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What wide angle lens are you using on RF?

ichiha68
Apprentice

I've been thinking about a new wide-angle lens mostly for landscapes and I'm curious what others are using on RF cameras.

Do you use one of the few RF native options (16mm f/2.8, 14-35mm f/4, 15-35mm f/2.8) or an adapted EF lens? If you were buying a new lens today, which would you choose?

I've been assuming there will eventually an RF 11-24mm or similar and that would probably be my choice. But it doesn't exist and I'd like to have a wide option for this summer.

I'm leaning toward a used Sigma 12-24mm f/4. Most significantly for budget reasons and prioritizing wider focal lengths over aperture.

3 REPLIES 3

AtticusLake
Mentor
Mentor

I've been doing a lot of video landscape setups on the C70 (over 100, I think) and my absolute workhorse has been the RF 15-35mm f/2.8.  That's a Super 35 sensor, so lens is equivalent to something like a 22-50.

The range of focal lengths has been superb for almost everything -- I have on occasion used a 50mm lens, but *very* rarely.  The 15-35 almost never comes off the camera.  I sometimes think I might want a longer lens, but 35 almost always turns out to be enough.  Being able to go wide is great -- I go to 24mm quite a lot, sometimes out to 20mm, rarely wider.  The only drawback is it's big and heavy.

15mm, even on the S35 sensor, is pretty darned wide for the stuff I do; I've only very rarely used it.  Anything more than a few yards from the camera becomes pretty small at that point.  So I personally wouldn't go for the 11-24.  The 35mm end is something I use quite a lot.  Of course for landscape stills, you might want the really wide look; I know I used to like having a super-wide lens when I was doing stills.

Having said that, don't write off the RF 35mm f/1.8 STM macro.  That's a very nice sharp lens.  STM means slow and loud autofocus, but who cares for landscapes.  Also it's a pretty decent macro.  But I would miss the ability to go wider.

The RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM would be a lower-cost option too.  I don't know about that one, though.

I've toyed with getting the 24-105 or the 24-70, which would cover most of my landscape work and also be versatile for other things.  But so far I haven't really felt the need.

ebiggs1
Legend
Legend

If you were using a DSLR I would suggest the Tokina 16-28mm f/2.8 FF Lens for Canon EF as the best buy in a WA zoom. Considering price and performance it is a winner all around. It is the only Tokina I recommend. I have not used it on a R series so you need to make sure it works but it is well worth checking out.

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!

Tronhard
Elite
Elite

I haven't done a lot of landscape work with the Canon RF bodies so far, so I bow to the others' opinions on this. As regards a comparison between the RF 14-35 and 15-35, it might be worth watching the video by Gordon Laing of Camera Labs that compares these two, considering there is a significant price difference - see it HERE 


cheers, TREVOR

"All the variety, all the charm, all the beauty of life is made up of light and shadow", Leo Tolstoy;
"Skill in photography is acquired by practice and not by purchase" Percy W. Harris
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