Shoot Like A Professional

Discover how Canon pro photographers approach their craft • Inspiring images • Expert Canon techniques • Sharper shots

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Successful landscape photography has always placed a lot of emphasis on detail and sharpness. However, with Canon’s range of EOS cameras with modern high-resolution sensors, sharpness and the techniques needed to achieve it have become increasingly important.

So what contributes towards image sharpness? Equipment obviously has a bearing on this, starting with your choice of camera. Sensor size has an effect, as does sensor design, lenses also have a significant impact. It used to be the case that primes were noticeably sharper than zoom lenses, but in recent years Canon’s exceptionally good zoom lenses have revolutionized choices. While good lenses don’t come cheap, spending a bit more will usually result in more quality. The good news is that the most useful lenses for landscapes are wide angles, which are considerably less expensive than telephotos. Moreover, using a suitable tripod and head are as important as camera and lens choice.

How you control depth of field – via your choice of aperture and where you focus – also impacts the sharpness of your images. Choice of aperture is also important in controlling optical aberrations such as diffraction, which can result in softness. To be fully in control of sharpness, you will also need to master more advanced techniques, such as focus stacking and using tilt-shift lenses. Let’s get stuck in…

Use the right kit for the job