Landscape photography is all about capturing the vast beauty of nature, from expansive vistas to colorful skies. Choosing the right lens can make a significant difference in how you capture these breathtaking scenes.
Coming to you from Pat Kay, this helpful video dives into selecting the best lenses for landscape photography. It emphasizes that your lens choice greatly impacts the creative looks you can achieve. For instance, the 16-35mm focal range is a staple in landscape photography. This range allows you to capture wide, expansive scenes, making it easier to convey the scale and grandeur of a location. Kay shares an example from the Dolomites in Italy, where he used a 16mm lens to capture the immense rock formations and vast landscapes, demonstrating the lens' ability to encompass wide scenes effectively.
Kay also highlights the importance of having a versatile zoom lens. The 16-35mm lens offers flexibility, allowing you to adjust your composition without physically moving. This is especially useful in situations where movement is restricted, like on a boat or in a confined space. The ability to zoom in and out helps you capture different perspectives and details without changing your position. This versatility is a significant advantage for landscape photographers who often face varying conditions and limitations in the field.
Another key point discussed is the choice between f/2.8 and f/4 lenses. Both options have their pros and cons. The f/2.8 lenses are usually considered pro-level, offering wider apertures, better low-light performance, and more features like weather-sealing and customizable buttons. However, they are also heavier and more expensive. On the other hand, f/4 lenses are more affordable, lighter, and still provide excellent image quality. In landscape photography, where subjects are often far away, large apertures like f/2.8 might not be necessary. Instead, using an aperture where the lens is sharpest, often around f/5.6, can yield the best results. For many photographers, the f/4 versions offer a perfect balance between performance and cost, making them a practical choice for those who don't need the extra stop of light.
Kay also explains the benefits of telephoto lenses like the 70-200mm for landscape photography. While it might not be the first lens you think of for landscapes, it allows you to capture distant details and compress the scene, creating a different perspective. This can be particularly useful when you can’t get close to your subject. For example, during a trip to Antarctica, Kay used a 70-200mm lens to photograph distant landscapes and wildlife, demonstrating the lens's ability to capture detailed shots from afar. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Kay.
And if you really want to dive into landscape photography, check out our latest tutorial, "Photographing the World: Japan With Elia Locardi!"
I've traveled with a few great landscape photographers and it's always funny to me how they chase the highest quality gear when rarely does that gear 1) get used near the settings that make it much more expensive and 2) determine the beauty of the final image.
What I mean is that most landscape photographers shoot at f/8.0 which is an aperture that even the cheaper lenses excel. Yes it might be a tad bit sharper but the real reason the 2.8 lens is 2-3x more expensive is because of the 2.8 aperture.
Second, when it comes to great landscape photography, the subject matter, hiking location, composition, and of course weather and lighting are what make 95% of an awe inspiring image (post production helps too). A lens would have to be pretty dang bad for all of those things to fall in line and the image wind up less beautiful. With all the sharpening tricks these days, I don't think it makes any sense losing sleep over having an f/4.0 lens vs an f/2.8 lens.
The counter argument that I myself fall into is that it's best to buy the 2.8 lens once and have the most flexibility at all times especially when shooting other genres, and also it's nice having the more expensive lens when trying something experimental like astrophotography or a shallower depth of field image.
16-35/2.8 , 24-105/4.0, 100-400 and 2x teleconverter.... All you'll ever need on camera with 40+ megapixels for landscapes