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The most commonly-used focal length for landscapes ranges from around 14–28mm (on a full-frame camera). Shooting wide-angle or ultra-wide-angle makes it possible to include extreme foreground and distant background in a single frame, which can make for a dramatic image with an exaggerated sense of scale.
But a lens with a wide angle-of-view isn’t the only way to capture striking landscape images. Many leading landscape photographers shoot with standard, short telephoto and even longer telephoto lenses, which can give very different results that can be equally as eye-catching.
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The most commonly-used focal length for landscapes ranges from around 14–28mm (on a full-frame camera). Shooting wide-angle or ultra-wide-angle makes it possible to include extreme foreground and distant background in a single frame, which can make for a dramatic image with an exaggerated sense of scale.
But a lens with a wide angle-of-view isn’t the only way to capture striking landscape images. Many leading landscape photographers shoot with standard, short telephoto and even longer telephoto lenses, which can give very different results that can be equally as eye-catching.
Wide-angle lenses are the most commonly used types of lenses for landscape photography. More specifically, ultra-wide-angle optics, with focal lengths ranging from around 12mm to 20mm, tend to be the most popular. Shooting in this way tends to exaggerate foreground objects, so a strong foreground element in a scene tends to favour wider-angle optics.
14-24mm F2.8 DG DN
Sigma’s flagship full-frame mirrorless ultra-wide-angle zoom offers razor-sharp images corner-to-corner, an F2.8 aperture and a rear filter holder. A DSLR version is also available.
16-28mm F2.8 DG DN
The 16-28mm F2.8 is a mirrorless optic that sits in the Contemporary line, and boasts superb image quality, exceptional portability and a front filter thread. A petal lens hood is included.
14mm F1.4 DG DN
This wide-angle mirrorless prime is ideal for landscapes, delivering incredible image quality across the whole frame. It’s also a superb option for astro thanks it’s ultra-fast aperture.
A standard lens is considered to be anything longer than 35mm, but shorter than around 65mm. The classic standard prime is a 50mm (on a full-frame camera), which delivers a natural-looking image that is similar to how we perceive the world with our eyes. They are useful for scenes where the mid-ground and background are both visually strong.
50mm F1.4 DG DN
Weighing just 670g, Sigma’s flagship standard prime for mirrorless cameras offers an F1.4 aperture, an aperture ring, an AFL button and Sigma’s fast and quiet HLA AF motor.
35mm F1.2 DG DN
Razor-sharp optics and an aperture ring make this fast wide-standard prime a super option for landscapes, and thanks to its fast aperture, also perfect for nightscapes.
45mm F2.8 DG DN
Designed for mirrorless, this ultra-compact I series optic weighs only 215g, so can easily be carried around for long periods. Image quality is superb and an aperture ring is built in.
The longer the focal length, the closer together objects at differing distances appear to be, a phenomenon often termed a ‘compressed perspective’. An advantage of shooting in this way is that it places greater visual importance on background elements, which can suit a certain type of scene. Longer lenses also allow photographers to pick out very small vignettes within the landscape.
135mm F1.8 DG HSM
The 135mm F1.8 is the longest prime in Sigma’s Art range, delivering razor-sharp image quality and a very fast aperture. The lens is available for DSLRs and mirrorless systems.
70-200mm F2.8 DG OS HSM
One of the most versatile telephoto zooms you can buy, the 70-200mm is an extremely useful landscapes lens, delivering excellent image quality and a tripod foot and a fast F2.8 aperture.
100-400mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS
For a very compressed perspective, the 100-400mm is a superb option. Not only is it very small and light for a lens of this type, but it’s very sharp across the whole focal range.
“On full-frame, 24mm is my widest focal length. This lens is extremely sharp, and F2 fast enough for all but dedicated night photography. The physical design and quality of construction is exceptional, making it a pleasure to use.”
“Many of my favourite images are shot with the natural, unforced perspective of a standard lens. The 50mm F2 DG DN can do justice to a 60MP sensor even wide open. Stopping down produces enormous levels of detail with great depth.”
“This is my biggest and heaviest lens, but it is also a giant in performance, rendering incredible detail. Whether isolating a sharply-focussed subject against a soft background, or compressing a distant scene, it evokes three dimensional reality.”
Go behind the lens with British landscape legends Colin Prior and Joe Cornish as they explore the wild scenery of the Scottish Highlands. On film together for the first time, Colin and Joe discuss their approach to wide-angle and telephoto landscapes, what lenses they like to use, and what they think of each others’ work. If you have a love of landscape photography, this three part series is a must-watch!
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