So I finally pulled the trigger on the Canon R8 a few months back because I wanted something light for hiking but now Im hitting a wall with the kit lens for landscape stuff. Its just not wide enough when Im trying to get those big foreground elements in frame. Im actually planning a big trip to Zion National Park in late September and I really want to make sure I have the right glass before I head out there. Ive been looking at two main options but honestly the more I read the more my brain hurts lol.

First thing I looked at was the RF 14-35mm f/4L because everyone says L glass is the way to go for sharpness and I really want to try doing some larger prints for my living room. But man that price tag is steep like $1300-1500 depending on sales and my budget is really more in the $800 to $1000 range if I stretch it. Then I saw the RF 15-30mm f/4.5-6.3 which is way cheaper and lighter but then I read some reviews saying the distortion is pretty crazy without digital corrections and the slow aperture might be an issue if I want to do any milky way shots while Im camping.

My main worry is balance too. The R8 is so tiny and light that I dont want a massive brick of a lens making it front-heavy while Im scrambling over rocks. Is the 14-35mm really worth the extra 800 bucks for a hobbyist or should I be looking at something else entirely like a prime? I saw some people mention the 16mm f2.8 pancake but that feels almost too simple? I just want something that captures that scale of the canyons without looking like a blurry mess at the edges...