So Im planning a trip to Yosemite next month and really want to get some solid landscape shots with my Canon 90D. Ive been doing some reading and a lot of people recommend the Canon 10-18mm because its super cheap and wide, but then others swear by the Sigma 18-35mm f1.8 for crop sensors because of the sharpness. Im kinda stuck because my budget is strictly under $500 and the Sigma is heavy and expensive even used. Plus is 18mm even wide enough on an APS-C body for big mountain views? Which lens should I actually go for?
> For Yosemite on a crop sensor like the Canon 90D, 18mm behaves like a 28.8mm lens Agreed. I've been very satisfied with the Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM. It works well, is super reliable, and easily fits your budget used.
In my experience shooting landscapes on crop sensors over the years, you definitely want something wider than 18mm for those massive cliffs. I've tried many setups and here are two solid options under your budget:
- Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM: Super lightweight and cheap. Image quality is surprisingly sharp for the price. The main downside is the plastic mount and slower aperture, but for daytime landscapes on a tripod, it's a non-issue.
- Tokina AT-X 11-20mm f/2.8 PRO DX: You can find this used under 500. Pros are the fast f/2.8 aperture which is great if you want to try astrophotography at night in the park. Cons are it's much heavier and prone to flare when shooting into the sun. Honestly, if you want to save cash for park fees, just grab the Canon 10-18mm. It gets the job done.
For Yosemite on a crop sensor like the Canon 90D, 18mm behaves like a 28.8mm lens in full-frame terms due to the 1.6x crop factor. While 28.8mm is decent for some shots, youre gonna struggle to capture the scale of Valley View or Tunnel View without a wider focal length. The Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM is the most logical choice here. At 10mm, you get a 16mm equivalent field of view, which is essential for massive rock faces. Its exceptionally light at 240g and features image stabilization. The image quality is surprisingly sharp when stopped down to f/8, which is where you want to shoot landscapes anyway. The Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM Art is optically superior and offers a fast f/1.8 aperture, but it weighs 810g and is way over budget. For pure landscape photography where you are shooting on a tripod at narrow apertures, the extra light-gathering capability of the Sigma is basically wasted. Go for the 10-18mm and use the saved budget for a good tripod or filters...
