Telephotos For Landscapes

Think Differently…

By Staff

Labels: Lenses, Gear

This Article Features Photo Zoom

Do-It-All Zooms

Tamron 28-300 XR Di VC LD

As you can see in the accompanying chart, there are a number of wide-range "superzoom" lenses that include our focal lengths. These offer the advantages of providing focal lengths from wide-angle to telephoto in a single package, minimal bulk and at relatively low cost. Their main drawback is that they aren't quite as sharp as shorter-range zooms or prime lenses—trying to correct all aberrations, distortions and vignetting at a wide range of focal lengths is quite an engineering challenge. But, if you want to travel really light or have a very limited lens budget, a superzoom can be just what you need.

Long Landscape Lenses	Format**	Elements/ Groups	Special Elements***	Min. Focus	Max. Magnif.	Filter Size	Size (in.)	Weight	Est. Street Price	Lens Mounts†
Do-It-All Zoom
CEF-S 18-200mm ƒ/3.5-5.6 IS	APS-C	16/12	2UD2ASPH	1.5ft	0.24X	72mm	3.1x6.4	21.0 oz.	$699	C
Canon EF 28-300mm ƒ/3.5-5.6L IS USM	FF	22/16	3UD2ASPH	2.3ft	0.30X	77mm	3.6x7.2	3.7 lbs.	$2,689	C
Nikon AF-S DX 18-200mm ƒ/4-5.6G ED VR II	APS-C	16/12	2ED3ASPH	1.6ft	0.22X	72mm	3.0x3.8	19.8 oz.	$849	N
Nikon AF-S 28-300mm ƒ/3.5-5.6G ED VR	FF	19/14	2ED3ASPH	19.3ft	0.32X	77mm	3.3x4.5	28.2 oz.	$949	N
Sigma 18-200mm ƒ/3.5-6.3 II DC OS HSM	APS-C	18/14	1FLD2SLD3ASPH	17.7ft	0.26X	62mm	3.0x3.5	17.3 oz.	$499	CNPSiSo
Tamron 18-200mm ƒ/3.5-6.3 XR Di II	APS-C	15/13	1XR2LD3ASPH	17.7ft	0.27X	62mm	2.9x3.3	14.0 oz.	$199	PSo
Tamron 28-300mm ƒ/3.5-6.3 XR Di	FF	12/9	1XR2LD3ASPH	19.3ft	0.34X	67mm	2.9x3.3	14.8 oz.	$419	CNPSo
Tamron 28-300mm ƒ/3.5-6.3 XR Di VC LD	FF	18/13	1XR2LD3ASPH	19.3ft	0.33X	67mm	3.1x3.9	19.4 oz.	$629	CN
* A selection of short telephoto lenses suitable for a "different" take on landscapes; not a complete listing. FF = full-frame; APS-C = APS-C; 4/3 = Four Thirds System. Full-frame lenses also can be used on APS-C cameras with compatible mount. Canon EF-S (APS-C) lenses can't be mounted on full-frame or APS-H EOS cameras. Nikon DX (APS-C) lenses can be mounted on full-frame (FX) Nikon DSLRs, but camera will crop to DX format automatically. * UD = Ultra-Low Dispersion; ASPH = Aspherical; ED = Extra-Low Dispersion; SUD = Super Ultra-Low Dispersion; SLD = Special Low Dispersion; XLD = Extra-Low Dispersion; LD = Low Dispersion; FL = Fluorite; DO = Diffractive Optics; HRI = High Refractive Index; FLD = F Low-Dispersion; SED = Super Extra-Low Dispersion † Mounts in which lens is available: C = Canon EF; N = Nikon F; P = Pentax K; Si = Sigma SD; So = Sony A; 4/3 = Four Thirds System N/S = Not stated by manufacturer.

Mirror Lenses

Pro-Optic 500 ƒ/6.3 mirror lens

The Pro-Optic mirror lenses provide an economical way to experiment with "compressed" long, focal-length landscapes. Really long lenses "zero in" on a small, very distant portion of a scene, producing images in which objects are squeezed together—a definitely different landscape look. While conventional refracting long lenses are costly, the Pro-Optic mirror lenses (500mm ƒ/6.3, 800mm ƒ/8 and a 1000mm ƒ/11 kit consisting of a 500mm lens and 2x converter) sell for just $99.95 to $224.95 (available from Adorama). Besides being less costly than conventional telephotos, mirror lenses are also much more compact and easier to cart into the field. Mirror lenses are also less sharp than refracting telephotos and turn out-of-focus highlights into rings rather than disks—some like the effect, some don't.

But, the price certainly is right, and long lenses let you produce landscapes with a different look.

Macro Lenses For Landscape?

As their name implies, macro lenses were designed for close-up work, optically optimized for close-focusing distances. They're especially good with flat copy and provide good edge-to-edge sharpness. But, they work well at normal shooting distances, too. In fact, one advantage of macro lenses over other close-up gear is that they also let you focus out to infinity—something you can't do when using extension tubes, close-up diopter lenses or a bellows. So, if you want the ability to shoot telephoto landscapes and also be able to zero-in on intriguing flowers and insects along the way, a macro lens is a great choice: It can focus close enough to produce a life-size 1.0X magnification at the image plane, yet also double as a normal tele lens, good for landscapes, portraits and anything else you'd use choose to shoot with that focal length.

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