25/04/2026 11:26 pm
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So Ive been shooting on the R5 for about two years now mostly for weddings and some wildlife but Im heading out to the Dolomites in literally ten days and I realized my old EF 16-35mm f/2.8 II is just... not it. I tried some test shots yesterday and on this 45MP sensor the corner softness is driving me absolutely insane especially since Im planning on doing some huge prints later this year. Ive always been a glass-first kind of guy but Im stuck between the RF 15-35mm f/2.8 and that 14-35mm f/4.
The f/2.8 is tempting for astro if I get a clear night but honestly Im worried about the weight since were hiking like 10 miles a day. Then again Ive heard the 14-35 has some pretty crazy distortion that the camera has to fix in-post and Im worried thats gonna eat into my resolution or make the edges look weirdly stretched. Budget is flexible but Id like to stay under $2400 if possible. Does anyone have real-world experience with these two on the R5 specifically for high-detail landscape work? Is the extra 1mm on the wide end worth the f/4 trade-off or should I just suck it up and carry the heavy 2.8? My flight is next Friday so I gotta pull the trigger on an order tonight...
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25/04/2026 11:26 pm
Ive been super satisfied with the Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM on my R5 lately. If youre hiking 10 miles a day, your back will definitely thank you for going lighter.
- 14mm is a game changer for those massive peaks.
- Corner sharpness is excellent once stopped down.
- Digital distortion correction works well and wont ruin your prints. Go for the f/4 and save some money for the trip.
12
26/04/2026 12:00 am
I went through the same dilemma for my R5 last year. Technically, the Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM is the cleaner option for large prints because it doesnt require the extreme digital stretching that the f/4 uses to fix its native distortion at 14mm. When you stretch pixels to fix corners, you lose a bit of that 45MP punch. Here are some direct points to consider:
- The 15-35mm has a standard 82mm filter thread which is handy for landscape kits.
- Sunstars are significantly more defined on the 2.8 model.
- If you want to save weight but keep quality, the Laowa 15mm f/2 Zero-D for Canon RF is a solid manual alternative for astro. The weight of the 2.8 is definitely noticeable after five miles, but the optical performance is more consistent across the frame. For big prints, the lack of digital correction artifacts makes it worth the sweat.
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26/04/2026 12:10 am
^ This. Also, I'm gonna have to respectfully disagree with the idea that the software correction on the Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM ruins it for large prints. I've been super happy with my R5 output using this lens, and the technical reality is that even with some stretching, the center and mid-frame sharpness is basically indistinguishable from the Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM at typical landscape apertures like f/8 or f/11. A few things to keep in mind:
- Cost: You're saving almost a grand. Use that to get a high-end Breakthrough Photography X4 CPL or a decent carbon fiber tripod.
- Practicality: 10 miles a day is no joke. The f/4 version is way more compact and easier to pack.
- Astro: If you find a clear night, just shoot a multi-shot stack. It'll be cleaner than a single f/2.8 frame anyway. Seriously, the f/4 is more than enough for high-detail work. Grab a Peak Design Capture Clip to make the hiking easier and you're golden. I've been very satisfied with that exact setup on my R5... it just works well without any real complaints.
