Best camera settings for landscape photography
Landscapes flip the priorities: you want everything sharp from foreground to horizon, the lowest noise possible, and time isn't usually a constraint — so a tripod and a small aperture rule.
Recommended settings
Mode: Aperture Priority or Manual
you choose the depth of field; light is steady
Aperture: f/8 – f/11
the sweet spot for front-to-back sharpness
ISO: 100 (base)
cleanest files and widest dynamic range
Shutter: Whatever exposes correctly
on a tripod, slow is fine
Focus: Single AF a third into the scene
maximizes depth of field front to back
Support: Tripod
lets you use base ISO and small apertures without blur
These are starting points. Want them dialed in for your exact camera and lens?Ask the coach →
Why these settings
Depth of field and image quality matter more than speed, so you stop down to f/8–f/11, drop to base ISO for the cleanest file, and put the camera on a tripod to make any shutter speed workable.
Beginner tip
Use a tripod and the 2-second timer — even pressing the shutter can shake the camera during a long exposure.
Going further
Avoid going past f/16; diffraction starts to soften the whole image, undoing the depth-of-field gain.
Common mistakes
- Shooting handheld at high ISO when a tripod would give a far cleaner file.
- Stopping down to f/22 and losing overall sharpness to diffraction.
FAQ
What aperture for landscapes?
f/8–f/11 gives the best balance of depth of field and sharpness on most lenses. Past f/16, diffraction softens the image.
What ISO for landscapes?
Base ISO (usually 100) for the cleanest file and widest dynamic range. A tripod lets you use it regardless of shutter speed.
Learn more
Prefer a guided, gear-aware version? Open the landscape recipe →