The landscape lens rodeo roundup. Yeehaw!
Welcome back to another edition of the do-it-yourself/buy-it-yourself blog series. A lot of our workshop and tour students are still using the lenses that came with their cameras (the kit lenses) and have asked us what lenses they should be upgrading to in order to take their photography to the next level.
What you need to know
As of the last 10 years, every camera or lens you buy is very high in quality, and can take great images in the right hands. Buying a more expensive camera or lens will not make you a better photographer. Your purchases should be towards equipment that can do things that your existing equipment cannot, rather than upgrading towards something “better” for the sake of it.
The capabilities of your next lens boil down to two things: Focal length and maximum aperture. Other factors such as sharpness, distortion, and more nitty gritty things are so well-controlled across all modern lenses that we would argue they’re not worth worrying about, while focal length and maximum aperture have no substitute.
The focal length is the first number, or range of numbers, in millimeters, that identifies the purpose of a lens. It represents how wide or narrow the perspective of a lens is - a wide lens is best for landscapes, whereas a telephoto lens is better for portraits, wildlife, or sports. A wide angle lens would have a low number like 16mm, while a telephoto lens would be 100mm or more. A mid-range focal length like 50mm would be considered “normal”, because it is neither wide nor telephoto.
A “prime” or “fixed” lens has only one focal length, such as 14mm, or 105mm. A zoom lens contains a range of focal lengths, such as 18-55mm, or 24-70mm.
The maximum aperture is the next number that identifies a lens, and represents how wide the aperture of the lens can open to let in more light. A lens that has a lower maximum aperture number can open wider, and is therefore better for low-light situations. For instance, a “14-24mm f/2.8” is a wide angle zoom lens that can open up to f/2.8 at it’s largest aperture, and is ideal for landscape photography, including low-light and night situations. An “85mm f/1.8” is a prime telephoto lens with a very large aperture suited for portraiture. Generally, lenses with larger maximum apertures are bigger, heavier, and more expensive.
Don’t be enamored by a zoom lens that has a wide range of focal lengths, such as 24-270mm, and claims to “do it all.” That might be the one situation where you end up a bit disappointed by a noticeable lack of sharpness. Lenses that are specialized tend to perform better than those that try to cover too much ground.
Lenses are made for two types of camera bodies: Full-frame (35mm sensor size) cameras, and crop-sensor cameras (smaller sensor sizes). The focal length numbers represent different fields of view depending on what sensor size you are using.
Choose your lens based on the shots you intend to make and the type of camera body you have. A lot has changed in the world of photography in the last few years, and nearly every photographer has turned to mirrorless over DSLRs. This guide is specifically geared towards the mirrorless models of today’s leading camera brands.
Ultra-wide angle lenses for landscape photography
For crop sensor mirrorless cameras:
Nikon Z DX 12-28mm f/4.5-5.6
This is a very affordable lens for Nikon users looking for something wider than the kit zoom lens for doing true landscape photography, and it has image stabilization! The aperture is not particularly bright, so it may not be the best for night photography. But you can’t expect too much for a price tag around $350.
Canon RF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-6.3
This is Canon’s entry into the ultra-wide, ultra-affordable category. Similar to the Nikon lens, it offers image stabilization, but also has smooth and quiet focusing for video shooting, if you aspire to do some of that. Like the Nikon lens, it doesn’t have a very bright maximum aperture at any of its focal lengths, so don’t expect great low-light performance.
Sony PZ 10-20mm f/4
This one is definitely not as affordable for a crop sensor wide angle lens, but it is a versatile option for both still photos and videos, with smooth silent focusing, has a brighter aperture than most lenses in this category and is extremely lightweight. You’ll also get image stabilization when used with new Sony bodies that have it built-in.
Fujifilm XF 10-24mm f/4
This one may give you a bit of sticker shock compared to the Nikon and Canon offerings, but the latest version of this lens adds weather resistance. And like all of the lenses in the Fujifilm lineup, it is built to last, feeling much more solid in the hands than other crop sensor lenses. Paired with an X-series body, your shots will fool people into thinking you used a full-frame camera.
For full frame mirrorless cameras:
Nikon Z 14-24mm f/2.8
This lens is the newer mirrorless version of the Nikkor DSLR lens that has been around forever, virtually unchanged. With updated optics and weather sealing, and a slimmer, lighter design, this new workhorse will be a favorite of Nikon landscape shooters well into the next decade at least. Like its predecessor, it doesn’t natively accept screw-on filters, but you can purchase a lens hood that allows you to use 112mm (i.e. very large and very expensive) filters.
Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8 L
This is Canon’s version of the wide angle mirrorless workhorse. A successor to the 16-35mm f/2.8 DSLR lens, it somehow manages to squeeze in an extra millimeter of focal length on the wide end, and yet still retains the ability, amazingly, to use screw on filters. The constant f/2.8 aperture makes it bright enough for night sky photography, and it has the trademark sturdy build and weather sealing of all the L series lenses (you pay a lot for that little red line around the barrel). If you’re a landscape photographer, you may never have to worry about changing lenses, because this one does it all.
Sony 16-35mm f/2.8
One thing I can say about Sony lenses is that they are very good, but very expensive! At $2300 retail, this ultra-wide is a financial stretch for any photographer. But the quality is certainly there. If you get into the Sony E-mount system, be aware you’ll be spending more money to buy native system lenses than your Nikon and Canon friends. This lens can also take screw-on filters.
Stay tuned for more of our “Lens Roundup” blogs where we’ll talk about Midrange zooms, Telephoto lenses, and more!