Taking great landscape shots is a skill that many photographers want to posses. Getting good at landscape photography requires a lot of practice, a good photographic ‘eye’, and of course the right equipment.

If you’re serious about landscape photography, getting a suitable lens is definitely a smart idea. Not sure what lens you need? In this overview we will help you find the best lens for landscape photography (for Canon and Nikon DSLR cameras).

	Camera Type	Focal Range	Max. Aperture	Price	Rating
Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM	Canon Full Frame	16-35 mm	f/2.8	$$$$	Read Review
Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM	Canon APS-C	15-85 mm	f/3.5-5.6	$$	Read Review
Nikon 12-24mm f/4G ED IF AF-S DX Nikkor Zoom Lens	Nikon DX	12-24 mm	f/4	$$$	Read Review
Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G ED AF-S Nikkor Wide Angle Zoom Lens	Nikon Full Frame	14-24 mm	f/2.8	$$$$	Read Review

Landscape Photography lenses: some things to consider

Focal length

To ensure that you get the best lens for landscape photography, the most important feature to consider is the focal length. When taking landscape photos you will be using nature as your subject, which means you want to fit as much into the frame as you can. Therefore you would want a wide angle lens. Focal lengths between the ranges of 15 – 35mm are commonly used in landscape photography, but that is just a general rule and many landscape photos have been taken with shorter and longer focal lengths.

Prime vs. Wide Angle Zoom

The difference between a prime and a wide angle zoom lens is another consideration you have to taken into account. A prime lens offers great image quality at the fraction of the price of a good zoom lens. However, you are stuck with only one focal length and this could be a very big problem when doing landscape photography (eg. You can’t walk closer to zoom in when you are on the edge of a cliff). On the other side, a wide angle zoom lens offers greater versatility, but will cost a considerable amount more.

Different Lenses For Different Sensors 

Not all DSLRs are created equal. Professional-grade DSLRs such as the Canon 5D and Nikon D3 have a full-frame sensor, which means the sensor can capture images at the size of the traditional 35mm film format. In contrast, cheaper DSLRs come with a crop sensor which are significantly smaller than full-frame sensors. For Canon the crop sensor is named the APS-C format and for Nikon it’s called the DX format.

The sensor size also affects how your lens will behave. The focal length listed on your lenses is the 35mm equivalent or the full-frame length. When a lens is used on a crop sensor, the image becomes “cropped” and the focal length technically becomes longer. For example a 35mm focal length on a crop sensor will become equivalent to a ~52mm focal length.

To make matters more confusing, there are crop sensor specific lenses designed to be used on crop sensor cameras. The easiest way to spot these for Nikon and Canon lenses is the naming. Any lens with a EF-S or DX in the name means the lens is designed specifically for crop sensor cameras. Make sure to always check your camera and lens specifications through your manual or official website specifications.

Best Lens For Landscape Photography: Canon and Nikon Overview

Now that you know what to look for in a landscape photography lens and the difference between a full-frame and crop sensor, here are our picks for best lens for landscape photography.

Best Landscape lens for Canon Full Frame DSLRs 

The Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L is a fantastic wide angle zoom lens from Canon’s signature L-series. Many consider the Canon EF 16-35mm as the best wide angle zoom lens in Canon’s catalog. This lens is a favorite among professional photojournalists, outdoors and sports photographers. Its winning combination of fast lens speed and exceptional image quality cements its status as a staple of any professional photographer’s lens collection. The Canon EF 16-35mm covers a very specific niche focal length range and its build quality outclasses the other Canon lenses in this particular range. The focal length range and exceptional image quality leave very little else to be desired.

As a professional-grade lens it is built extremely tough which makes it perfect for outdoor landscape photography. It should be able to withstand mild bumps and work through rugged conditions without any problems. The Canon EF 16-35mm’s revered toughness is one of the main reasons why it is used by many professionals. So if you intend to hike or take photos in rough conditions, this lens will serve you well.

The constant f/2.8 at all focal lengths gives you great creative control over your images. Canon’s EF 16-35mm is optically and practically amazing, and can be considered as the best lens for landscape photography for a Canon system. The only slight issue with this lens is the softness around corners when used wide-open.

Best Landscape lens for Canon APS-C (Crop Sensor) DSLRs:

The Canon EF-S 15-85mm is a lens built specifically for the APS-C (crop sensor) Canon SLR cameras. This zoom lens covers a wide focal length making it a great general use lens that also works well for landscape photography. The inclusion of image stabilization makes this lens a great “walk-around” lens, since it helps to eliminate camera shake.

With a focal length that covers wide and telephoto ranges, the Canon EF-S 15-85mm is a worthwhile upgrade to the standard zoom kit lenses that Canon supply. Many users cite the impressive build quality and the additional of instant manual focus override gives a feeling of high quality craftsmanship. This lens will produce nice landscape photos when used at its shorter focal lengths, but also provides a lot of versatility with its wide focal length range.

Best Landscape Lens for Nikon Full Frame DSLRs:

The Nikon 14-24mm is an award-winning professional lens. It is an ultra-wide angle lens intended for use with with Nikon’s full frame SLR cameras (such as the Nikon D3 and D700). This lens set the standard for professional ultra-wide lenses upon its release in 2007 and is still praised for its sharpness when used wide-open. 

The only downsides to this lens is the niche focal length range, which can work very well for landscape photography but would be hard to use as a general purpose lens. And its hefty weight and price tag may deter some buyers. Another thing to note about this lens is that it can’t take filters, which means you can’t protect it with a UV filter or get creative with a ND filter. However the Nikon 14-24mm does offer amazing image quality and a very unique angle of view.

Best Landscape Lens for Nikon DX (Crop Sensor) DSLRs:

Nikon’s 12-24mm DX lens is wide angle zoom lens made for the Nikon DX format cameras. This lens can be considered a “semi-pro” lens and is built very well. The Nikon 12-24mm performs brilliantly and offers incredible value for money. It is the best zoom DX lens within its focal length range and when paired with a medium zoom lens it forms a robust Nikon photography system.

Being a wide angle zoom lens, the Nikon 12-24mm will be a great landscape photography lens. Also, since the lens is going to be used on a crop sensor, it can still be useful for everyday shooting as the 35mm focal length equivalent is 18-36mm.

Further reading

Check out these websites for some expert landscape photography tips:

• National Geographic
• Digital Camera World