Best Sony Landscape Photography Kit
Last Updated: June, 2026
When it comes to landscape photography gear, I don't believe there's a single perfect kit.
The best camera and lens combination isn't always the one with the highest specifications or the absolute best image quality. It's the combination that best balances image quality, versatility, portability, and features for the way you actually shoot.
Throughout my own photography, I've found that practical considerations matter just as much as technical performance. After all, gear only provides value if you're willing to carry it with you. In most cases, I believe landscape photographers are best served by either a two-lens kit or a three-lens kit. Both kits can cover everything from ultra-wide to telephoto, with the Two-Lens Kit prioritizing size and weight and the Three-Lens Kit prioritizing image quality. The recommendations in this guide focus not only on image quality, but also on real-world usability and practicality.
Disclaimer: Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Choosing a Camera Body
While this guide is focused on landscape photography, I understand that many photographers, including myself, also shoot other subjects such as wildlife, street photography, travel, portraits, and video. For that reason, the camera bodies I recommend are generally well-rounded hybrid cameras that can produce excellent landscape images while also performing well in a wide variety of other situations.
For my lens reviews and image quality comparisons, I often use higher-resolution camera bodies because they make it easier to identify subtle differences in lens performance. While high-resolution cameras certainly have their advantages, I find that modern midrange cameras offer an excellent balance of image quality, features, versatility, and value. If I were building a landscape photography kit today, I would choose a midrange body and invest the savings in lenses, travel, and other accessories. Modern midrange cameras still provide plenty of resolution for online publishing, prints, and moderate cropping while remaining highly capable for a wide variety of photographic and video applications.
Recommended Sony Landscape Photography Gear
If I were building a Sony landscape photography kit from scratch today, this is the gear I would buy as well as recommend to others. I prefer the Two-Lens Kit for long hikes or backpacking, travel, and other situations where I want to keep size and weight to a minimum. The Three-Lens Kit is the setup I prefer when image quality is the priority and carrying additional gear isn't a concern. Many photographers may find that the Two-Lens Kit provides everything they need, while others may choose to expand into the Three-Lens Kit.
Camera
Sony A7 V
Two-Lens Kit
Tamron 16-30mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2
Tamron 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD
Three-Lens Kit
Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM II
Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II
Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS
Astrophotography Lenses
Sony FE 20mm f/1.8 G
Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM
Why These Cameras & Lenses Made the Cut
Sony A7 V
All of Sony's full-frame mirrorless cameras are capable of producing professional-level landscape images. If I were purchasing a Sony camera today for my own photography, the Sony A7 V is the camera I would choose. It offers excellent image quality, a strong feature set, and the versatility to handle a wide range of photography and video applications. While higher-resolution cameras such as the Sony A7R VI certainly have their advantages, the A7 V provides more than enough resolution while offering an excellent balance of performance, features, and value. The Sony A7 IV would be another camera I would seriously consider, but I find the 4-axis screen on the A7 V useful enough to justify choosing it over the A7 IV.
Check Price: B&H Photo | Amazon
Tamron 16-30mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2
The Tamron 16-30mm f/2.8 G2 is the wide-angle lens I would recommend for the two-lens kit. It provides the focal lengths most landscape photographers need while also offering a fast f/2.8 aperture that allows it to double as a landscape astrophotography lens. While it doesn't quite match the Sony lens, it delivers strong image quality at a significantly lower price point.
Check Price: B&H Photo | Amazon
Tamron 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD
The Tamron 28-300mm is what makes the Two-Lens Kit possible. Rather than carrying separate standard and telephoto zooms, this lens provides coverage from wide-angle to telephoto in a single package, making it an excellent choice for hiking, travel, and photographers who prefer carrying less gear. Superzoom lenses like this tend to compromise a bit of image quality in exchange for their extensive zoom range, with much of that compromise typically appearing near the edges and corners of the frame. One way to minimize this weakness is to shoot slightly wider than your intended composition and then crop during post-processing.
Check Price: B&H Photo | Amazon
Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM II
The Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM II serves as the wide-angle recommendation in my Three-Lens Kit. It provides the ultra-wide focal lengths that are often useful for landscape photography while also offering a fast f/2.8 aperture that allows it to double as a landscape astrophotography lens. Combined with excellent image quality and a relatively compact design, it's the lens I would choose as the wide-angle foundation of a Sony landscape photography system.
Check Price: B&H Photo | Amazon
Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II
In most camera systems, I tend to prefer a 24-105mm lens over a 24-70mm because I find the additional reach more useful than the wider aperture for landscape photography. However, Sony's 24-105mm f/4 is beginning to show its age, while the 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II is one of the strongest lenses in Sony's lineup. If maximizing image quality is the goal, this is the standard zoom lens I would choose today, although that recommendation could change if Sony releases an updated version of the 24-105mm in the future.
Check Price: B&H Photo | Amazon
Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS
Although landscape photography is often associated with wide-angle lenses, telephoto lenses are equally important. The Sony FE 100-400mm GM allows you to isolate distant subjects, simplify compositions, and capture scenes that would be impossible with a wider lens. Combined with excellent image quality throughout the zoom range, it's the telephoto lens I would choose for a Sony landscape photography system focused on maximizing image quality. While the newer Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5 GM OSS is also an excellent option, its higher price and increased weight make it less appealing, and I don't believe the constant f/4.5 aperture provides a meaningful advantage for most landscape photographers.
Check Price: B&H Photo | Amazon
Sony FE 20mm f/1.8 G
While the 16-35mm f/2.8 GM II is capable of landscape astrophotography, the Sony FE 20mm f/1.8 G is the lens I would choose when astrophotography is the priority. The wider aperture allows more light to reach the sensor, making it easier to capture cleaner images of the night sky while keeping ISO values and exposure times under control. For landscape photographers interested in astrophotography, it's one of the best lenses available in Sony's lineup.
Check Price: B&H Photo | Amazon
Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM
I also like having access to a fast 35mm lens. The narrower field of view can create a different perspective compared to an ultra-wide lens, and the f/1.4 aperture allows significantly more light to reach the sensor than an f/2.8 zoom lens. A 35mm lens is also useful for creating panoramic images of the night sky, allowing for larger, higher-resolution final images. For photographers who enjoy landscape astrophotography, the Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM is an excellent complement to the 20mm f/1.8 G.
Check Price: B&H Photo | Amazon
Final Thoughts
If I were building a Sony landscape photography kit today, this is the gear I would choose. While there are certainly other excellent options within the Sony system, the kit I prefer isn't necessarily the one with the highest specs. As long as it can produce excellent images, is enjoyable to use, and has the features I need, I'm happy.
Whether you prefer a two-lens kit that prioritizes size and weight, a three-lens kit that prioritizes image quality, or access to both, the goal is to build a system that you're excited to use and willing to carry into the field. After all, even the best gear only provides value if it's with you when the light gets good.