Telephoto lenses have a myriad of uses in photography. They’re fantastic for capturing landscapes and wide-angle shots. Mountain scenes, forest shots, and high-in-the-sky images benefit the most from this type of lens. Without a telephoto lens, your photos would stand to look quite flat and wouldn’t have the requisite depth they need to pack a punch.
Before we offer up some suggestions of telephoto lenses to purchase, let’s delve into a handful of landscape photography tips to help you capture the best images possible.
4 Quick Landscape Photography Tips
- Select the right focal length. Typically, anywhere between a 100-200mm lens will be sufficient for capturing landscapes.
- Use a tripod. Just as with most other types of photography, having a tripod on hand can be a real lifesaver. It’s not something you’ll want to leave home without if your aim is to capture crystal clear photos. Otherwise, camera shake can be a problem. Blurry photos are another likely reality. And all of this becomes even more likely when you factor in the considerable weight of telephoto lenses.
- Be mindful of aperture. This can make or break the outcome of your photos. You’ll want to keep it between the f/8 and f/11 range to ensure sharpness and that properly separate the foreground and background of your photo.
- Focus on the light. Telephoto lenses are invaluable but you’ll always make best use of them when you have proper lighting. No matter what type of lens you’re using, you still need to pay heed to lighting. Well lit environments will always shoot better than those without direct light.
14 Telephoto Lenses for Landscape Photography
Now, here’s our suggestions for telephoto lenses broken down by brand:
Canon
Canon EF-S 55-250mm F4-5.6 is STM Lens for Canon SLR Cameras
This kit comes with 15 items, including a telephoto zoom lens that works with many popular Canon models. It also comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM Telephoto Fixed Lens for Canon SLR Cameras
This telephoto lens is another great option. It doesn’t have zoom, but It offers a focusing distance of 1.5m, a focal length of 200mm, and it weighs 1.7lbs.
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II Telephoto Zoom Lens USM, Model EF70-200LIS2
Here’s another great telephoto lens with an EF Mouth L-Series Lens Aperture Range of f/2.8-32. It also has a manual focus override minimum focus distance of 3.9. Another feature includes moisture resistant sealing.
Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS II Telephoto Zoom Lens
If you have a Canon camera, you may also wish to consider this Canon EF telephoto zoom lens. Features include a maximum aperture of f/4-f/5.6 and a UD glass element.
Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Medium Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras – Fixed
This is another fantastic option. The Canon EF 85mm has a maximum aperture of f/1.8 and has a focusing distance of 2.8 feet. It easily creates a background blur that can be extremely compelling for your finishing photos.
Nikon
Samyang 135mm f/2.0 ED UMC Telephoto Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras
The Samyang 135mm lens offers an 18.8 degree angle, a minimum focusing distance of 2.6ft, and 9 diaphragm blades with a removable lens hood.
Tamron SP 70-200MM F/2.8 DI VC USD Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon EF Cameras (Model A009E)
The Tamron SP 70-200MM telephoto lens is super compact and offers a f/2.8 aperture, is moisture resistant, and has an anti-shake mechanism. Plus, it has ultrasonic silent drive for quiet focusing.
Sigma 150-500mm f/5-6.3 AF APO DG OS HSM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras
Or, the Sigma 150-500mm might be more your style. This telephoto lens has an aperture of f/5-6.3, a lens hood, and front and read caps. It also has a TS-31 tripod collar, as well as an included case and strap.
Tamron 100-400mm F/4.5-6.3 VC USD Telephoto Zoom Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras
This is another great option. The Tamron 100-400mm has an aperture of f/4.5-6.3, is durable, and has an eBAND coating to suppress reflections. It’s also moisture resistant and has a fluorine-coated front element to further protect the lens.
Other
Sony SEL85F18 85mm F/1.8-22 Medium-Telephoto Fixed Prime Camera Lens, Black
The Sony SEL85F18 offers a f/1.8 aperture, a 9-blade circular aperture for creating bokeh effects, an ED glass element, a double linear motor system, and direct control over focus.
Pentax HD D FA 150-450mm f4.5-5.6ED DC AW Super-Telephoto Lens for Pentax KAF Cameras
Now this one is the Pentax HD with a f/4.5-5.6 aperture, in camera shake reduction, a super telephoto zoom, a superlow dispersion glass element, and more.
Sony SAL70300G 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 SSM ED G-Series Compact Super Telephoto Zoom Lens
Or you could consider the Sony SAL70300G, which has an aperture of f/4.5-5.6, a super telephoto zoom lens, a lightweight design, and ED glass for extra sharp imaging. Plus, it has silent auto-focus, to boot!
Rokinon 100mm F2.8 ED UMC Full Frame Telephoto Macro Lens for Sony E-Mount Interchangeable Lens Cameras
Another another great choice is the Rokinon 100mm telephoto lens with a f/2.8 aperture, a 24.8 degree angle view, 15 glass elements in 12 groups, 9 diaphragm blades, UMC glass, and more. This one is compatible with Sony cameras.
Rokinon 100mm F2.8 ED UMC Full Frame Telephoto Macro Lens for Olympus and Panasonic Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Cameras
Last on our list is nearly identical to the above, only it is compatible with Olympus and Panasonic model cameras. It’s actually compatible with all micro four thirds mount interchangeable lens cameras and has a 16.4 degree angle view.
Use These Telephoto Lenses for Your Landscape Photography
After browsing through this resource, it is our hope that you now have a more thorough understanding of what telephoto lenses can do for your photography, how to better capture landscape photos, and which telephoto lenses would be best for your camera and your situation.