Two lenses, two views on landscape photography

Award-winning photographer Verity Milligan is passionate about shooting landscapes. She's often up before sunrise, heading for the great outdoors. "I'm a big fan of mornings, and misty mornings in particular," she says. "They're so atmospheric. I like to get out before dawn and start shooting in the 'blue hour' when the sun is still below the horizon."

Verity has an enviable range of Canon cameras and L-series lenses in her kitbag, but to demonstrate what's possible with just a pair of compact and lightweight lenses, she took on the challenge of capturing landscapes from different perspectives with just one zoom and one prime lens – the Canon RF 15-30mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM and the RF 24mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM – in the beautiful Lake District in Cumbria, England.

"The quality and performance of these more affordable lenses has improved considerably since I started out in photography," says Verity. "The glass is very good and both lenses are really responsive. What I liked most, though, is how small and manageable they are. I could just pack a camera and these two lenses and trek off into the landscape."

"A major challenge in landscape photography is to see things differently, so you can make images that aren't the same as everybody else's," explains Verity. "That's why using lenses with a range of views can be so helpful."

The Canon RF 15-30mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM is ideal for enthusiast photographers who want to add a versatile ultra-wide-angle zoom to their EOS R System camera. Perfect for capturing sweeping views, it features a 5.5-stop optical Image Stabilizer for shake-free images, even when shooting landscapes handheld or in low light. Up to 7-stops of IS is on hand with a compatible EOS R System body such as the EOS R5. This lens is also great up-close, with a Manual Focus mode that offers extraordinary levels of detail and impressive sharpness, right up to 12.8cm (0.52x magnification).

Weighing just 270g, the small, light Canon RF 24mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM combines a wide-angle with a fast aperture for shooting creatively, even in low light. A 5-stop optical Image Stabilizer enables longer shutter speeds for handheld shooting, rising to 6.5-stops with a compatible EOS R System body. It's also great for close-ups with a minimum focusing distance of 14cm (0.5x magnification or half life-size) so you can show a subject within its environment.

Verity used the Canon RF 15-30mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM to capture some stunning shots of idyllic Buttermere and the sweeping slopes of the Northern Fells. "This lens is most effective for really expansive landscapes," she explains. "The wider field of view is simply unbeatable for capturing big vistas and huge, dramatic skies."

The relationship between the distant scenery and the foreground interest is key when it comes to composing landscape shots. "I want to lead the viewer's eye through the frame without the image becoming too cluttered," she says. "It's important to find a balance between the foreground and background. It gives depth to images."

Verity was really impressed by the versatility that the RF 15-30mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM offered for shooting landscapes, and the scope for creativity. "It has a tremendous range of landscape-oriented focal lengths. The zoom range covers everything I need and is amazing in challenging terrain when I can't physically reach the spot I want to shoot from with a prime lens.

"It can also combine a super-wide viewing angle with close focusing. I was able to get in really close and shoot some buttercups in the middle of the frame, with the surrounding scenery blurring into the background for context."

While shooting the cotton grass, a darter suddenly flew into shot, and the macro capabilities of the Canon RF 24mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM enabled Verity to get in really close for some detail shots, shooting at around f/3 to isolate the dragonfly by blurring the background, while retaining the beautiful colours of the landscape.

"It's great having that ability in your kitbag," says Verity. "It helps you to remember that landscape photography isn't just about shooting big vistas."

Verity loved the fixed focal length of the lens and said she found it really helpful for avoiding distractions and concentrating on composition. "A fixed focal length trains you to be a better photographer," she adds. "For me, this is more of a creative lens. And when everything comes together, it makes for brilliant landscape images."

In an ideal world you would carry lenses that suit a range of scenarios when you head off to shoot landscapes, but Verity found that between them, the Canon RF 15-30mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM and RF 24mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM pretty much covered all her shooting needs. "Both lenses have a huge amount to offer anybody who's got to grips with their camera and wants something more than their kit lens can deliver," she says. This includes users of the APS-C cameras in Canon's EOS R System lineup, who will also benefit from the wider angle of the zoom lens and the wider aperture of the prime.

"With its vast viewing angles, the Canon RF 15-30mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM gives photographers the ability to see the landscape in different ways, and to truly evolve their creativity," adds Verity." The Canon RF 24mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM's macro capability combined with the bright f/1.8 aperture brings exciting new creative possibilities."

Verity was particularly impressed with the AF capabilities of both lenses, and the way the IS in the lenses worked in conjunction with the IBIS in the EOS R5. "The IS worked incredibly well," she says. "I don't think I got a single blurry image from two days of shooting, even when using fairly narrow apertures and slow shutter speeds in low light. At times I was shooting handheld in near-darkness and still getting consistently sharp images. I really like freedom of movement when I'm shooting and being able to make subtle changes to see how this alters the perspective of the shot. Using a tripod can be really limiting in this respect, as well as being one more thing to carry."

Verity's images from the challenge demonstrate the creative options these two compact and lightweight lenses can deliver. "I was blown away by the quality and versatility of these lenses, and just how close they can focus," she says. "They open up new opportunities for completely different and unusual perspectives in landscape photography. You can literally look closer and see so much more."



Written by Matthew Richards