I've been scouring the web for a wide angle for my Rebel T7 since im heading to Zion next month and really want those massive landscape shots. My budget is pretty firm at $250 max.
So I was thinking about the Canon 10-18mm stm because its cheap but then I read it might be too slow for sunset stuff. I also saw people swearing by the 24mm pancake but my logic was that 24mm on a crop sensor like the T7 isnt actually that wide? Im stuck between the extra width of the zoom or the sharpness of the prime but idk if the 24mm will just feel like my kit lens. What do u guys think...
You're right about the 24mm pancake. On a T7, it acts like a 38mm lens which isn't wide at all for landscapes. You won't get those massive shots you want in Zion with it. Itll feel way too similar to your kit lens at the wide end. The Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM is the standard recommendation for a reason. Even though it's a bit slow, for landscape work you'll likely be stopped down to f/8 or f/11 anyway to get everything in focus from the foreground to the horizon. Here are some practical points based on my experience:
- The image stabilization on the 10-18mm is actually really good for handheld shots at sunset.
- It's incredibly light, which is a huge plus when you're hiking up to Angels Landing or Scout Lookout.
- The autofocus is silent and quick, though that matters more for video. If you're absolutely set on a faster lens for astro or low light, try finding a used Tokina AT-X 11-16mm f/2.8 Pro DX II for Canon. It's much faster at f/2.8 but it's way heavier and usually costs more. For $250, you could get the Canon 10-18mm and still have money left for a decent circular polarizer to make the sky pop. Stick with the 10-18mm for your first trip... the extra width is way more important than the aperture for those canyon walls.
