Ive been shooting with my R6 Mark II for about six months now and honestly its been a dream for portraits and event work. I usually stick to my 24-70mm f/2.8 L glass but I just got back from a trip to the Scottish Highlands and realized I am really struggling to get that wide, sweeping cinematic look I want for landscapes. I thought my 24mm end would be enough but everything just feels a bit cramped and I keep finding myself wanting more foreground interest or just wider coverage for these massive vistas.
Im starting to get pretty anxious about my next trip to the Dolomites in three weeks because I feel like Im going to walk away with mediocre shots if I dont upgrade. My budget is around 1500 to 2000 dollars max. I really dont know if I should hunt down a used RF 15-35mm f/2.8 or if that might be overkill since I rarely need that speed for landscapes when I have my tripod anyway. Ive heard mixed things about the RF 14-35mm f/4 L too because of the distortion correction issues at the wide end, and that honestly sounds like a headache I dont want to deal with in post.
Should I just bite the bullet and go for the 15-35mm even though its heavy, or is there a better way to do this without compromising on the sharpness I love from the R6 Mark II sensor? I feel like Im running out of time to get used to a new focal length before I head out and the pressure is kinda getting to me. What is everyone else using for their landscape setups on the R system lately? Im just stuck between needing more reach or needing to go wider than 24mm and I dont want to waste money on the wrong glass...
Re: > I keep finding myself wanting more foreground... I totally agree that the heavy zooms get annoying real fast! If you want something sharp that wont break your back, check out the Canon RF 16mm f/2.8 STM. It is super tiny and honestly takes amazing photos for the price. I carry it everywhere as a backup. Pair that with a Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM and you are basically set for any landscape you hit in the Dolomites!
Just catching up on this thread. Honestly, spending 2k on glass when you have a trip in three weeks is risky if you dont love the weight. If you're really worried about that 14-35mm distortion, have you considered the Canon RF 15-30mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM? It is way cheaper, leaving you extra cash for filters or a better bag.
- Be careful with the aperture on that one, it is definitely slower.
- Make sure you check if your current software handles the profile corrections, usually it is just one click in Lightroom.
- I would suggest looking at the used market for the Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8 L IS USM if you really need that weather sealing for the Dolomites, but only if you can find a solid deal under your cap. Are you planning on using a circular polarizer much? That might change which lens diameter you should aim for.
> I keep finding myself wanting more foreground interest or just wider coverage for these massive vistas. I totally get that struggle. I spent a fortune on a wide zoom thinking it would solve everything, but honestly, the heavy weight made me leave it in the bag too often. It was a mistake. My advice is to find something lighter and focus on composition instead of just going wider.
