Your camera lens – the paintbrush of the modern Michaelangelo and the pen of the contemporary Shakespeare – is the essential instrument in your photography toolkit. This intricate and precise tool is specially crafted to capture the most stunning image possible, be it a building, animal, or stunning landscape.
But just like any craftsman has the best tool for the job, the best photographers have the best lens for their surroundings. For the traveling and adventuring photographers out there, this means having the best lens for capturing the stunning and indescribable beauty of nature’s most stunning scenes. However, there seems to be a near-infinite ocean of lens options out there to muddle your decision-making process to no end.
Right then guys, if you’re ready to discover the best Canon lens for landscape photography then let’s get things rolling!
Don’t worry! We dove into this vast ocean of options and have emerged with the best Canon lens for landscape shots. We’ll present each option along with its strengths and drawbacks so you can make the most informed decision possible for your next lens.
So read on, and get ready to wow your friends with incredible shots of your next adventure because we’ve got the low down on all the best Canon lenses for landscape work.
Considerations for Buying a Landscape Lens
Your Photography Priorities
When deciding on what lens to invest in, remember that there are several crucial considerations to think about first. Chief among these is your personal photography preferences. Are you interested in finding the widest-angle lens possible (with its added bulk), or a general all-purpose lens that can be used in a variety of situations? Do you need – and rely on – the extra features that come with ultra-premium lenses, or would you be happy with a mid-range option?
Your answer to these questions will influence your lens search greatly. Therefore, take the time to sift through your own priorities first, and move forward from there.
Type of Lens
Keep in mind that underneath the umbrella of ‘landscape photography’, there are several different types of lenses with distinct strengths and weaknesses. So once again, spend a little extra time to consider which type of lens is best for you. Over the course of this review, we’ll be covering five distinct types of Canon landscape lenses:
- EF Lenses
- EF-S Lenses
- Telephoto
- Tilt-Shift
- Prime
So ask yourself; Are you hoping to snap pictures of animals way off in the distance with a telephoto lens or create accurate and intricate photos with a tilt-shift? Do you need the premium-level build quality and features that come with EF lenses, or will your camera work just fine with an EF-S lens? In fact, this last question brings us to our next point: lens-camera compatibility. There’s no point selecting what you think is the best landscape lens for Canon cameras if it doesn’t fit your model!
Photo: Chris Lininger
Lens-Camera Compatibility
Please don’t forget to check the compatibility between your camera and the lens you’re considering buying! It may seem painfully obvious, but it happens, so do yourself a favor and double-check before hitting that ‘buy’ button.
Our biggest piece of advice in this department is to point out the compatibility difference between Canon EF and EF-S lenses. The latter option is compatible with Canon APS-C (crop-sensor) DSLR cameras, while the former (EF Lens) is compatible with both APS-C and full-frame cameras.
Your Budget
Lastly, once you’ve thought about your lens priorities and types, it’s time to throw your budget into the mix. A high-quality camera lens is no small investment! In our opinion, you’re better off spending the big bucks on the best landscape Canon lens for your needs and cutting back when it comes to the actual camera body.
Therefore, consider what you’re willing to spend on a new lens, and keep in mind that there are perfectly good lenses available at significantly lower prices than the absolute best, top of the line, options. To provide a little preliminary guidance in this department, remember that Canon EF-S lenses are general consumer-grade, whereas the EF lenses are geared more towards professional photography. Or, in other words, the EF-S lenses will be significantly less expensive than the higher-quality EF lenses.
Now that we’ve discussed the overall process and considerations for purchasing a new camera lens, it’s time to dive into your options. Let take a look at the best canon lenses for landscape shots so you can start snapping pictures in no time!
Canon EF 16-35mm f/4.0L IS USM
- Price > $$
- > Dust and water-resistant
- > Inner focusing USM
Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM
- Price > $$
- > Captures high-quality landscape
- > Phenomenal price
Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III USM
- Price > $$$
- > Superb lens quality
- > Capture phenomenal shots in low-light
Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS II USM
- Price > $$$
- > Advanced optical stabilization CPU
- > Best lens for landscape shots when a telephoto lens is required
Canon EF 24mm f/1.4L II
- Price > $$$
- > Quick and quiet auto-focusing system
- > Easy to use
Canon EF 11-24mm f/ 4L
- Price > $$$$
- > Widest zoom lens Canon has ever crafted
- > 11-inch minimum focusing distance length
Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM
- Price > $
- > For casual photographer
- > Price tag is lower than other higher-quality options
Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM
- Price > $
- > Perfect for capturing sweeping landscape views
- > Weighs less than 400 grams
Canon EF 20mm f/2.8 USM
- Price > $
- > Easy to pack on outdoor adventures
- > Accessible price point than other options
Canon TS-E 17mm f/4L
- Price > $$$$
- > Easy to use tilt and shift knob
- > Weighs 820 grams
Best Canon Lenses For Landscape
Let’s take a deep-dive look at our top landscape lens picks…
Photo: Chris Lininger
REI is one of America’s biggest and most-loved outdoor gear retailers.
Now, for just $30, get a lifetime membership that entitles you to 10% OFF on most items, access to their trade-in scheme and discount rentals.
Join REI Today!Best Overall Full-Frame Canon Landscape Lens
Canon EF 16-35mm f/4.0L IS USM
The best landscape shots often mean wide-angle, and for that, a full-frame lens towers above the competition. Enter the Canon EF 16-35mm f/4.0L IS USM.
With an optical image stabilizer, excellent low-light functionality, and specialized coatings to help prevent ghosting, this lens is a landscape photographer’s best friend. Naturally, we also reap the benefits of a full-frame lens; namely, superior image quality, a broad dynamic range, and crisp focus over your entire wide-angle shot.
What’s more, Canon put special effort into making sure this lens is both dust and water-resistant. So go ahead, take it out into the backcountry and capture those landscapes that require that extra effort. This is a really underrated feature when it comes to picking the best Canon lens for outdoor photography.
Although perhaps an aesthetic preference, we’re also very pleased with the inner focusing USM (ultrasonic motor) that provides rapid and silent autofocusing capability. But if you still want to manually focus the lens to get the picture just the way you want, there’s a full-time manual focus mechanism just for that purpose.
Specs:
Focal Length & Maximum Aperture: 16-35mm 1:4:0
Lens Construction: 16 elements in 12 groups
Diagonal Angle of View: 108°10′ – 63°
Focus Adjustment: Inner focus system
Closest Focusing Distance: 0.92 ft. / 0.28m
Filter Size: 77mm diameter
Max. Diameter x Length, Weight: 3.3 x 4.4 in., 21.7 oz. / 82.6 x 112.8mm, 615g
Most Affordable
Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM
The tear-jerking truth that every photographer faces at one point or another – cost. Premium photography gear is expensive, which can be a compelling reason not to expand your range of lenses. However, the Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM provides phenomenal landscape shots for an equally phenomenal price.
This approachable price point yields a very clear, ultra-wide image thanks to the lens’s super-UD glass element working in tandem with three aspherical lens elements. We also have a manual override focus, allowing you to fine-tune the shot to just how you want it.
However, we don’t have all the bells-and-whistles of more premium options. But, for such a reasonable price, we can’t complain and we reckon it’s the best Canon lens for landscape and nature on a budget.
We’re also particularly fond of the fact that Canon included the very effective water and dust resistant housing elements that are typically reserved for more expensive options. So, bringing it all together, this is an exceptionally versatile lens that captures high-quality landscape images for a much lower initial investment.
Specs:
Focal Length & Maximum Aperture: 17 – 40mm; 1:4
Lens Construction: 12 elements in 9 groups
Diagonal Angle of View: 104° – 57° 30′
Focus Adjustment: Inner focusing system with USM
Closest Focusing Distance: 0.28m / 0.9 ft.
Zoom System: Rotating type
Filter Size: 77mm
Max. Diameter x Length, Weight: 3.3 x 3.8, 1.1 lb. / 83.5 x 96.8mm, 500g
Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III USM
For some photographers out there, the best landscapes merit the best lens on the market. That premium lens is undoubtedly the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III USM. From exceptional control to superb lens quality and material coatings, this lens will deliver that perfect landscape shots. If money isn’t an issue, then this is definitely the best Canon lens for landscape photography.
Let’s start with image quality. Canon has introduced a brand-new optical design that incorporates two large-diameter double-surface GMo lenses that work with an aspherical ground lens to deliver the sharpest image possible, with significant improvements to your shot’s borders and corners.
The constant maximum aperture of f/2.8, in turn, gives you incredible control over your depth of field as you keep the same aperture through the entire zoom range. So what does this mean? It means that you can now capture phenomenal shots in low-light – sunset anyone? – or in poor weather.
Now, that’s just a taste of the fantastic features that come with the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III USM, and you can take it from us that it’s the best canon lens for landscape shots. However, brace yourself for a steep initial investment before pursuing this lens. For that reason, we recommend this lens to the professional photographers out there.
Specs:
Focal Length & Maximum Aperture: 16-35mm f/2.8
Lens Construction: 16 elements in 11 groups
Diagonal Angle of View: 108°10′-63°00′
Focus Adjustment: AF with full-time manual
Closest Focusing Distance: 0.92 ft./0.28m
Filter Size: 3.2 in. / 82mm diameter
Max. Diameter x Length, Weight: 3.5 x 5.0 in., approx. 790g
The Best Telephoto
Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS II USM
Sometimes, the landscape image you want to capture isn’t front and center for the standard lens to capture. Enter the telephoto lens, delivering excellent magnified images, so nothing is out of your grasp. In this department, the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS II USM is our favorite. If you’re looking for the best telephotos Canon lens for landscape, this is it!
First off, high-magnification images tend to suffer terribly from any lens movement, which is almost unavoidable for any photographer not using a camera stand. To counter this, Canon has included an advanced optical stabilization CPU that provides crystal clear images even when this telephoto lens is used for handheld shots.
This lens isn’t reserved for long-distance shots alone, however. The relatively short 3.9 ft minimum focusing distance allows this particular telephoto lens to be used for a wide range of landscape or nature-focused picture-taking. But when it’s time to put that high-magnification to use, you’ll find that the ultra-low dispersion (UD) elements deployed in tandem with a fluorite lens element provide unbelievably sharp and high-quality images.
Therefore, with both short and long-range capability – providing premium image quality for both – and superior optical stabilization, the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS II USM is the best canon lens for landscape shots when a telephoto lens is required.
Specs:
Focal Length & Maximum Aperture: 70-200mm f/4
Lens Construction: 20 elements in 15 groups
Diagonal Angle of View: 34° – 12°
Focus Adjustment: AF with full-time manual
Closest Focusing Distance: 3.28 ft. / 1m
Filter Size: 72mm
Max. Diameter x Length, Weight: ?3.1 x 6.9 in., approx. 780g
The Best Prime
Canon EF 24mm f/1.4L II
The best landscape photography moments sometimes don’t require any zoom at all – just point and shoot. These non-zoom lenses, known as prime lenses, have a fixed focal point and offer many benefits over regular options.
Therefore, for your introduction to the best prime lens for landscapes, let’s discuss our favorite; the Canon EF 24mm f/1.4L II. We reckon it’s the best prime Canon lens for landscape photography on the market.
First off, we love the beautiful simplicity of this lens. Eliminating zoom makes it easier to grab your beautiful landscape shot quickly, without first fiddling with the zoom dial. Additionally, this lens includes Canon’s quick and quiet auto-focusing system allowing you to hone on your subject in no time at all. We’re also very impressed with the minimal 3.0in minimum focusing distance, which will enable you to take stunning pictures of near objects as well as sweeping landscapes. Often, prime lenses have better, sharper optics than a lens with a broad focal range.
However, this lens’s most significant asset can also be its greatest drawback – no focal length adjustment. You can’t zoom in to get up and personal with your surrounding landscape. Nevertheless, the Canon EF 24mm f/1.4L II is ideal for capturing wide, sweeping views of stunning outdoor scenes – and the picture quality is phenomenal.
Canon has deployed several materials and techniques to provide a very sharp picture, from the center all the way out to the sensor’s periphery. We also have a very effective lens coating that minimizes light flares and ghosting, no matter at what angle you hold the camera.
Overall, we firmly believe that the Canon EF 24mm f/1.4L II is the best canon lens for landscape for photographers looking for a prime lens. Easy to use, crisp pictures, and all the superior quality that we’ve come to expect from Canon’s EF lenses.
Specs:
Focal Length & Maximum Aperture: 24mm 1:1.4
Lens Construction: 13 elements in 10 groups
Diagonal Angle of View: 84°
Focus Adjustment: Rear focusing system with USM
Closest Focusing Distance: 3.0 in./77mm
Filter Size: 77mm
Max. Diameter x Length, Weight: 3.4 in./86.9mm; 22.9 oz./650g
Do You Want to Travel FOREVER??
Pop your email in below to get a FREE copy of ‘How to Travel the World on $10 a Day!’.
The Best Ultrawide
Canon EF 11-24mm f/ 4L
When most of us think of the perfect landscape shot, we inevitably imagine a wide-angle, all-encompassing picture of a beautiful stretch of scenery. It should, therefore, come as no surprise that our search for the best canon lens for landscape shots includes a dedicated ultrawide option, the Canon EF 11-24mm f/ 4L.
This lens is the widest zoom lens Canon has ever crafted, with a substantial wide-angle span of 11 to 24mm. We have four aspheric lens elements to minimize distortion from the center of your shot to the periphery, providing as crisp a picture as possible. Additionally, Canon has deployed a Subwavelength Coating along with an Air Sphere Lens coating that work together to combat flare and ghosting.
For such a wide-angle lens, we’re also very impressed with the short 11-inch minimum focusing distance length. This short focusing distance means that the Canon EF 11-24mm f/ 4L is just as capable of capturing beautiful scenery in close quarters as it is in expansive landscapes, making it as versatile as it is effective!
Keep in mind, however, that this particular lens is among the largest and heaviest on our list. This bulky construction, while no doubt very high-quality, can make its use and storage a little bit more cumbersome than usual. This becomes especially true if you plan on hiking to find those beautiful landscapes.
Specs:
Focal Length & Maximum Aperture: 11-24mm f/4
Lens Construction: 16 elements in 11 groups
Diagonal Angle of View: 126°05′ – 84°00′
Focus Adjustment: AF with full-time manual
Closest Focusing Distance: 11 in. / 0.28m
Filter Size: Rear insert-type
Max. Diameter x Length, Weight: 4.3 in. x 5.2 in., 41.6 oz.
The Best Overhaul EF-S Canon Landscape Lens
Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM
If you haven’t – yet – upgraded to a full-frame camera, then a more affordable EF-S lens is all you need to capture stunning landscape shots. For this class of lens, we recommend the Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM.
First off, you’ll notice a distinctly lighter and more compact design that makes this particular lens a breeze to pack for an adventure outdoors. Additionally, the price tag for this lens (as with most EF-S lenses) is much lower than other higher-quality options.
In terms of image quality, Canon has included a very effective optical image stabilizer along with a larger diameter aspherical lens element to help produce clean and clear pictures. However, this EF-S lens won’t quite have all the fancy bells-and-whistles of the premium, professional-grade EF lenses. Nevertheless, we’re very pleased with the overall image quality.
Overall, the Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM lens provides phenomenal value for your investment. Great pictures, easy to use, and distinctly more packable than other larger and heavier EF lenses. Therefore, we highly recommend this lens for the casual photographer looking to capture stunning landscape shots, or as a stepping stone to more professional level lenses in the future.
Specs:
Focal Length & Maximum Aperture: 10-18mm 1:4.5-5.6
Lens Construction: 14 elements in 11 groups
Diagonal Angle of View: 107°30′ – 74°20′
Focus Adjustment: Rear focus system
Closest Focusing Distance: 0.72 ft. / 0.22m
Filter Size: 67mm diameter
Max. Diameter x Length, Weight: 2.9 x 2.8 in., 8.5 oz. / 74.6 x 72.0mm, 240g
Best Well-Rounded Lens
Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM
All the best Canon lenses for landscape photos have their individual focuses and strengths. But what if there was a lens that took the best features and bundled them into a single item? Well, the Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM does exactly that.
There are so many benefits to this lens that it’s difficult to know where to start. But let’s focus on the picture quality first. We have an extra-wide design creating a 107º diagonal angle of view – perfect for capturing sweeping landscape views. Additionally, Canon has included three aspherical lens elements that work with an ultra-low dispersion (UD) element to create crystal clear pictures.
Perhaps even more remarkably, Canon has been able to include all these excellent lens features into a relatively small housing that weighs less than 400 grams. This is a far cry from the larger and much more bulky lens options out there and is perfect for frequent traveling photographers.
Now let’s move on to the price. While the Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM isn’t the most affordable lens on our list, it certainly isn’t the most expensive. In fact, this lens fits right into the mid-range zone of pricing, making it an accessible yet powerful addition to your photography tool kit.
Specs:
Focal Length & Maximum Aperture: 10 – 22mm; 1:3.5-4.5
Lens Construction: 13 elements in 10 groups
Diagonal Angle of View: 107° 30′ – 63° 30′
Focus Adjustment: Inner focusing system, with focusing cam
Closest Focusing Distance: 0.24m / 0.79 ft.
Zoom System: Ring USM
Filter Size: 77mm
Max. Diameter x Length, Weight: 3.3 x 3.5, 13.6 oz. / 83.5 x 89.8mm, 385g
Now, you could spend a fat chunk of $$$ on the WRONG present for someone. Wrong size hiking boots, wrong fit backpack, wrong shape sleeping bag… As any adventurer will tell you, gear is a personal choice.
So give the adventurer in your life the gift of convenience: buy them an REI Co-op gift card! REI is The Broke Backpacker’s retailer of choice for ALL things outdoors, and an REI gift card is the perfect present you can buy from them. And then you won’t have to keep the receipt. 😉
Buy on REI!The Best Prime for Price
Canon EF 20mm f/2.8 USM
For those who need a refresher on prime lenses, they are camera lenses that have a constant focal point. Or in other words, you can’t adjust the focal point in order to zoom in or out with your camera lens. While this is certainly an acquired taste for some landscape photographers, one of the absolute best prime lenses for landscape shots is the Canon EF 20mm f/2.8 USM.
First off, this is one of the more compact lenses on our list. This smaller size makes the lens very easy to pack out on outdoor adventures where you’ll likely encounter a landscape that merits a crisp and clear photograph.
That clear photograph is, in part, due to the amply sized aperture that allows in plenty of light for low-light shooting, while also providing a shallower depth of field. We also have a very good 94º diagonal angle of view for capturing those wide landscape shots. Additionally, this lens has a much more accessible price point than other options, further adding to its attractiveness.
Specs:
Focal Length & Maximum Aperture: 20mm 1:2.8
Lens Construction: 11 elements in 9 groups
Diagonal Angle of View: 94°
Focus Adjustment: Rear focusing system with USM
Closest Focusing Distance: 0.25m / 0.8 ft.
Filter Size: 72mm
Max. Diameter x Length, Weight: 3.1 x 2.8, 14.3 oz. / 77.5 x 70.6mm, 405g
The Best Tilt-shift Canon Landscape Lens
Canon TS-E 17mm f/4L
While not as popular as the standard lens, a tilt-shift still has its place in landscape photography. Namely, this type of lens will enable you to correct parallax problems that can occur with nature’s straight lines – such as trees. With a regular lens, trees and other tall objects – such as buildings – tend to appear slightly slanted due to the lens’s perspective. However, a tilt-shift lens can capture your surroundings in its true glory, and deliver stunning images for those that are willing to learn the ropes to tilt-shift landscape photography. To help you get started, we recommend the Canon TS-E 17mm f/4L lens.
This lens allows for up to +/- 90º adjustment in the direction of motion controlled by an easy to use tilt and shift knob. What’s more, the diagonal field of view before you even start adjusting is 104º, providing an impressive and sweeping view of your landscape surroundings.
Now we know that all these excellent features make it sound like this item would be a bulky beast amongst lenses, but we’re pleased to report that this isn’t (quite) the case. This Canon TS-E 17mm f/4L lens is comparable in weight and size to our recommended EF lenses on this list – the ultra-wide EF 11-24mm f/ 4L being the exception – adding to its allure if you’re willing to experiment and learn how to use it properly.
While a tilt-shift lens isn’t necessarily required for landscape photography, it can still be a valuable tool for discerning photographers. However, the equally steep learning curve and price create a formidable obstacle to investing in this lens. But, if you’re sure you’ll use it to its full potential, you can’t go wrong with the Canon TS-E 17mm f/4L.
Specs:
Focal Length & Maximum Aperture: 17mm 1:4
Minimum Aperture: f/22
Lens Construction: 18 elements in 12 groups
Diagonal Angle of View: 104° (without tilt or shift)
Image circle diameter: 67.2mm
Focus Adjustment: Manual focus, rear focusing system w/ focusing cam (with floating system)
Closest Focusing Distance: 0.82 ft./0.25m (maximum close-up magnification: 0.14x)
Aperture Control: EMD with 8 blade iris diaphragm, circular aperture
Max. Diameter x Length, Weight: 3.5 x 4.2 in (maximum lens length), 28.9 oz./820g
Our GREATEST Travel Secrets…
Pop your email here & get the original Broke Backpacker Bible for FREE.
Conclusion
And there you have it, photographers! We’ve covered the best canon lenses on the market for landscape shots. From budget to premium, telephoto to tilt-shift, and ultra-wide to full-frame, you’re sure to find a lens to suit your needs. Just remember to keep our previously mentioned buying advice in mind:
- What type of lens do you need?
- What’re your photography priorities?
- What’s your budget?
- Check lens-camera compatibility!
Keep these points in mind, review our list of the best canon lenses for landscape photography, and you’ll be capturing stunning scenery in no time!
And for transparency’s sake, please know that some of the links in our content are affiliate links. That means that if you book your accommodation, buy your gear, or sort your insurance through our link, we earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you). That said, we only link to the gear we trust and never recommend services we don’t believe are up to scratch. Again, thank you!
