What to look for…

Tame landscapes with these key features

FOCAL LENGTH

A shorter focal length delivers a wider viewing angle, and even a millimetre or two can make a noticeable difference. The 1.5x crop factor of DX format cameras is an important consideration.

FOCUS TYPE

Autofocus lenses are most common, but manual-focus lenses work well for landscapes. Built-in electronics for the latter enable illumination of focus assist lamps in the viewfinder.

PRIME OR ZOOM?

A zoom lens is generally the more popular choice and certainly gives greater versatility. However, prime lenses can work very well and are often less expensive to buy.

APERTURE RATING

Faster aperture ratings are usually preferable but result in bigger, pricier lenses. For landscapes, you’re more likely to shoot at medium to narrow apertures for increased depth of field.

OPTICAL STABILIZATION

This is a great feature for beating camera-shake in landscape photography, saving the need to carry a tripod if you’re trekking into the wilds to find scenic photo opportunities.