduce your depth-of-field.

X Series cameras handle higher ISOs very well and models like the FUJIFILM X-T5 and X-S20 offer up to 7.0 stops of internal stabilisation – allowing users to make much longer exposures handheld. But still, it’s often best to nail exposure in low light by opening your aperture up as wide as possible. This minimises adverse visual effects, leaves more techniques and subjects in play, and only comes at a small cost.

For this reason, the best X Series lenses for low-light photography are those with the widest apertures. Set the camera to Aperture Priority mode and use Auto ISO to specify your preferred maximum ISO and minimum shutter speed.

Best prime lenses for low-light photography

Prime lenses have fewer moving parts than zooms, which means their designs often allow for wider maximum apertures. For example, in the X Series lineup, the widest aperture available on a zoom lens is F2.8, while the widest aperture on a prime is F1.0 – a difference of three stops.

When you’re trying to collect as much light as possible, a fast prime lens is almost always the best option.

FUJINON XF16mmF1.4 R WR

For wide-angle photography in low-light conditions, the XF16mmF1.4 R WR is unmatched. A favourite for landscapes and astrophotography, the combination of a wide focal length and wide aperture is perfect for creating sweeping images of starry nights.

FUJINON XF33mmF1.4 R LM WR

With a full-frame equivalent focal length of 50mm, the XF33mmF1.4 R LM WR is a wide-aperture standard lens offering an extremely similar angle of view to that of the human eye and minimal distortion. It provides highly natural-looking imagery and is a favourite option among street photographers who work late into the night.

FUJINON XF50mmF1.0 R WR

With the widest aperture of any X Series lens, the XF50mmF1.0 R WR truly is something special. It offers unparalleled latitude for gathering light, making it the ultimate tool for working in low-light conditions. The extremely narrow depth-of-field also allows for astonishing foreground separation with extremely rich, smooth bokeh.

FUJINON XF90mmF2 R LM WR

Moving up to a mid-telephoto focal length, the XF90mmF2 R LM WR gives you some serious reach (35mm equivalent of 137mm) while still letting you work late into the evening. Ideal for photographing from medium distances, this lens is a favourite among portrait and events photographers.

FUJINON XF200mmF2 R LM OIS WR

As the longest fast-aperture X Series prime, the XF200mmF2 R LM OIS WR is a must-have for wildlife and sports photographers who work in low light. It comes with the XF1.4X TC WR Teleconverter that grants a final focal length of 280mm – or 427mm in full-frame terms – with a light loss of only one stop. There is also in-built Optical Image Stabilisation, letting you work at lower shutter speeds without introducing camera shake.

Best zoom lenses for low-light photography

There are many reasons to want a zoom lens over a prime. If you’re working with limited space in your kitbag, aren’t certain how close you can get to your subject or simply prefer zooms, a variable focal length can be a great boost to creative freedom.

Due to their more complicated design, zoom lenses tend to have narrower apertures than primes – and often get significantly narrower at the long end of the focal range. Luckily for low-light photographers, the X Series lens range features a number of fast zooms with constant apertures.

FUJINON XF8-16mmF2.8 R LM WR

With a constant maximum aperture of F2.8 throughout its focal range, XF8-16mmF2.8 R LM WR allows you to create a variety of wide-angle compositions in low light. In comparison to the XF16mmF1.4, it trades two stops of light at its maximum aperture for the ability to zoom out to 8mm (35mm equivalent of 12mm) – an exceptionally wide focal length. This makes it suited to an entirely expanded set of needs.

FUJINON XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR

Another high-end, fast zoom, the XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR covers a variety of commonly used focal lengths and has a fixed maximum aperture of F2.8. If your subject selection keeps you on your toes, lives within a middling range and you need to gather plenty of light, this lens is an excellent choice.

FUJINON XF50-140mmF2.8 R LM OIS WR

At the long end of X Series’ fast zooms, the XF50-140mmF2.8 R LM OIS WR offers buckets of versatility, with a 35mm equivalent focal length of 76-213mm, a fixed maximum aperture of F2.8 and Optical Image Stabilisation. Whether you’re photographing wildlife or picking out details in the city, this telezoom will let you keep working into the evening with ease.

Overcome limitations with Fujifilm

We hope this guide gives you the knowledge you need to begin exploring the world of low-light photography. To discover more about photography equipment and techniques, explore the rest of the content on FUJIFILM Learning Centre.

Find out more about FUJIFILM X Series and GFX System, and shop online today.