LANDSCAPE

The best Canon lenses for landscape photography

Landscape photographers Valtteri Hirvonen and Radomir Jakubowski share their favourite lenses for shooting stunning scenery, with options for all budgets, focal lengths and technical capabilities.
Fluffy clouds and a rocky mountain range, frozen in places, are bathed in an orange glow emanating from the setting sun in the distance.

Nature photographer Radomir Jakubowski uses a range of Canon lenses for landscape photography, including the ultra-wide-angle Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS USM. "It's one of the best lenses I've used for sun stars," he says. "When you're shooting into the sun, it's incredible how well it corrects lens flare." Taken on a Canon EOS R5 with a Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS USM lens at 15mm, 1/8 sec, f/16 and ISO100. © Radomir Jakubowski

Landscape photography can place you in some unforgiving climates – just ask wilderness photographer and Canon Ambassador Valtteri Hirvonen who regularly shoots in conditions as low as -35°C from his base in northern Finland. "The camera and lenses are tools for me, and I don't baby them, so weatherproofing is important," he says. "The most epic moments happen when the weather isn't perfect – quite the opposite. When there is a storm, when everyone else stays home, that's when the magical moments happen in nature. I want my gear to work in those situations." Radomir Jakubowski is a nature photographer and fellow Canon Ambassador who firmly agrees with Valtteri. "There is nothing more boring than blue sky – I love storms, I love the rain, I love light that changes before your eyes," he says.

When Valtteri switched from his beloved Canon EOS 5D Mark IV and L-series EF lenses to the Canon EOS R5 with L-series RF lenses, he discovered new degrees of freedom in his landscape photography. "I can shoot handheld for one-second exposures and it's sharp – it's amazing. I like how a tripod slows you down, but shooting handheld gives you more freedom to move faster."

While build quality is unparalleled in both Canon's DSLR and mirrorless systems, the evolution from DSLR to mirrorless has come with many benefits. "With RF lenses, you can expect anything from better image quality, closer focusing, less focus breathing (which is ideal for focus stacking), enhanced image stabilisation (IS), plus a quicker autofocus motor," says Mike Burnhill, Canon Europe's Senior Product Specialist.

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Valtteri's go-to lens for landscape photography is the Canon RF 24-70mm F2.8L IS USM, but each of the lenses he owns brings something unique to the table, opening up fresh creative options. Here, Valtteri and Radomir talk us through the contents of their lens kitbags, ranging from wide-angle lenses for capturing a broad field of view to telephoto lenses for isolating small details from a distance. Meanwhile, Mike, an expert on lens technology, explains why these lenses are particularly suited to the landscape genre.

You can explore the full range of Canon lenses using the Canon lens selector, which will help you find the perfect match for your EOS camera and your preferred genre of photography.

Beams of sunlight illuminate a still body of water. In the background the silhouette of a small island can be seen.

The In-body Image Stabilisation (IBIS) in the Canon EOS R5 works in conjunction with the 5-stops of optical IS in the RF 24-70mm F2.8L IS USM lens to counter different types of camera shake, enabling Valtteri to shoot blur-free images handheld. "I can work in new ways, and I don't have to worry about sharpness so much," he says. Taken on a Canon EOS R5 with a Canon RF 24-70mm F2.8L IS USM lens at 70mm, 1/8000 sec, f/4.5 and ISO100. © Valtteri Hirvonen

A blue and white vehicle passes in front of hills covered in buildings and fields, with trees and mountains in the background.

The affordable Canon RF 24-240mm F4-6.3 IS USM is a flexible lens that's perfect for travel photography, enabling you to cover landscapes, portraits and even wildlife photography using a single zoom. Taken on a Canon EOS RP with a Canon RF 24-240mm F4-6.3 IS USM lens at 129mm, 1/800 sec, f/8 and ISO400.

1. Best all-round landscape lenses: Canon RF 24-70mm F2.8L IS USM & Canon RF 24-240mm F4-6.3 IS USM

"The Canon RF 24-70mm F2.8L IS USM is a great all-round lens. If you have it, you can survive pretty much any situation. I always have this lens with me and 80% of the time it's the only lens that I use," says Valtteri. "At my favourite focal length of 50mm, I see no quality difference compared with my prime lens – from the centre of the picture to the edges – and f/2.8 is fast enough for most situations. A major bonus is that the RF version of the lens features stabilisation, whereas the EF version does not, yet it remains a similar size and weight."

For photographers using the EF mount, Mike recommends the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens. "This is a fantastic all-round lens with a very high reputation for its performance – it's regarded as one of the best of its kind from any manufacturer. The fast f/2.8 aperture makes it good for shooting in low light, and using the wide aperture also allows you to separate a subject from the background using differential focus. As it's an L-series lens, the weather-proofing is excellent. You can be confident that if you're working outdoors and the weather changes for the worse, it will work equally well.

"When designing the RF equivalent, our challenge was to build on the reputation of the EF lens and create an even better RF version for the next decade," continues Mike. "We had to push those boundaries even further."

The Canon RF 24-240mm F4-6.3 IS USM is another flexible and affordable choice for landscape photographers. Its 10x zoom enables you to capture everything from wide-angle vistas to long-distance details in the landscape.

"It's a great option when you're doing a lot of travelling," says Mike. "It does everything, so you can also shoot portraits or wildlife in between landscapes. Attach it to a Canon EOS R8 and you're fully equipped with a lightweight setup covering all of the most popular focal lengths."

A Canon RF 24-240mm F4-6.3 IS USM lens.

Canon RF 24-240mm F4-6.3 IS USM

Versatile and portable, this 10x zoom lens for the EOS R System weighs just 750g, and is ideal if you only want to carry one lens with you.
A large bird with its wings outstretched is silhouetted against a cloud-strewn sky.

"You have to think more about depth of field with a telephoto lens," explains Valtteri. "What do you want in focus? Do you need to stop down more? You have to make those decisions when shooting. I usually start with the aperture open and then stop down until it suits the situation." Taken on a Canon EOS R5 with a Canon RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS USM lens at 124mm, 1/640 sec, f/4.5 and ISO320. © Valtteri Hirvonen

Waves lap gently at two rock formations against a burnt orange sky.

This dramatic image of a burnt orange sky was taken during the golden hour – 11pm on a summer's night in Finland. Taken on a Canon EOS R5 with a Canon RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS USM lens at 200mm, 1/2000 sec, f/2.8 and ISO100. © Valtteri Hirvonen

2. Best lens for landscapes with scale: Canon RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS USM

Telephoto lenses can create new, dramatic ways of capturing a landscape: isolating subjects against a blurred background. This technique comes naturally to Valtteri. "When I'm in my familiar home country, I often reach for a telephoto lens," he says. "Because it's often about discovering new details that interest you within a common scene that you've seen many times."

The RF lens mount has allowed a total redesign of the Canon RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS USM lens. "It's around 35% shorter and also lighter at only 1.07kg. In fact, the trinity of RF f/2.8 lenses take up less space than two EF equivalents in the kitbag," says Mike. "You've got Dual Nano focusing, so focusing is even faster and can compensate for focus breathing. Image quality is maintained as the lens goes through the zoom range, there's closer focusing at 0.7m and the same degree of weather sealing as the EF version. Basically, the 70-200mm is the multi-function workhouse for any professional photographer, whatever the genre."

A Canon RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS USM lens.

Canon RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS USM

This high-performance f/2.8 telephoto zoom is the third in the Canon trinity of essential RF lenses offering exceptional image quality in a compact body, designed to work in all conditions.

Mike also suggests the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS III USM lens as an excellent medium-telephoto zoom choice for DSLR shooters. "Most landscape photographers will shoot using a tripod, but if you need to shoot handheld in the field, this lens has a 3.5-stop Image Stabilizer that helps keep pictures sharp," Mike explains. "As in other L-series lenses, the autofocus is powered by a ring-type USM motor that sits around the lens and drives the focusing very quickly. If you want to, you can manually override the autofocus instantly by touching the focusing ring. The lens has a fluorite coating that keeps it clean. If it rains, the water just runs off, without drying and forming hard droplets that affect the image quality."

A small bird perches on a branch surrounded by green foliage. Some of the leaves are in focus, while the rest of the background is blurred.

A super-telephoto lens, such as the Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1L IS USM or its EF equivalent, the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM, enables you to focus on details within a landscape, such as this tiny bird perched on a branch. Taken on a Canon EOS R5 with a Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1L IS USM lens at 500mm, 1/1250 sec, f/7.1 and ISO5000. © Robert Marc Lehmann

3. Best long landscape lens: Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1L IS USM

"Telephoto lenses are not always the most obvious choice for landscapes," says Mike, "but they allow you to change how you view the scene. The Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1L IS USM lens, especially, enables you to get a perspective of an object that is impossible from other angles. It gives you the ability to compress a landscape like a range of hills, or isolate objects on the horizon – it's not always about big panoramic views."

"With a telephoto lens, you can find interesting compositions even in dull landscapes," adds Valtteri. "Finding little details, playing with light in the scene and focusing only on that. It's much harder to do that with a wide angle. Plus, it's much easier to include wildlife in the scene too."

With a similar functionality to the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens, which Mike suggests for EF mount users looking for a super-telephoto landscape lens, the Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1L IS USM also has a Zoom Touch Adjustment ring, while also offering quicker Nano USM focusing and an extra stop of stabilization when used with a camera such as the Canon EOS R5 or EOS R6 Mark II. "Here you have a lens that is the same size as the EF 100-400mm lens and a little lighter, yet offers more focal reach," says Mike. "When you're shooting with the EOS R5, it is possible to get sharp handheld images with shutter speeds as slow as 1/8 sec at the 500mm focal length.

A Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1L IS USM lens.

Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1L IS USM

With 5-stop image stabilisation and L-series build quality, this lens offers performance and image quality like no other thanks to UD lens elements and ASC coatings for unrivalled contrast and sharpness.

"Many people would think of this focal range only for sports action and wildlife, but it's also great for landscapes," Mike continues. "It's about looking at landscapes in a different way, isolating areas or details such as groups of trees. One nice feature is the Zoom Touch Adjustment ring, which enables you to adjust tensioning for the zoom, according to the subject you're shooting. It also stops the focal length changing by accident if you tip the lens up or down."

A bright blue sky above a still, deep blue sea, with a thin strip of land between them and some brightly coloured boats moored against a harbour wall.

As well as being equipped with a customisable control ring, the ultra-wide-angle Canon RF 10-20MM F4L IS STM has a custom Lens Function Button. “You can assign various functions to it, such as swapping AF modes,” Mike points out. “You could even use it to hold the focus. Having another button that you can use without having to take your eye from the viewfinder just gives that extra controllability.” Taken on a Canon EOS R5 with a Canon RF 10-20MM F4L IS STM lens at 10mm, 1/2000 sec, f/11 and ISO 1000.

4. Best ultra-wide-angle landscape lens: Canon RF 10-20MM F4L IS STM

Ultra-wide lenses are capable of swallowing vast views in a single frame, but the Canon RF 10-20MM F4L IS STM breaks new ground in this regard. "It's the first of its kind in many respects," Mike says. "It's the widest full-frame lens with a fixed aperture, and also the widest full-frame with autofocus and IS too."

The Canon RF 10-20MM F4L IS STM is an RF interpretation of the classic EF 11-24mm f/4L USM. But thanks to the design of the RF mount, the lens is half the weight of its EF equivalent.

"Mirrorless cameras have given us the opportunity to go back to the drawing board and create a simpler design," Mike explains. "With the Canon RF 10-20MM F4L IS STM there's only a single-element focusing group, which means it's the first L-series lens that we've been able to put an STM focusing motor into. STMs aren't as powerful as USMs, which is why they've not been used in L-series lenses, which typically have large focusing groups. But STMs are more compact and much quieter, so they're excellent for video work.

"The STM has been updated from the standard STMs we use in the consumer lenses, and it offers full-time manual focusing override as well."

A Canon RF 10-20MM F4L IS STM lens.

RF 10-20MM F4L IS STM

This ultra-wide-angle zoom lens shows you more of the landscape than ever before, as well as enabling you to capture shots when space or access is limited, and use perspective to create unique images.

In another first, the Canon RF 10-20MM F4L IS STM introduces a new type of Image Stabilizer that's built especially for wide-angle lenses. "When a wide-angle is used with a camera that has IBIS, the corners of the image can sometimes appear to wobble," Mike says. "That's caused by perspective shift rather than the stabilisation, and while it's most visible in video, it can also lead to blurred corners in still images.

"The new Peripheral Correction Image Stabilization system developed for ultra-wide-angle lenses combines the IS systems in the camera and the lens to reduce that," says Mike. "The Canon RF 10-20MM F4L IS STM gives you 5-stops of IS on a normal camera body or 6-stops on a camera with IBIS, but that is now practically across the entire frame rather than just in the centre. So, you get crisp, clear video and sharp stills from edge to edge."

As the sun sets on the horizon, a man jumps from one large rock to another. His reflection can be seen in the still water between the rocks.

The Canon RF 14-35mm F4L IS USM lens pushed Valtteri out of his comfort zone, challenging him to find new angles he wouldn't necessarily have attempted before. "I couldn't have got this shot with any other type of lens," he says. "The angle of view makes the pond look huge and the person was only about a metre away. I shot towards the low sun which gave a golden reflection." Taken on a Canon EOS R5 with a Canon RF 14-35mm F4L IS USM lens at 14mm, 1/3200 sec, f/4 and ISO320. © Valtteri Hirvonen

5. Best wide-angle landscape lenses: Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS USM & Canon RF 14-35mm F4L IS USM

A flagship lens that epitomises the hardiness and technical prowess of Canon's RF range, the Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS USM has become a must-have for wildlife and landscape photographers. "If you need a fast aperture for shooting nightscapes, the Northern Lights, stars and so on, you have to go for the RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS USM," says Radomir.

For Mike, this lens is the obvious high-performance choice. "This is our best performer in the RF range," he explains. "Overall, it's the sharpest edge-to-edge and it has the least distortion. It's got 5-stops of IS, it's fully weather-sealed and the faster aperture allows the user to reduce the shutter speed and ISO to capture astral landscapes without the Earth's rotation blurring the stars."

The RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS USM also boasts in-built focus breathing compensation, a video function that allows a shift in focus without magnification. This tech benefits stills photographs too, meaning you can make use of a shallower depth of field and still retain edge-to-edge sharpness by taking several shots and combining them in-camera.

"Landscapes need to be sharp, so it's easy to assume everything needs to be at f/22 when you start out," explains Mike. "But with this lens and a body such as the Canon EOS R10, EOS R7 or EOS R3 (with the firmware update) you can do focus bracketing and stacking in-camera."

RF 15-35mm F2.8 L IS USM

Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS USM

Ultra-wide and super sharp thanks to L-series optical quality and 5-stop IS for dynamic angles even in tight spaces.

More compact than the Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS USM, or the equivalent EF lens, the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III USM, the Canon RF 14-35mm F4L IS USM lens also provides a wider angle of view, albeit with one less stop of light. "It's nice to throw a wide-angle lens on the camera, as it challenges you to find interesting angles, such as reflections in the sea," says Valtteri. "Of course, there are also situations where it's necessary, such as shooting in tight spaces."

Mike adds: "The selling point of the Canon RF 14-35mm F4L IS USM is its wider field of view and that it features UD [Ultra Low Dispersion] and aspherical elements designed to compensate for a whole host of lens aberrations typical with such a compact wide-angle lens."

Mike still highly recommends the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III USM lens for EF users wishing to add a wide-angle zoom to their kitbag. "It's very sharp at all focal lengths and is especially impressive at the 16mm setting when shooting with the lens wide open. Also, the ability to shoot at 16mm gives you the kind of width you don't normally get in a photograph. It's good for scenes with a lot of detail, such as cityscapes, and the broad field of view is similar to what we see with our eyes."

A lake surrounded by mountains under cloud-strewn skies.

The variable aperture has enabled Canon to keep costs down while maintaining quality on the ultra-wide-angle Canon RF 15-30mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM. "It means that the optical design is smaller," explains Mike. "On a fixed aperture lens, there needs to be room for the wide-angle end, whereas in a variable system the actual hole size stays the same. Therefore, this lens is more compact, a lot lighter and as a result the price point is lower." Taken on a Canon EOS R5 with a Canon RF 15-30mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM lens at 15mm, 0.6 sec, f/11 and ISO100. © Verity Milligan

6. Best entry-level wide-angle lenses for landscapes: Canon RF 16mm F2.8 STM, Canon RF 24mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM & Canon RF 15-30mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM

If you're an enthusiast photographer looking to take your landscape photography to the next level, the Canon RF 16mm F2.8 STM is an excellent option. "Traditionally, it's been quite complex to design 16mm lenses for a DSLR, requiring lots of extra glass and expense to get the optical point 16mm from the sensor," says Mike. "But the RF mount has enabled super-fast communication between lens and camera, and a simplified product – making 16mm an affordable option to explore."

The price and portability are the winning features here. "It's something you just leave on and you've always got that beautiful wide-angle view," says Mike.

The Canon RF 24mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM is another great option for photographers looking to shoot wide-angle landscapes. "It's a great multi-purpose lens," says Mike. "It has a super bright aperture, so it can be used in low light and not just for traditional landscapes, but urban landscapes too – it also has amazing macro capabilities.

"This lens would be perfect for trying out layered landscape shoots with a tripod," Mike adds.

RF 24mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM FRA-1x1

Canon RF 24mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM

A dedicated prime lens for landscape enthusiasts looking for less distortion and higher quality images.

The Canon RF 15-30mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM is a great buy for photographers looking to get into landscape work via an affordable zoom. "It's probably one of the cheapest ultra-wide-angles available on the market and it's got 5.5-stops of IS," says Mike.

The ideal focal range for landscape work is 15-30mm, and the impressive level of performance you get for this price opens up new creative possibilities: "Whether that's getting closer to a mountain biker or just going to a more challenging location," adds Mike.

If you use an APS-C mirrorless camera such as the Canon EOS R7 or EOS R10, these entry-level wide-angles for landscapes would be an excellent introduction to the RF lens lineup, delivering the performance you need as your photography skills improve. For more recommendations, see this Get Inspired guide to the best entry-level lenses for landscape photography.

A close-up of tree bark framed by the fronds of a red plant.

The Canon RF 35mm F1.8 MACRO STM is a compact flexible lens for landscapes, environmental portraits and cityscapes. "I'm not a macro photographer, but this lens makes me think differently and helps me to try new ideas," says Valtteri. Taken on a Canon EOS R5 with a Canon RF 35mm F1.8 MACRO STM lens at 1/80 sec, f/10 and ISO100. © Valtteri Hirvonen

A small building is reflected in a body of water that's gently rippling, causing the reflection to lose its shape.

"Having a compact option such as the Canon RF 35mm F1.8 MACRO STM allows you to capture the beautiful moments that happen when you least expect them to," says Mike. Taken on a Canon EOS R5 with a Canon RF 35mm F1.8 MACRO STM lens at 1/400 sec, f/3.5 and ISO200. © Valtteri Hirvonen

7. Best close focusing lens for landscapes: Canon RF 35mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM

The low-cost, multi-purpose, compact and discreet Canon RF 35mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM has suited Valtteri's approach for focusing on individual elements in a scene and pushed him to try new techniques. "When you force yourself to use one focal length, you begin to see things differently," he explains. "For example, it's unusual to have a wide-angle lens that can focus so close. I use it to find really small details in the forest, but you also have a wide shot where you can see the trees in the background. I am always looking for details, something to focus on, I don't always want to show everything I can see."

Featuring a customisable control ring for making exposure changes, the RF 35mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM also has a new optical design. "With DSLR design, any lens with a focal length wider than 40mm has to have a retro-focus design," says Mike. "The optical design is the inverse of EF lenses, with the largest lens element of the RF 35mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM at the rear. Coupled with the larger RF lens mount, this means light hits the sensor straighter and allows the quality at the corners of the image to be improved, with less distortion such as chromatic aberrations and light fall-off. Plus, you can get super close with a half-size magnification, which is ideal for capturing spider webs or dew."

The Canon RF 35mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM lens.

Canon RF 35mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM

A wide-angle prime lens with a fast f/1.8 maximum aperture and macro capabilities.

For landscape photographers looking for a lightweight, affordable 35mm prime lens using the EF mount, Mike suggests the Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS USM, which features 4-stops of image stabilisation, a fast f/2 maximum aperture for shooting when the light starts to drop and a short 0.24m minimum focusing distance for close-up focusing. "The Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS USM is a lovely little lens – compact and lightweight, yet still offering high performance," explains Mike. "This is one of my go-to lenses, its flexibility makes it the ideal travel lens to capture urban or conventional landscapes."

A figure in a kayak paddles out towards the horizon, the water and sky bathed in an orange hue.

The Canon RF 24-105mm F4L IS USM offers excellent image quality across wide-angle, standard and telephoto focal lengths, providing a versatile range of framing options when photographing landscapes. Its robust L-series build protects against dust and moisture when shooting outdoors too. Taken on a Canon EOS RP with a Canon RF 24-105mm F4L IS USM lens at 105mm 1/2500 sec, f/4 and ISO100. © Jake Baggaley

8. Best lens for versatility: Canon RF 24-105mm F4L IS USM

One of the most versatile lenses for landscape photography is the Canon RF 24-105mm F4L IS USM. The longer reach of this full-frame zoom extends creative possibilities for landscapes – whether that's isolating interesting elements within a wider view, or shooting over greater distances to make layers in the landscape appear much closer together than they are in reality.

The Canon RF 24-105mm F4L IS USM is a great lens for shooting travel landscapes, Mike suggests. "It's super-lightweight and compact, has a 5-stop Image Stabilizer and covers the majority of focal lengths that most people need when they're starting out.

"I think with landscapes, we do focus a lot on the wide setting, but you can create amazing scenics with telephotos as well," says Mike. "With a longer focal length you can kind of compress landscapes. If you think of the amazing shots of the fields of Tuscany, a lot of them are shot from a hilltop using longer focal lengths. So having a 24-105mm, not only have you got the classic wide-angle but also a telephoto to achieve those longer views as well."

A Canon RF 24-105mm F4L IS USM lens.

Canon RF 24-105mm F4L IS USM

The 24-105mm zoom covers wide-angle, standard and telephoto focal lengths, while a 5-stop Image Stabilizer preserves sharpness in low-light landscapes.
Tim Coleman, Jack Fitter and Marcus Hawkins

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