Landscape photography is one of the most versatile and entertaining types of photography. Nothing can match the feeling of capturing the nature’s wonders and its incredible beauty in your images. However, you also need a good landscape lens apart from having the best camera. All the experienced photographers possess the best lenses for the job, helping them to take stunning photographers of the nature’s most captivating scenes. Therefore, we are going to present the best Canon lens for landscape images in this guide as well as some other terrific options to choose from.
Best Canon Lens for Landscape Photography
Canon has been dominating the landscape lens market for decades. They make all types of lenses such as zoom, standard, and professional primes to name a few. Similarly, all of their lenses, irrespective of their type, are hugely popular and admired by professional landscape photographers. The vast majority of these photographers prefer Canon equipment for capturing those picturesque scenes.
Canon makes a large number of lenses for landscape. However, our experts have chosen the following lenses as the absolute best and essential for all the photographers who want to capture the beautiful nature in their cameras.
| Image | Model Name | Lens Type | Check Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Canon EF 16-34mm f/4L IS USM |
| Check Price |
 | Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM |
| Check Price |
 | Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L |
| Check Price |
 | Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4. |
| Check Price |
 | Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L |
| Check Price |
 | Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L |
| Check Price |
 | Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L |
| Check Price |
 | Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 |
| Check Price |
 | Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM |
| Check Price |
 | Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L |
| Check Price |
1. Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM: Best Landscape Lens for Canon
You would mostly use a wide-angle lens for landscape shooting and one of the best of these lenses is Canon EF 16-34mm f/4L IS USM. It is an ultra-wide-angle lens that offers impressive image performance. It is the first choice of most landscape enthusiasts because of its outstanding features like excellent build quality, accurate focusing, and ultra-wide aperture.
Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L is a professional-grade lens. Therefore, it delivers stunning landscapes, interiors, portraits, and even travel images. The latest optics for bright and clear landscapes also give it a definite edge over its competitors.
The lens is perfect for low light conditions thanks to its constant f/4L aperture. On top of that, the 4-stop image stabilization is also hard to beat. You can achieve a smooth blurred backgrounding using the 9-blade circular aperture diaphragm.
When it comes to autofocus, the lens comes with a ring-type USM motor for lightning-fast autofocus.
The lens also provides sharp contrast and superb color balances because of the 16-35mm focal length. Similarly, the images have corner-to-corner sharpness as well.
The lens is a bit larger and has minor barrel distortion which is fine given it is a wide-angle lens.
2. Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens: Best Canon Lens under 200
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM is perhaps one of the most versatile lenses in the world. It enjoys immense popularity among beginners for its amazing set of functions and features. It makes it easier for newcomers to take spectacular pictures without any hassle.
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM is also a very easy lens to carry around. Similarly, it offers incredibly good performance in all kinds of settings. It is a perfect general photography lens for beginners. Therefore, you can also use it for landscape photography.
The maximum magnification and focusing distance of 0.21x and 1.15 feet are some of its other notable features. Similarly, it has 50mm effective focal length on full-frame cameras and 80mm focal length on APS-C cameras.
Keep in mind that it is a prime lens that can be limiting for some photographers. As there is no zoom functionality, it may become hard for you to focus on the desired area.
Beginners normally use this lens to learn and try different ways of shooting. On top of that, it is the best Canon lens under $200. Therefore, it is quite affordable for novices as well.
3. Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III USM: Best Canon Lens for Landscape and Wildlife
Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L is a premier landscape lens. Therefore, it also delivers images of the highest quality. The ultra-wide-angle lens is the favorite lens of landscape photographers thanks to its f/2.8L maximum aperture. The zoom lens is also ideal for low light conditions just for its excellent constant aperture.
As it is a zoom lens, you can use several focal lengths between 16-35mm depending on your requirements and the scene you have to capture. However, you will get the best performance at its maximum range.
The EF 16-35mm f/2.8L features an improved CPU and the latest ring-type USM motor for faster and accurate autofocus. Not many wide-angle lenses can offer such high-performing autofocus.
The classic wide-angle zoom lens also enables you to maintain the sharpness of the images. On top of that, it is also a professional-grade lens with unbreakable weather sealing. It is a robust and durable lens that you can easily use for wildlife, travel, and landscape photography in all kinds of weather.
Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L does not have the image stabilization. It is a glaring omission in our opinion considering it is a very expensive lens.
4. Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM Lens: Best Canon Lens for Canon APS-C Cameras
Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 is the best match for you if you are currently using a crop or APS-C camera. It is a lightweight yet sturdy lens with a lot of stunning features to look out for. It is also very easy to carry around, making it a perfect travel and landscape lens.
First of all, it comes with a near-silent, quick, and accurate USM autofocus. Secondly, it offers brilliant and uniform image quality throughout the zoom range. Picture quality is excellent even at ultra-wide 10mm focal length.
The adjustable aperture means you can use the lens in all light conditions. The manual focus override function is a great addition. More importantly, the lens also has a one year warranty but only for USA customers.
Similarly, the close focusing distance of 9.5-inch allows you to capture even the tiniest of objects with the same image quality.
Our only concern with the camera is that the f/3.5 aperture starts dropping off near the maximum focal length of 22mm.
5. Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM: Best Canon Landscape Lens on Budget
Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L is yet another superb yet affordable lens for landscapes. New photographers especially love this lens for its affordability as they cannot afford the premium or expensive lenses at the start of their careers.
Canon EF 17-40mm is f/4L is an economical way to take stunning landscape photographs. The lens features a super UD glass element, resulting in crystal clear and sharp images. You can also fine-tune the shots according to your requirements with the help of manual override focus.
Of course, the lens does not have all the premium features of the more expensive EF lenses. However, there is no point in complaining considering its price. Features like effective water and dust resistance also make it a very good lens. You cannot find such features in similarly priced lenses.
All in all, Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L is a highly versatile lens that also captures beautiful landscape images for a very low investment.
6. Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM Lens: One of the Best Lenses for Landscape Photography
Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L should be your first choice if you want to take your landscape photography skills to the next level. It is the most exceptional and the best wide-angle zoom lens ever made by Canon.
The most admirable thing about the lens is its wide-angle zoom range of 11-24mm. Similarly, its stunning features such as superior design, water resistance, excellent maximum aperture, and fast and silent autofocus make it extremely popular among professional travel and landscape photographers.
You can get a brilliant wide-angle view using the 11-24mm focal range. The wider the focal range, the more area you can cover in your images. Therefore, it is the perfect lens for wildlife, travel, and landscapes.
The lens is also compatible with most Canon cameras. Despite a new lens, it has classic wide-angle technology to maintain image sharpness. Its low light performance is also superb because of the f/4 maximum aperture.
The lens has a near-silent and quick autofocus thanks to the ring-type USM motor. Similarly, it ensures brilliant image quality with negligible distorting throughout the zoom range.
The two main problems with the camera are its high price and size. The lens is too heavy to lug around.
7. Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS II USM: Best Canon Lens for Landscape Photography
If you are looking for a telephoto lens for landscape photography, you must go for Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L. The biggest advantage of a telephoto lens is that it offers long-range and stunning magnified images. You can even capture things far away from your camera.
It is pertinent to mention that Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L is the best telephone lens currently available on the market. To begin with, it features an advanced optical stabilization CPU to counter lens movements while taking a picture. Therefore, it delivers sharp and clear images even if you are taking handheld shots using this lens.
You would be wrong to think that the lens can take only long-distance shorts. It also enables you to capture a wide range of landscape photos because of its relatively short minimum focusing distance of 3.9 feet. The images in this case would also be unbelievably sharp and detailed.
The lens hood has a relatively minor grip which may be a shortcoming for some people. Similarly, it has no lens tripod ring as well.
The Canon EF 70-200mm offers superior image stabilization as well as premium image quality at both long and short ranges. Therefore, it is the best telephoto lens for landscapes.
8. Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM: Best Budget Canon Lens for Landscape
You must consider Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS if you are looking for an EF-S lens. It is, in fact, the best EF-S lens by Canon so far. It is also a very affordable lens yet it enables you to capture fabulous landscape images.
The lens is also a great option for outdoor adventure because of its lightweight and compact design. On top of that, it is available for a very good price just like all other EF-S lenses.
One of the best things about the lens is a very effective optical image stabilizer. It is hard to find image stabilization in the lenses as cheap as $300. The image stabilization combines with a larger diameter aspherical lens to create high-quality, sharp, clear, and clean pictures.
You cannot expect to find all the fancy features as in the case of premium and more expensive EF lenses. However, the overall image quality of the lens is more than pleasing.
In general, Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 offers great value for your money. It is easier to pack and use besides delivering great picture quality. It is also an ideal lens for amateur photographers looking to take spectacular landscape images.
9. Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM: Best All-Round Canon Landscape Lens
Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM is one of the best Canon lenses of all time. It also remained the best Canon lens for landscape for a long time and still, it has a lot to offer to landscape photographers. Every photographer has used this lens at some stage of his or her career.
What makes this lens so popular is its extremely useful zoom range. You can use it for all kinds of photography. Similarly, it offers an additional spot of light that can save your life in certain situations.
The lens delivers unmatchable image quality because of the two UD and one Super UD lens elements. The autofocus is silent as well as quick and accurate.
The 0.21 maximum magnification besides dust and moisture protection are some of its other great features.
The major downside of the lens is the lack of image stabilization. Similarly, it has a rather high price tag as well.
Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 is a lightweight lens and therefore, you can easily carry it around. Although it is a bit expensive yet you should not think twice about buying one if you can afford it.
10. Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L USM Lens: Best Fisheye Lens for Landscapes
The most prominent feature of Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L is the fisheye style or look. It is instantly recognizable and therefore, the best way to separate your images from the crowd.
The lens has 180 degrees field of preview and thus, it is the biggest fisheye lens in the world. The lens offers brilliant image quality because of its superior quality UD glass construction. Similarly, the fluorine coating and subwavelengths on the glass minimize both ghosting and aberrations.
The fisheye lens also allows you to evaluate the landscape differently just as a zoom lens. Furthermore, it has very fast and quiet autofocus to keep lens movements and thus blurring under control.
Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L has been designed for professional use. It is indeed the best Canon lens for landscape photography mainly because of its fisheye design.
How to Buy the Best Canon Lens for Landscape Photos?
Some of the considerations for buying a landscape lens are as below.
Type of Lens
Keep in mind that there are many types of landscape lenses. Each of these types has its strengths and weaknesses. Thoroughly research and use all types of lenses if you can to ascertain which one of them is most suitable for you.
The five main types of lenses are:
- Prime lenses
- EF lenses
- EF-S lenses
- Telephoto
- Tilt-Shift
The choice of the lens also depends on your photography requirements. For example, a telephoto lens is the best option for capturing an object in the distance. A tilt-shift lens enables you to create intricate and accurate photos. The EF lenses offer premier image and build quality.
Lens Compatibility
Not all lenses would be compatible with your camera. You must check whether or not the lens you are considering is compatible with your camera. Things may get from back to worse if you buy a lens without checking for compatibility.
Most people fail to differentiate EF or EF-S lenses. The EF lenses are compatible with both full-frame and crop sensor cameras. The EF-S lenses only work with crop sensor cameras.
Your Photography Priorities
Personal photography preference is also an important consideration. Do you need a multipurpose lens that you can use in all kinds of situations? Or, you may be interested in a wide-angle lens for capturing more area. Similarly, the ultra-premium lenses come with extra features and frills. But – some photographers are also content with midrange lenses with limited options.
Your Budget
Finally, you also need to keep your budget into account. As you may already know, high-quality camera lenses tend to be quite expensive. However, you can also buy some terrific lenses at considerably low price as well. Therefore, you need to consider how much you can spend on a camera lens. To keep things simple, EF lenses are professional lenses and much more expensive than EF-S lenses which are more of consumer-grade lenses.
Final Thoughts
With this, we conclude our guide to the best Canon lens for landscape. We have covered the best lenses currently available for landscape photos. Similarly, we have also discussed the main type of lenses and how to buy a good lens for yourself.