Looking for that one great lens for landscape photography that is worth the upgrade? Read here everything about what this lens can do while keeping your budget in check for a lens upgrade.
Landscape photography requires a capable camera body, with a suitable lens and a solid skill set to capture worthy vistas. Although skills take time to acquire and the camera body also plays a crucial role, an unworthy lens can bottleneck both your camera and your skill set, leading to subpar photos. This is why investing in a high-performance lens is essential.
A great lens for landscape photography should be one that has an ample wide field of view, enough to capture sweeping vistas. This lens should also retain edge-to-edge sharpness in this wide width of picture, which is also required with proper separation of objects with sharp horizons and natural textures.
Such lenses, which could tick all such boxes, were quite expensive in the past, but now the newer generation lenses are pushing limits at much more affordable price points. Below are our top three picks, from which we have selected one as the best great lens for landscape photography to choose this year.
1. The Tokina ATX-i 11-20mm f/2.8 CF is a great option and has been able to grow a fan base thanks to its f/2.8 aperture, which is quite rare to see in such lenses, especially at the price point it is being sold for. The lens is extensively tested for low-light and astrophotography shots and is known to deliver consistent, ultra-crisp wide shots.
The lens comes with an 11 to 20mm focal range with its f/2.8 super-fast focus system and retains constant sharpness while keeping distortion in check. Priced below five hundred dollars, this lens is an absolute gem. Do note that this lens was released for APS-C DSLR cameras with Canon EF and Nikon F mounts, so if you have other mounts or just a regular full-frame camera, then this lens is not for you.
The lens is overall a widely tested option but still is not perfect; it is repeatedly reported to bring significant distortion in shots at f/2.8 and 11mm. Also, it lacks stabilization options (both IS and VR), which can be a turn-off for many.
2. The Sony FE 16-25mm F2.8 G is loved by landscape photographers, and its love continues to grow this year. Designed for full-frame mirrorless cameras, this lens keeps the weight low and is built with a compact body, making it very relevant to landscape photographers.
The lens shines in the range of f/8 to f/11, with its exceptional edge detail at f/8 to f/11, which is the main reason why it gets so much love. You also get dual linear motors, which are ultra-fast and quiet. Weighing just 409 grams, this lens is extremely likable by those who want to hike and take landscape photos.
Although quite capable, this lens can’t reach 28mm or 35mm, which is a commonly used range in tighter compositions. Moreover, you have no optical image stabilization with the lens, so investing in a tripod is required, especially in low light. With these minor tradeoffs, this lens is still one of the best out there.
3. This brings us to the third great lens for landscape photography, which is actually part of a set of lenses, the Saturn 35/50/75mm Full-frame Carbon Fiber Anamorphic Lens series. For landscape photography, the 30mm is most relevant, and the reason why we are calling up the best option to try this year is because it has something up its sleeve that others don’t, besides ultra-wide shots and sharpness.
Built as an anamorphic lens and priced just below 500, such a breed of lenses was once only for the filmmaking industry but is now making its way to different domains of still photography. With SIRUI Saturn, you get cinematic widescreen still images with a 2.8:1 aspect ratio after de-squeezing, which are significantly more appealing than your standard landscape shots.
In conclusion, while the first two lenses we’ve explored deliver exceptional clarity and performance, the Saturn 35/50/75mm Full-frame Carbon Fiber Anamorphic Lens series—particularly the 35mm—offers something different: a new perspective, quite literally. The cinematic look it provides, with its signature flares, oval bokeh, and immersive 2.8:1 aspect ratio, opens up an artistic dimension that traditional landscape photography often lacks. At under $500, it redefines what’s accessible for still photographers seeking to elevate their work with motion-picture aesthetics.
It’s not just a technical tool—it’s an invitation to reimagine how we frame the world. For those seeking the best creative edge in 2025, this is undoubtedly a great lens for landscape photography that deserves serious consideration.
