Landscape with a telephoto lens

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I spat my dummy 86922

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Having been back and forth with Fuji and Nikon I’ve decided to stick with Fuji. Currently have an XT1 with battery grip and the xf 55-200mm lens.

I go on holiday in a few weeks time and wanted to try and get a nice sunrise/sunset shot and have been on the lookout for a lens with shorter focal length such as 18-55 and struggling to find one in my budget.

Most landscapes I’ve seen are shot with this shorter focal length. Am I going to run into problems getting good shots with a telephoto lens? Just read an article on google where someone was saying a telephoto is better as it doesn’t distort the object closest to you. With the 55 end of my lens I’m not going to get that wide look though?

Matt
 
If you want wide open vistas then no you need a wider lens.

But tele lenses are also good for landscapes. You need to pick out the details in the composition and make those your focal point.

Sunsets especially are suited to the tele as the sun will appear larger and become the focal point in an image.

This was taken at 70mm.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/UyGTRi]Barricane Sunset by Terence Rees, on Flickr[/URL]
 
Generally with a lens that long you're going to be focusing more on specific details of the landscape rather than capturing the entire view. However, if you're looking for replicating those stereotypical wide landscape vistas, its still possible with a longer lens through panorama blending in post processing.
 
Cheers for the replies. Will keep an eye out for an 18-55 or something like that but feel a little better now knowing it’s still possible to get some decent shots.

Matt
 
For a sunset, I would have thought that a medium length lens was best. If the lens is too wide, the sun (and red sky) will disappear into the distance.
 
john.margetts said:
For a sunset, I would have thought that a medium length lens was best. If the lens is too wide, the sun (and red sky) will disappear into the distance.
Click to expand...

I would suggest keeping an open mind as it depends on the subject IMO.
 
Virtually all of my landscape shots are taken in the 70-300mm (FFE) region, if I need wider then I'll shoot for a panorama stitch.

Just depends where you are, what the subject is and how you see things. There is no right or wrong.


edit: here you go, a stitch of a number of shots at 80mm (FFE):

HK from the Peak by Ned Awty, on Flickr

Shot at 80mm FFE:
Sunset at Hope, Alaska by Ned Awty, on Flickr

Shot at 80mm FFE:
NYC-303679-2 by Ned Awty, on Flickr

Shot at 300mm FFE
St-Emilion Sunset by Ned Awty, on Flickr
 
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alfbranch said:
I would suggest keeping an open mind as it depends on the subject IMO.
Click to expand...
The subject is a sunset. It's not about not having an open mind, it is about understanding geometry. Sunsets generally do not extend many degrees away from the sun.
 
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john.margetts said:
The subject is a sunset. It's not about not having an open mind, it is about understanding geometry. Sunsets generally do not extend many degrees away from the sun.
Click to expand...

I will reapeat that keeping an open mind is always necessary this was shot at 9mm (18mm on 35mm format) at sunset

The OP could achieve this his camera turned to portrait and stitching btw so the OP should buy what can be afforded and work with it while saving

Whitehaven harbour sunset 3 by Alf Branch, on Flickr
 
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My Fuji has actually developed a fault with the LCD. Second Fuji body now with a fault :(

Really wanted to go the Fuji route but they seem so unreliable. Took this, this morning , gives good results but need something reliable I think..

dxh0k6.jpg
 
Looking at ALL the postings regarding your query about focal lengths for landscapes I think it fair to say that there is no one lens that fits all. Get a vast vista in front of you and a wide angle lens may not be the best choice as you may wish to isolate part of what the vista is offering you.
 
The 55-200 is an excellent lens for landscapes. As has been stated it won't suit all shots but it has excellent IQ and allows you to be more selective. It will also make you work harder for your shots, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. If I had to stick with one focal length for landscapes it would likely be my old 105mm (on full frame).
 
FujiMatt said:
Having been back and forth with Fuji and Nikon I’ve decided to stick with Fuji. Currently have an XT1 with battery grip and the xf 55-200mm lens.

I go on holiday in a few weeks time and wanted to try and get a nice sunrise/sunset shot and have been on the lookout for a lens with shorter focal length such as 18-55 and struggling to find one in my budget.

Most landscapes I’ve seen are shot with this shorter focal length. Am I going to run into problems getting good shots with a telephoto lens? Just read an article on google where someone was saying a telephoto is better as it doesn’t distort the object closest to you. With the 55 end of my lens I’m not going to get that wide look though?

Matt
Click to expand...
hi matt
i have used the fuji 55-200mm for landscapes before and had some great results also the IS is very good for handheld long exposure
this is a close up of a small waterfall i took with that lens and handheld

fuji 55-200 -39.jpg
 
Wow that’s cracking!! And handheld? You must have steadier hands than me lol
 
There's no such a lens as a "landscape lens", you just adapt to what you have, you'll always get shots. Here's a 500mm landscape, the advantage a long lens has over a wide one is you can really make the sun a prominent feature, a "trick" astro photographers use all the time with moon shots

p303219228-4.jpg
 
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