what to do

[Drizzt321]

If you're shooting landscapes, you're on a tripod, or at least a monopod most of the time, correct? Then you can generally use a longer shutter speed to avoid higher ISOs, and a mix of open and stopped down.

If you don't have a good quality tripod, and you mostly shoot landscapes, I'd actually invest in a high quality tripod first. It'll cost you as much as some mid priced lenses, but if you select the right one you can use it for years and it will help with your landscapes a lot when it comes to fine detail. Just stop down (higher f-number) your lens to around 6.3-8 which generally increases the lens sharpness by a good bit on nearly all lenses.

If you have a pretty decent tripod, then it's time to look for a lens. Do you want ultra-wide? Or is wide to normal going to be good enough? And do you think you'll move up to full-frame (FF) camera like the 6D or 5d3 in the future? For ultra-wide, there's really only a few options for crop-sensors, but they tend to be decent to good optically. You can get ultra-wide FF lenses that will work on your 500d, but they'll function as wide to normal focal length lenses.

Frankly, one of the cheapest lenses you can get is actually quite sharp. The Canon EF-40mm f/2.8 is quite sharp even wide open, and stopped down improves some. It's also only $200, I think $150 right now after the coupon/rebate that Canon is offering. It'll be in the normal focal range (~64mm effective field of view) on your camera, but it's quite cheap, and a great deal.

If you want wider, the new Sigma 35mm f/1.4 for $900 is very good optically, although it'll be ~56mm FoV for you which is still normal. Next is really looking at the Canon 24/28mm lenses, with the 24L f/1.4 probably being among the better, although still quite expensive. Then there's the Canon 17-40 and 16-35 zooms. The 17-40 might be quite good for you since it gives you ~28-64mm FoV, while avoiding the extreme corners where it tends to be quite soft. It's also relatively inexpensive, $839 ($739 right now after rebate) and pretty good optically, except for extreme corners which on a crop you won't have. The 16-35 v2 is a good bit better in the corners, and a lot more expensive. From what I know, both are quite good optically stopped down, although the 16-35 is still the better.

 

[500d]

what about 14mm????????

 

[ahab1372]

+1 on the tripod, I'd start there. There are several threads about tripod choices here.
Then think about a CPL filter if you don't already own one.
You'll mostly shoot stopped down, even kit lenses perform decently stopped down. So instead of thinking primarily about better lenses, you should maybe think about a different focal length that you currently don't have.
If you want to upgrade the camera for better IQ, consider the 6D over the 5DmkIII. You don't really need the better AF of the 5D for landscapes.

 

[9VIII]

Before the 5D3 got mentioned I was going to say 6D, now that it has, and landscape is in the picture, get the 6D.

And if you're short on cash for lenses, the Pancake is actually pretty amazing.

 

[Drizzt321]

what about 14mm????????

14mm is pretty good, but for $2200 I'm hard pressed to recommend it for you right now. The 17-40 does quite well, especially on crop, and is more versatile and costs a heck of a lot less. For that money you can get the tripod, 17-40, and one or two non-L primes from Canon such as the 40 f/2.8 or 85 f/1.8 or 50 f/1.4, although they are not really landscape lenses.

 

[500d]

is gitzo a good tripod

 

[jdramirez]

I agree film frame is the way to go for landscape, and I also concur with a good tripod. but you can probably get away with using a 5dc for around 600ish and then getting a lens. the classic isn't awesome in low light, but that is what the tripod and long exposure times are for. it doesn't take successive shots quickly, again... not really necessary.

as for a lens, the 17-40 will do. when stopped down it is a pretty nice lens.

 

[jdramirez]

is gitzo a good tripod

people talk about it here like it is... and I'm willing to believe them. I have a $40 tripod that I like, but people don't share my enthusiasm for cost effective tripod.

 

[rpt]

is gitzo a good tripod

people talk about it here like it is... and I'm willing to believe them. I have a $40 tripod that I like, but people don't share my enthusiasm for cost effective tripod.

LOL! What about a $40 tripod that one uses for say 30 years?

 

[Random Orbits]

people talk about it here like it is... and I'm willing to believe them. I have a $40 tripod that I like, but people don't share my enthusiasm for cost effective tripod.

I had received a tripod years ago as a gift, and it worked ok with my 20D and 17-55. It was not robust enough to handle the 70-200 II, so I used it with the lightest lenses I had, and that was iffy. The legs were plenty strong/stable enough, it was the center column/head interface that was weak. One of my favorite pictures was taken with it and the 100L on a beach. The legs did not disassemble and I was unable to get all the sand out, so it started making grooves along the metal legs. The head/column interface failed completely at the end of last year. I'd like the tripod to keep the heaviest lens/body combo stable and to be able to be taken apart to be cleaned. Can it be achieved with a $50 tripod... no. Can it be achieved with a $300+ tripod... yes. It's up to user to determine which type, material, features are applicable.

 

[sandymandy]

Other than this being exceptionally good advise, it's also what I miss after living overseas for 30 years, the Aussie sense of what most of us call, Humour, it doesn't quire translate in the rest of the world, but I still love it, I'm still laughing as I write this.

Maybe u are just around the wrong people

 

[Drizzt321]

is gitzo a good tripod

Gitzo is a good brand, as is RRS (Really Right Stuff), and I have a Benro which is a chinese knockoff of some of the more expensive Gitzo/RRS, but it's pretty good quality. I'd recommend going for Arca-Swiss type heads (Gitzo, RRS, some others) rather than Manfrotto which apparently doesn't have just 1 standard for quick release plates, but a couple.

However, tripods (plus head) can easily range up to the price of a good lens, however as long as you don't knock it around too much, they tend to last as long as a good lens.

 

[500d]

THE 6D IS QUITE TEMPTING but so expensive

 

[Drizzt321]

THE 6D IS QUITE TEMPTING but so expensive

The 6D is quite good for what it is, although it lacks some things a more general high end camera like the 5d3 does well (specifically the AF system and a few edge features). What lenses do you have now? If you have a couple of good lenses, you may gain more by the 6D which will be a big jump over the 500D's sensor in many situations. If you don't have any good lenses, go for a good lens or two, and a good tripod if you don't have one. Don't forget to get a shutter release cable and learn how to use it and mirror lockup for your landscapes.

 

[500d]

THE 6D IS QUITE TEMPTING but so expensive

The 6D is quite good for what it is, although it lacks some things a more general high end camera like the 5d3 does well (specifically the AF system and a few edge features). What lenses do you have now? If you have a couple of good lenses, you may gain more by the 6D which will be a big jump over the 500D's sensor in many situations. If you don't have any good lenses, go for a good lens or two, and a good tripod if you don't have one. Don't forget to get a shutter release cable and learn how to use it and mirror lockup for your landscapes.

55 -250mm

18-55mm
no tripod

 

[Drizzt321]

THE 6D IS QUITE TEMPTING but so expensive

The 6D is quite good for what it is, although it lacks some things a more general high end camera like the 5d3 does well (specifically the AF system and a few edge features). What lenses do you have now? If you have a couple of good lenses, you may gain more by the 6D which will be a big jump over the 500D's sensor in many situations. If you don't have any good lenses, go for a good lens or two, and a good tripod if you don't have one. Don't forget to get a shutter release cable and learn how to use it and mirror lockup for your landscapes.

55 -250mm

18-55mm
no tripod

Ok, so none of your current lenses will work on the 6D, since those are EF-S lenses. If you go for the 6D kit with 24-105L it's a pretty nice all-around lens, but even stopped down it won't excel at landscapes. Great general purpose lens though.

If you're serious about landscapes, I'd first get a good quality tripod. Skip the $200-300 range, and go a bit higher. I don't have the link handy, but basically it's a cost comparison showing someone starting off with a really cheap tripod, decide they need a better one and get a mid-range, then decide they need a better one and get a higher end tripod. In the end, they would have saved money if they had gone right for the higher end tripod. Not that I'm saying you should spend $600 on the lens, and another $400 on the head, but if you can budget $600-700 for legs + nice head, you'll be a lot happier for a long time.

Next, I'd go for another lens. Depends on you're budget and desire, but for landscape I'd go more for the 17-40L or 24mm Samyang/Rokinon lens. That one is manual focus, manual aperture, and you won't have any lens EXIF info, but it is pretty good optically, especially when stopped down to f/4 or a bit further. However, the Canon 17-40L is more flexible, although it starts at f/4 it does improve stopped down and has AF and full lens EXIF info. Both of those are around $600-700 I believe. For you, I'd recommend the Canon 17-40L for now, and it should suit you're needs pretty good.

So, for less than the cost of a 6D body only, you can get a very good tripod and a good quality lens that will be quite good for your current needs, and give you some room to grow and experiment and learn. I also recommend going online and searching and reading about landscape photography. There is a lot of material out there on the internet. I likely will take some time to learn the techniques, and then figure your style, but keep at it and don't give up.

 

[rs]

55 -250mm

18-55mm
no tripod

They're both EF-S lenses. If you do go for a FF body such as the 6D, you'll have to set aside some budget to buy EF lenses to go with it. What's your budget?

If your budget only stretches as far as a 6D, put your money into a good lens and a tripod instead. Preferably an EF lens so you have the option of upgrading to FF later on, should you choose to.

For good reasons the 17-40 keeps getting mentioned. However, if you really want wide and don't mind buying more into the EF-S system, the 10-22 could be worth looking at.

 

[500d]

THE 6D IS QUITE TEMPTING but so expensive

The 6D is quite good for what it is, although it lacks some things a more general high end camera like the 5d3 does well (specifically the AF system and a few edge features). What lenses do you have now? If you have a couple of good lenses, you may gain more by the 6D which will be a big jump over the 500D's sensor in many situations. If you don't have any good lenses, go for a good lens or two, and a good tripod if you don't have one. Don't forget to get a shutter release cable and learn how to use it and mirror lockup for your landscapes.

55 -250mm

18-55mm
no tripod

Ok, so none of your current lenses will work on the 6D, since those are EF-S lenses. If you go for the 6D kit with 24-105L it's a pretty nice all-around lens, but even stopped down it won't excel at landscapes. Great general purpose lens though.

If you're serious about landscapes, I'd first get a good quality tripod. Skip the $200-300 range, and go a bit higher. I don't have the link handy, but basically it's a cost comparison showing someone starting off with a really cheap tripod, decide they need a better one and get a mid-range, then decide they need a better one and get a higher end tripod. In the end, they would have saved money if they had gone right for the higher end tripod. Not that I'm saying you should spend $600 on the lens, and another $400 on the head, but if you can budget $600-700 for legs + nice head, you'll be a lot happier for a long time.

Next, I'd go for another lens. Depends on you're budget and desire, but for landscape I'd go more for the 17-40L or 24mm Samyang/Rokinon lens. That one is manual focus, manual aperture, and you won't have any lens EXIF info, but it is pretty good optically, especially when stopped down to f/4 or a bit further. However, the Canon 17-40L is more flexible, although it starts at f/4 it does improve stopped down and has AF and full lens EXIF info. Both of those are around $600-700 I believe. For you, I'd recommend the Canon 17-40L for now, and it should suit you're needs pretty good.

So, for less than the cost of a 6D body only, you can get a very good tripod and a good quality lens that will be quite good for your current needs, and give you some room to grow and experiment and learn. I also recommend going online and searching and reading about landscape photography. There is a lot of material out there on the internet. I likely will take some time to learn the techniques, and then figure your style, but keep at it and don't give up.

what tripod do you head do you recommend?

would the 6d and the 17-40 give me substantially better shots

 

[Drizzt321]

THE 6D IS QUITE TEMPTING but so expensive

The 6D is quite good for what it is, although it lacks some things a more general high end camera like the 5d3 does well (specifically the AF system and a few edge features). What lenses do you have now? If you have a couple of good lenses, you may gain more by the 6D which will be a big jump over the 500D's sensor in many situations. If you don't have any good lenses, go for a good lens or two, and a good tripod if you don't have one. Don't forget to get a shutter release cable and learn how to use it and mirror lockup for your landscapes.

55 -250mm

18-55mm
no tripod

Ok, so none of your current lenses will work on the 6D, since those are EF-S lenses. If you go for the 6D kit with 24-105L it's a pretty nice all-around lens, but even stopped down it won't excel at landscapes. Great general purpose lens though.

If you're serious about landscapes, I'd first get a good quality tripod. Skip the $200-300 range, and go a bit higher. I don't have the link handy, but basically it's a cost comparison showing someone starting off with a really cheap tripod, decide they need a better one and get a mid-range, then decide they need a better one and get a higher end tripod. In the end, they would have saved money if they had gone right for the higher end tripod. Not that I'm saying you should spend $600 on the lens, and another $400 on the head, but if you can budget $600-700 for legs + nice head, you'll be a lot happier for a long time.

Next, I'd go for another lens. Depends on you're budget and desire, but for landscape I'd go more for the 17-40L or 24mm Samyang/Rokinon lens. That one is manual focus, manual aperture, and you won't have any lens EXIF info, but it is pretty good optically, especially when stopped down to f/4 or a bit further. However, the Canon 17-40L is more flexible, although it starts at f/4 it does improve stopped down and has AF and full lens EXIF info. Both of those are around $600-700 I believe. For you, I'd recommend the Canon 17-40L for now, and it should suit you're needs pretty good.

So, for less than the cost of a 6D body only, you can get a very good tripod and a good quality lens that will be quite good for your current needs, and give you some room to grow and experiment and learn. I also recommend going online and searching and reading about landscape photography. There is a lot of material out there on the internet. I likely will take some time to learn the techniques, and then figure your style, but keep at it and don't give up.

what tripod do you head do you recommend?

would the 6d and the 17-40 give me substantially better shots

I'd say start with a tripod and 17-40L, and save you're money for a year or two and see where you're at. Maybe get another lens in the middle sometime. Right now it sounds like you don't have a lot of experience shooting, but really want to get more into it. Eventually you will likely want to upgrade to a full-frame sensor, but not necessary at the moment. Once you've shot with the 17-40 for a while, learned more about what and how you like to shoot but still want the 6D, I'd rent it for a week or so and shoot some side-by-side if you can with your current body and see if you really think it's a huge leap in image quality.

Substantially better shots is quite subjective, as most photos are more limited by the composition (so you), and the lighting which you may or may not be able to influence or control. Equipment does play a role, but in most cases composition and lighting make the photo, rather than the specific lens and/or body. You may certainly reach a point or want to shoot something where you will need better equipment, or some specialized equipment (such as a Tilt-Shift lens for architectural photography).

As for tripods, I'm not an expert on them so I'll defer, but Gitzo and Really Right Stuff are both top quality brands, and Benro has a pretty good reputation despite it being Chinese knockoffs. Remember that tripods and heads have limits as to their maximum designed weight they can hold. I'd recommend overspeccing by quite a bit, rather than getting just what you think you'll need. That's what I did and I'm quite grateful I did as I now have a 8+ pound medium format film camera, which if I specced to the equipment I have otherwise what I got wouldn't have been able to hand it. I'd say spec to 12+ pounds which will let you move up to a larger body, and heavier glass while still having a margin and likely not having a tripod that weighs a ton, especially if you get a carbon fiber one.

 

[wickidwombat]

well with those few extra nuggets of info

since you ONLY shoot landscapes the higher iso bodies are going to show no real improvement
and it would seem budget is indead an issue

5dmk2 iso 100 (IQ is pretty much on par with the 5Dmk3 maybe a tad sharper
17-40 L (you will be stopped down most of the time anyway
good tripod (i use benro which are chinese gitzo knockoffs and are very good)
you will also need a good polarising filter and a 10 stop ND go with B+W here or a high end hoya
there is no cheap way around it (cheap filters = crap images)
also i would recomend a good L bracket so its easier to mount the camera in portrait and maintain
the camera central over the axis of the tripod.

also get a longer lens for compressed landscapes again always on a tripod the 70-200 f4L non IS version is cheap and very good too may as well grab a 50mm f1.8 too to cover the middle and just in case you do decide to shoot something that requires a wider aperture