Which wide-angle lens is best for Canon R5 landscape photography?

Question

So I finally pulled the trigger on a Canon R5 and I am absolutely buzzing to get it out into the field! I have a big trip to Zion and Bryce Canyon coming up in late October and I really need to nail down my wide-angle setup before then. Ive been looking at two main options but I am stuck in analysis paralysis lol.

I read a ton of reviews saying the RF 14-35mm f/4L is the go-to for hikers because it's so light, but then other people on some forums mentioned that it relies super heavily on digital correction for the distortion and that makes the corners look mushy? That kinda scares me for high-res landscapes on a 45mp sensor. Then there is the RF 15-35mm f/2.8 which is basically the gold standard but man it is heavy and way more expensive.

Here is what I am looking for:

Budget: ideally under $2200 if possible

Weight: I am gonna be hiking 8-10 miles a day so I dont want a total brick in my pack

Filters: Must be able to use my circular polarizers easily without a crazy matte box setup

Use case: Massive vista shots and maybe some astro if I get lucky with the skies

Is the 2.8 really worth the extra weight if I am mostly shooting at f/8 on a tripod anyway? Or is there maybe a third option I am totally overlooking like a sharp prime lens? Just want to make sure I don't regret the purchase when I am standing at the edge of the canyon...

PrismPipit · Accepted Answer

> Is the 2.8 really worth the extra weight if I am mostly shooting at f/8 on a tripod anyway? To add to the point above: absolutely not worth the weight if youre hiking 10 miles a day! Seriously, save your cash and your knees lol. I actually went the refurbished route and got a killer deal on the Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM and it has been fantastic for my big trips. Honestly, people get way too caught up in pixel peeping corner perfection... just stop it down to f/8 like you planned and the shots look amazing!! If you really want to nail some astro at Bryce without hauling a brick, just toss a Canon RF 16mm f/2.8 STM in your pack. Its super cheap, tiny, and basically solves your f/2.8 needs for the stars. You could easily grab both of these lenses for way less than your $2200 budget and still have plenty left over for park fees or some good dinner! Zion in October is gonna be absolutely epic, youre gonna love it!

ylmvpkkurv · Answer

I took the Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM to Zion last fall and honestly, be careful with those corners. On an R5, the 14mm profile relies on heavy barrel distortion correction which kind of interpolates the edge pixels. I noticed significant resolution loss there. I would suggest the Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM instead; it handles the 45mp sensor way better, even if its a bit heavy.

ProbabilityPro · Answer

If you're planning on doing any astro at Bryce, f/4 is definitely gonna struggle. I would suggest you just bite the bullet and go with the Canon RF 15-35mm f2.8L IS USM instead. You might want to consider the extra weight a necessary evil for that 45MP sensor. Be careful with those software-corrected lenses, because you really lose that bite in the fine details of the canyon walls.