For landscape photography which includes a large space it is required a wide lens. After the camera, this is the next important technical condition. What is important to a wide lens? The most important thing is the focal length. Focal length used in landscapes is between 20-70mm equivalent, which at average DSRL cameras, can be reached with 12-55 mm camera lens. Lenses for digital DSLR cameras are pretty good from this point of view, because they are just the standard kit that come with your package: Canon EF-S 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6 IS or Nikon DX 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S VR.

These offer mostly 28-70mm focal length, which is often enough for landscapes. An amateur photographer which owns a DSLR camera will not have problems, because 28-70mm focal length is wide enough for amateur landscape photos. Those who claim more than the quality of the kit, you should look for lens models that receive more light. These are more expensive but better in terms of distortion and resolution.

At the most top  and middle level compact cameras length of 28mm is present. Small compact camera owners who want to shoot beautiful landscapes with 35mm focal length, you have to resort to compromise. Often the situation will be encountered when the mountains will not fit into the frame, or to be able to enter a foreground in composition due to small field angle. The same is true at photos of buildings. Also, in this case you should not have too high expectations from such a small field angle. Try panorama function or increase the angle of field with a converter.

Ultra-wide lenses for landscape photography:

28mm focal length is good, but those of 18mmm, or 20mm are best. On cameras with APS-C sensor this length can be achieved with objectives that begins with 10-14mm focal length. Between 18 and 28mm focal area is advantageous because it can be created more interesting perspectives and extreme field angles. On the other hand, there are landscapes or buildings that does not fit into frame. Why? Because wide lens, unlike telephoto, not near, but departs subjects. For example, at a detail of a landscape made ​​with a wide lens, it may seem that the foreground it is very far from the background, even if in reality it is not. Also, a small room can appear larger if it is photographed in this way. This increases the proportions of the foreground and you can “create” a smaller pool into one of Olympic size, or a rock from a stone. On the other hand, telephoto compresses space.

Wide lens distortion.

Because of the specific construction, wide lens (zoom lens especially amateur) produce the most obvious optical aberrations in this category. The greater the angle of field and thinner the lens quality, the more obvious are the problems.

Bending the horizon. Horizontal lines are curved (like the horizon). On fish-eye lens, the horizon may take the form of a circle. On 28mm lens, this phenomenon is less visible.

Even at 28mm, vertical lines curve inward at edge of the frame. This effect is spectacular sometimes, but usually it is disturbing. On buildings, both distortions are disadvantaged, so that some photographers use special lenses to eliminate these errors.

On wide zoom lens, image sharpness is strongly reduced towards the edges of the frame. This phenomenon is sometimes so strong that it reaches half of clarity measured in the center.

Chromatic aberration are purple or green colorations that occur along the contrast lines. These can be strong even in models with fixed length. Well, depending on lens model.

Vignetting is a darkening of the image corners. This error is typical to poor quality kit lens and the low level compacts.