The Best Lenses For Landscape Photography

Have you ever been mesmerized by an image of a breathtaking panoramic scene and thought to yourself: “How did someone capture such a spectacular shot? I know I’ve been secretly envious at times. As in any genre of photography, there are tricks of the trade that will help you nail your landscape shots, with choice of lens being fundamental. Here are 5 of the best lenses for landscape photography.

Why Wide Angle Lenses?


Landscape photography comprises wide expansive views of sweeping vistas, extraordinary sunsets, and panoramic sea scapes.  To capture these scenes, you’ll need a wide angle lens that will provide a large field of view, significant depth of field to keep the scene in focus, while capturing the foreground to add dimension. Wide angle lenses also enable close proximity to the scene. There’s nothing more annoying than to have to keep adjusting your distance from the scene in order to capture it in its entirety.

Focal lengths of 35mm or less are considered wide angle on cameras with full-frame sensors. Lenses under 24mm are in the extreme wide angle camp. Anything under 14mm is considered a fisheye lens and will result in visual distortion. Wide angle lens come as both zoom lenses, and prime lens with fixed focal lengths. Here’s the low down on some of the best wide angle lenses out there.


1. Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L Lens


The Canon 16-35mm wide angle lens is a great choice for landscapes, architecture, real estate photography, and panoramic portraiture. It performs well in low-light, has both image stabilization and auto focus for laser sharp, crisp, high-resolution images. With almost prime-like image quality across the entire frame, including the corners, this lens is a must have for any scene that requires wide angle. It has full-time manual focus and adjustment, while in auto focus mode, and delivers remarkable bokeh thanks to the circular 9-blade aperature. The lens is both dust and water-resistant for use in less-than-optimal weather conditions. Features include:

  • Ultra wide angle zoom lens
  • Canon EF Mount / Full frame
  • Focal length 16-35mm
  • Maximum aperature 1:4.0 (constant)
  • L-series optics
  • 4-stop correction for low-light situations
  • Optical Image stabilizer
  • Auto focus and full time manual focus
  • Circular 9-blade aperture for background blur
  • Minimum focusing distance of 0.92 feet / 0.28m
  • Dust and water-resistant with PROTECT filter
  • Filter size: 77mm diameter
  • Compact and lightweight

 

Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L Lens

 

2. Nikon 16-35mm f/4G Lens


Capture brilliantly sharp still images and stunning video with Nikon’s 16-35mm wide angle lens. This highly versatile lens is applicable for use in a wide variety of settings, including situations where the lighting is less than ideal. The lens boasts some of the most advanced technologies Nikon has to offer, including flare reduction, an internal focusing motor, and VR image stabilization to prevent image-blur. By detecting both horizontal and vertical movement, the VR stabilization system offers 2.5 stops for no-shake handheld shooting, meaning a tripod is not an absolute requirement. Features include:

  • Full-frame wide angle zoom lens
  • Nikon F mount for FX and DX DSLRs
  • Focal length 16-35mm
  • Aperture range: f/4 -f/22
  • Autofocus with manual override
  • VR image stabilization
  • Vibration reduction up to 4 stops (VR 11)
  • Ultra-quiet silent wave motor
  • Internal focusing motor AF system
  • Nano crystal coat for reductions in flare and ghosting
  • 2 ED glass elements / 3 aspherical lens elements
  • 9 rounded diaphragm blades

 

 Nikon 16-35mm f/4.0G AF-S ED VR Wide Angle Zoom Lens

 

3. Tamron SP 15-30mm f/2.8 G2 Lens for Canon


The Tamron 15-30mm lens for Canon and Nikon comes with an upgraded Generation 2 auto focus system and improvements in the stabilizer system. The lens provides exceptional image quality, color, and sharpness, a constant f/2.8 aperature, along with a 4.5 stop optical stabilizer, which is outstanding for handheld shots, especially when using slow shutter speeds. The Tamron performs well in low-light, the zoom is ultra-smooth, and the considerable weight of the lens makes it extra sturdy. The sophisticated optics include low-dispersion and aspherical glass elements for improved image saturation and clarity. Features include:

  • Full frame compatibility / ultra wide angle zoom lens
  • Focal length 15-30mm
  • Maximum aperature f/2.8 (constant)
  • Aperature range: f/2.8 to f/22
  • Minimum focus distance: 0.28m
  • VC image stabilization
  • 4.5 stop optical stabilizer
  • G2 (Generation 2) accurate auto focus system
  • Integrated rear filter holder
  • Ultra-smooth zoom
  • Sophisticated optics
  • Coating system to reduce lens flare and ghosting
  • Rounded 9-blade diaphragm enables background blur
  • Moisture and dust-resistant

 

Tamron SP 15-30mm f/2.8 G2 Lens for Canon

 

4. Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG Canon Lens


Part of Sigma’s art line, this 14-24mm ultra wide angle lens for Canon is designed for 50 mega-pixel, and beyond, cameras to deliver high-resolution image quality. The f/2.8 aperature remains constant through the entire zoom range with negligible distortion. The lens boasts an updated hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) for rapid and accurate auto focus. The aspherical lens elements reduce chromatic aberration to provide extraordinarily sharp images. This lens is heavy, but is worth the extra weight if you’re looking for incredible glass that delivers brilliantly detailed images with good contrast and color that pops. It’s also phenomenal for shooting 4K video. Features include:

  • Ultra wide angle zoom lens
  • Canon EF mount / Full frame
  • Maximum aperature f/2.8 (constant)
  • Aperature range: f/2.8 to f/22
  • Minimum focus distance: 10.24″ (26 cm)
  • Splash and dust-proof construction
  • 3FLD and 3SLD glass elements
  • 3 aspherical lens element
  • Angle of view: 114.2 degrees – 84.1 degrees
  • Hyper Sonic Motor for accurate auto focus
  • High-resolution image quality and sharpness
  • Smooth zoom function
  • Ample-sized controls for focus and zoom
  • Outstanding color rendition and clarity

 

Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG Canon Lens

 

5. Sony Vario-Tessar 16-35mm f/4 Lens


The Sony 16-35mm wide angle lens is made for the a7 series of full-frame cameras. It has an f/4 aperature that is constant throughout the entire zoom range, while delivering tack-sharp images courtesy of the Optical SteadyShot image stabilization. The lens provides superb depth of field, gorgeous bokeh, and performs well in low-light. The Zeiss T coating provides impressive, high-contrast image quality right out to the corners, while eliminating flare and internal reflections. Not only is this lens good for landscape photography, shooting interiors, and architecture, it also captures exquisite 4K video. Features include:

  • Sony 16-35mm wide angle zoom lens
  • Sony E mount type
  • Made for a7 series full-frame cameras
  • F/4 maximum aperture (constant)
  • Zeiss T coating for flare and ghosting reduction
  • 3 ED glass elements
  • Optical design: 12 elements in 10 groups
  • Minimum focal distance: 0.92 ft
  • Optical SteadyShot (image stabilization)
  • Silent auto focus
  • Angle of View 83°-44°(APS-C) – 107°-63° (35mm)
  • 72mm filter size
  • Lightweight, compact, and durable
  • Moisture and dust-resistant

Sony Vario-Tessar 16-35mm f/4 Lens

 

Watch the video below to get a feel for what 4K video looks like:

Key Points


Consider getting a wide angle lens if you’re wanting to try your hand at landscape photography. It’s really quite exhilarating when you’re able to capture the elegance and pristine beauty of all that nature has to offer. Wide angle lenses allow you to shoot panoramic vistas with extreme depth of field, while emphasizing the foreground for additional perspective and dimension. The lenses above offer innovative features, such as ultra-smooth zooms, image stabilization, and constant aperatures to produce stunning high-resolution images that are rich in detail and color. If you’ve never experienced the pleasure of photographing with a wide angle lens, you’re definitely in for a treat.

Are you a landscape photographer? What is your favorite lens? Let me know in the comments:)

 

10 thoughts on “The Best Lenses For Landscape Photography”

  1. I really like your content and tutorials! I know some professional photographers who get a lot of joy from what they do. I also know a lady who does it as a hobby and she is always looking to master her technique. I’d gladly refer her to this site seeing how informative it is! I, myself, am a bad photographer – my hands are too shaky. I could still learn a few tricks here though..

    Reply
    • Thank you. Photography can bring a lot of joy and pleasure. It’s a fun hobby and there’s so much to learn and master. I appreciate you visiting my site and for referring your friend:)

      Reply
  2. Many thanks to you for sharing such an excellent article with us. I like photography very much so am always looking for new tips and tricks. I think a good lens is definitely needed for landscape photography. I’ve been looking for this kind of article for a long time so I’m really glad to find it today. 

    All of the lenses you reviewed seem great but the Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG Canon Lens lens is more desirable and more helpful to me. Because I was looking for this lens for a long time but I did not know about the details but I was obliged to buy it, and with the knowledge of your article I will buy soon and my hopefully my pictures will improve. 

    I have seen my friend do photography with her lenses and her images are excellent. I like that the lens has big controls for focus and zoom. It has also has outstanding color presentation. In the future, I would like to take some beautiful picture. Hopefully, I’ll be able to do it. 

    Reply
    • Thanks for reading and for leaving a comment. Photography is a great field to be in. I’m always looking for new tips and tricks, as well. Wide angles lenses make landscape photography a lot more enjoyable. The Sigma 14-24mm is an awesome lens, you could never go wrong buying it. The right lens really can make all the difference:)

      Reply
  3. To be honest, I don’t know anything about photography or the different lenses that photographers use. Your post on wide angle lenses made me understand how important having the right lens can be for photographing landscapes. Now I better understand how the beautiful pictures I’ve seen are taken.  I bookmarked this blog post. I believe that I will need it in the future. 

    Finally, thank you for sharing this post.

    Reply
  4. For landscape photography, the right equipment can be of immense importance, especially sourcing the right lens. Choosing a good camera and photo gear for photography can be challenging unless you know what is required. Thanks for the great article on wide angle lenses. I learned something new and if I ever get into landscape photography, I’ll know what to look for. 

    Reply
    • Yes, having a wide angle lens will make all the difference when shooting landscapes. Camera gear isn’t cheap so it’s important to know what equipment will best serve you before purchasing. Thanks for reading my article on landscape photography. 

      Reply
  5. Holl,

    This is a great article about camera lenses and which are the best. Your landscape photograph looks like it could be of the alps and a small Bavarian Village. It’s very beautiful.  Although I know nothing about cameras or lenses, I thought your article was exceptional. My two niece’s are both photographers and teach photography and art history in secondary schools here in the US. That really is my only exposure to photography. They both do wonderful work as I’m sure you do as well.

    Best of luck to you!

    Barbara

    Reply

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