Nature Landscaping

[corei5]

Hello, I'm planning to do some landscapes but I don't have any idea what are the equipments for this type of photography although I know that wide-angle is commonly used lens for this and tripod of course. I currently own a kitlens 18-55mm and 50mm f1.8 and 550D, I wanted to know what is a good lens for landscape and any filters recommended my budget for the lens is £400.

[Greg McCary]

As far as a filter goes I think a two stop Cokin grad will get you by for most landscape work. I rarely use a polarizer but some use them a lot. I don't shoot Canon but you seem to be in the right focal range maybe upgrade to a better performing lens. Faster and sharper. Software is as important as a camera. Try Lightroom it has many tools you could use.

[corei5]

I was looking at canon 10-22 but its out of my budget and theres another one from sigma 10-20 f3.5 EX DC HSM (what does EX and DC stands for? ). I use lightroom for post processing my images.

[Greg McCary]

Ex is for build quality and DC for digital. Go to the link and put the cursor on the icon.
http://www.sigmaphoto.com/shop/10-20...x-dc-hsm-sigma

[Loupey]

If landscapes are your primary subjects, I would recommend primes - sharper in the corners, faster, lighter, less distortion.

Canon makes a 20mm, 24mm, 28mm, and 35mm in your price range.

[drg]

Landscapes can be made with any lens. Where the focal length comes in to play is the perspective desired or the vantage point available to get the composition desired.

A tripod is vital for many sunrise/sunset type landscape shots to get the best depth of field in the magic light. Tripods also aid with wide angle lens imagery in avoiding the distortion from the lens not being oriented as close to exactly parallel, perpendicular, and level (appropriate axis) as need to get a good picture.

In some case a long lens, i.e. 200mm or more, is the best choice for landscapes to flatten out the image and compress the foreground on to the background to capture a particular type of effect.

Distortion and various lens anomalies/optical problems are the obstacles to try and eliminate initially to produce 'classic' landscape photography with upgraded lens choices. The two lens units you mention having should get you started well if properly used. Now if you have some special considerations with a vantage point to get all of some landscape feature like a stream or waterfall or really neat tree, then the wide end of the 18-55mm may not be quite enough. Certainly if you can't back up enough! Then something in the 10-20mm variety may be needed.

One option for really wide vistas is cropping to the appropriate proportions desired or even creating a composite panorama image.

Go out and make several landscapes of the same scene from nearer and farther away with both lenses in your bag and then see what you have achieved. From that point you will have more information about how you want to make your landscapes.

Post a few examples and several will chime in about what to do or not to do next!!

Best of luck!!

[corei5]

Hello sorry for my late reply I've been looking around for a good lens for my 550D and gonna be using it for landscaping and travel.

The Tokina 11-16mm lens is nice but its out of my budget so the choices I have is 10-20mm Sigma F3.5 £499 (NEW) or the 17-40mm F4L £464 (Second Hand) OR save more for Tokina 11-16mm?

tried to use my 18-55mm whilst I'm on the bridge and the bridges was like shaking.

[corei5]

Bump anyone?

[corei5]

some people said that 17*40 F4L's distortion is really noticeable is that true?

Nikon??

[glenafton]

Corie5
Have you looked on Ebay?. Ther are many good quality used lenses to be had there.

Glenafton