The best Canon mirrorless kit for landscape photography

Landscape photographers have long relied on Canon's EOS DSLRs and EF lenses to document the changing face of the planet. But the burgeoning Canon EOS R System opens up a new world of possibilities. With their full-frame sensors and advanced mirrorless technology, Canon EOS R System cameras are at the cutting edge of imaging, though it's the revolutionary RF lens mount that's the real game-changer. Canon's RF primes and zooms are designed for optical excellence, and with their compact size and reduced weight, they're a great choice when trekking to find the perfect viewpoint.

"I also have the Canon EOS R6," Radomir continues. "If you want a main body and a second body, then the EOS R6 really complements the EOS R5. If you have to print larger than a metre, the Canon EOS R5 is obviously a better choice, but for most work they are quite similar."

Mike agrees that a high-resolution sensor is always desirable for scenic shots: "It allows you to clearly see the individual components and organic structure of the landscape," he explains. But he also highlights some of the smaller features of the Canon EOS R5 that can make a big difference for landscape photography. "For example, you no longer have to carry a cable release with you because you can use the Canon Camera Connect app to turn your smartphone into a Bluetooth remote release," he says.

"If you're photographing the Milky Way, for example, you can't use an exposure that's too long if you don't want motion blur," Radomir continues. "Having the option to go to f/2.8 means that you don't have to go so high with the ISO."

For those photos where you want to squeeze as much of the scenery into the frame as possible, reach for the Canon RF 14-35mm F4L IS USM – the widest native lens for the RF system. "The 1mm difference between 14mm and 15mm makes an incredible difference to the coverage of the subject," says Mike. "Moving from 300mm to 400mm in a telephoto lens might not be that noticeable, but every millimetre counts with a wide-angle lens."

As Radomir points out, the RF 14-35mm F4L IS USM also focuses a bit closer than the RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS USM (the former has a minimum focus distance of 0.2m, the latter 0.28m), so you can exploit the lens's wide angle of view while at the same time physically getting closer to foreground objects, thus making them fill more of the frame.

The filter thread size may also be an important consideration, Radomir adds. "The RF 14-35mm F4L IS USM has a 77mm filter thread and the RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS USM has an 82mm filter thread, which is something to think about if you want to easily share filters between your other Canon lenses."

One of the benefits of moving to the Canon EOS R System is that you can continue using your favourite Canon EF and EF-S lenses, such as the Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM or the EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III USM, via an EF-EOS R mount adapter.

There are three mount adapters available, including Drop-In Filter Mount Adapter EF-EOS R, which enables the use of drop-in filters. "You can use this to add a polariser to any EF or EF-S lens, including the Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM where it's not possible to fit a filter to the front of the lens," explains Mike. "A variable ND drop-in filter is also available, which is useful if you want to use a certain shutter speed and aperture combination, or if you want to shoot a long exposure landscape."

Mike adds, "The high level of compression that the Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1L IS USM can achieve allows landscape photographers to see things in a very different way than the standard wide-angle view. It's fully weather-sealed and about the same size as the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens. It was going to be difficult to improve on the image quality of that lens, so we added an extra 100mm as that's more beneficial than chasing ever-decreasing margins of image performance enhancements."

Mike is equally enthusiastic about the compact size of this lens. "It readily fits into a camera bag and is a much easier lens to carry around than the EF equivalent. And of course, the Canon RF 70-200mm F4L IS USM is even smaller. It's comparable in size to the Canon RF 24-105mm F4L IS USM and is a great option when you don't need the faster maximum aperture of the flagship zoom.

"The RF 70-200mm F4L IS USM is an L-Series lens, so just like the f/2.8 version, it's totally weather-sealed. It even has the heat-resistant paint that we use on our super telephoto lenses, so in bright sunlight it doesn't suffer from any drop in image performance. Optically, the Canon RF 70-200mm F4L IS USM is absolutely stunning. It's better all the way through the zoom range than the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS II USM, which is razor sharp. It's also smaller, focuses faster and closer, and features better IS."

"There are not so many landscape images that lend themselves to the Canon RF 85mm F2 Macro IS STM, but you will always find some shots that really suit the large f/2 aperture and the attractive vignetting."

Mike says that although the Canon RF 85mm F2 Macro IS STM is not a classic landscape lens, it's a very good all-rounder: "The close-up ability does allow you to get a different perspective, with the half life-size magnification giving you a good balance between details in the foreground and the background when you need it."