7 top tips for low-light photography

Dawn and twilight are magical times. These are the moments when festivals come alive, the mood of a city shifts gear and photographic opportunities abound. But capturing details when light is scarce can be challenging – especially if you're using the camera on your smartphone.

In low light situations, the creative modes of a mirrorless or advanced compact camera will help you get the sharp, detailed shots you couldn't easily achieve otherwise. Here are some top tips for taking stunning photos in low light.

If you have a camera with manual settings, you can control its aperture using Aperture Priority (Av) mode. The aperture setting simply tells your camera how much light to allow in. In low-light conditions, you need to let in as much light as possible to get a good exposure and capture the detail in the scene. To do this, use a wide aperture (low f-number). If your shot is still underexposed (too dark), using a slower shutter speed will also let in more light by increasing the exposure time, but at the risk of blurring – see the section below on keeping your images sharp.

The aperture setting affects more than just the exposure, though. A wide aperture also results in a shallow depth of field – that is, at a low f-number, only a narrow slice of the scene will be in sharp focus. This might be ideal if you're shooting pre-dawn portraits and want a pleasingly-blurred background, but if you want to capture the special nuances of a cityscape at dusk, for example, then using a narrower aperture (higher f-number) would produce greater depth of field, so that more of the scene will be in focus. For a good exposure, you would then need to try using a slower shutter speed.

Naturally, some lenses have a wider or 'faster' aperture than others. Excellent compact options for EOS R System mirrorless cameras include the Canon RF 24mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM and the RF 16mm F2.8 STM for wide-angle shots of night-time cityscapes and other low-light scenes. The Canon RF 50mm F1.8 STM gives a more standard perspective (similar to the human eye) and is ideal for candid street photography scenes shot at night, while the RF 28-70mm F2.8 IS STM provides versatility as a standard zoom for various low-light situations.

If you've used a wide aperture setting but feel the brightness of your image is still lacking, try raising your camera's ISO setting. This increases the sensor's sensitivity to light, and it's useful when shooting at night without a flash. The higher the ISO number, the higher the sensitivity. Canon's mirrorless and advanced compact cameras have larger sensors, so they produce better high-ISO photos than cameras with smaller sensors, such as smartphone cameras.

The full-frame CMOS sensors in mirrorless Canon cameras such as the EOS R8 and EOS R6 Mark II enable them to deliver exceptional high-ISO quality with little or no discernible image noise or grain. The sensors in Canon's APS-C cameras – including the EOS R7, EOS R10 and EOS R50 – are slightly smaller, but still deliver detailed yet low-noise image quality even at very high ISO settings, making the cameras ideal for handheld shooting at night.

When shooting handheld in low light, you may find you end up with blurred results. This usually happens if you have used a longer exposure time (slower shutter speed) to capture more light. Here is another benefit of using a wider aperture: the more light that enters your lens, the faster the shutter speed you can use. This is important because faster shutter speeds freeze motion – and the faster the motion you want to capture, the faster your shutter speed will need to be to avoid motion blur. In good light, reasonably still subjects can generally be captured using a shutter speed around 1/50 sec, walking subjects require a little faster at around 1/250 sec, and faster action can benefit from 1/1000 sec or faster speeds. In low light conditions, faster shutter speeds will be needed.

Night Scene mode in cameras such as the EOS R50 will help you take handheld pictures in low light and at night by capturing several shots and combining them for bright and blur-free results.

On top of the subject movement, camera shake has to be taken into account – and the longer the focal length, the more difficult it is to avoid camera shake when you're shooting handheld. A general rule of thumb is to start with an aperture setting reciprocal of the focal length – so with a 50mm lens, use at least 1/50 sec or faster; with a 600mm lens, use 1/600 sec, and so on. Using a lens with optical image stabilisation (IS) makes it possible to use slower shutter speeds and still achieve the same sharpness.

Some Canon EOS R System cameras – including the EOS R7 and the EOS R6 Mark II – have an in-body image stabilisation (IBIS) system that works in conjunction with IS-equipped lenses for ultra-sharp long exposures while shooting handheld. You can also use your environment to reduce camera movement: try leaning against a wall or placing your camera on a solid surface. If you have one, use a tripod, as this will give you maximum flexibility.

The Auto white balance setting of Canon cameras delivers consistently accurate results when shooting in daylight and maintains good performance during low-light photography. However, you can add stylistic flair to your low-light images by using alternative preset white balance settings to create a particular mood.

For shooting under city lights at twilight, for example, the Tungsten white balance setting tends to give artificially lit areas a more neutral colour temperature, as well as boosting the deep blue of overhead skies. Alternatively, if you want to emphasise the warmth of artificial lighting, try switching to the Daylight white balance setting.

All Canon EOS R System cameras can shoot in RAW file format. Select this, and you can change or fine-tune the white balance setting when post-processing your images using your preferred RAW processing software, including Canon's powerful, free Digital Photo Professional.

You can add dynamism to night shots by creating light trails, using anything from the tail lights of moving vehicles to neon-lit fairground attractions. You need a long exposure if you want to get the movement of light through your photograph, meaning shutter speeds of a few seconds or more with the camera on a tripod or secure surface. Experiment with different timed exposures. Use the camera's self-timer or remote capture feature to ensure you don't shake the camera when pressing the shutter. All Canon EOS R System cameras are equipped with Wi-Fi, enabling you to change settings and trigger the shutter from your smartphone using the Canon Camera Connect app.

Continuous shooting mode (also known as burst mode on some cameras) will capture a fast sequence of images in a few fractions of a second. It's useful for shooting a moving subject or capturing a split-second of action. So, if your camera has it, turn it on and give it a go – it will increase your chances of getting the superb low-light action shot you're looking for.

Canon EOS R6 Mark II

A picture-perfect full-frame mirrorless camera for low-light photography

• Highly effective in-body image stabilisation (IBIS)
• Class-leading autofocus system works in almost total darkness
• Impressive image quality at high ISO settings

Canon EOS R8

A powerful, budget-friendly mirrorless camera with a full-frame sensor

• Full-frame image sensor for stunning low-light quality
• Advanced low-light autofocus performance

Canon EOS R50

A lightweight mirrorless camera perfect for rising content creators

• Compact mirrorless camera with impressive low-light capabilities
• APS-C sensor with high ISO range, perfect for entry-level photographers and vloggers

Canon EOS R10

A versatile APS-C mirrorless camera

• Offers creative control with a compact design for low-light street photography
• Excellent image quality with advanced autofocus

Canon PowerShot SX740 HS LITE EDITION

Small and sleek, yet powerful

• Featuring huge 40x optical zoom and amazing 4K movie resolution
• Small yet high-quality 20.3MP CMOS sensor
• DIGIC 8 image processor for capturing high-definition photos
• A wealth of night shooting modes including Handheld Night Scene

Canon PowerShot V10

Compact vlogging camera with low-light features

• Designed for vloggers, with a built-in stand for stability in dim environments
• Captures bright, stable footage in low-light settings

Written by Matthew Richards and John Marshall