Wide angle. You do want.

Something that will do 10mm-20-ish. I was just out at the Grand Canyon, and I wish I had rented or bought that Tamron 10-24mm that I want.


BTW, look into the Magic Lantern firmware add-on. I'd want to take a tripod and mess with bracketing to do some HDR. Magic Lantern adds quite a few options, although I do think the T3i may need to be flashed back a revision in firmware for it to work.

Have you played with any HDR? It's pretty slick some of the effects you can come out with. Take plenty of memory, and any time you're shooting scenery always use RAW (I use RAW + jpeg). The stock firmware should let you bracket three shots. The wider the exposure gaps, the better HDR can come out, so do 1.5-2 full stops between exposure values. Keep it on aperture priority, so that only the shutter speed is varied (same aperture won't change depth of focus). Magic Lantern lets you expand bracketing to up to 9 exposures (IIRC) and anywhere from 1/3 to 5 stops between exposures.

There are some other neat features in the firmware that I use from time to time.

Go here and read up. Magic Lantern is a firmware add-on that you install on your SD card(s) that adds extended controls over settings in your camera.

Bracketing is when you take several shots at different exposure levels. Originally it was intended to give you several shots to choose from if you are having a hard time picking an exposure level. Then there was this new thing called HDR - High Dynamic Range - which can kinda mesh together multiple images at different exposure levels. It uses the over exposed (bright) pictures to bring out the shadows and dark areas, and then uses the dark areas to tone down the very bright areas. The effect can be pretty mild, but it can also be pretty WILD! Google it and you'll see what it can do.

Anyway, HDR can work better with more exposures and more differences in exposure levels. Since the camera only gives you three shots, and you might want more, Magic Lantern lets you go up to 9 exposures.

Another vote for the wide lenses, spend the extra to rent "L" glass.

I have no affiliation with this site but it's what I found.

Borrow Lenses

I'd probably spring for the 17-40 f/4L and quite possibly the 8-15 f/4L fisheye.

With the lenses you've got you'd have most things covered.

IMHO the fisheye would give you some amazing vistas with that kind of scenery.

Well, the 17-40mm on his T3i (crop frame / APS-C sensor) won't get him much wider, although the quality should be much better than the 18-55mm kit lens. The 8-15mm might be good, but I hate fisheye... OP might not.

if your going to rent a wide angle get the canon 10-22 it is L glass but an efs mount so they cant call it an L but it is great on the apc sensor. What are you wanting to shoot if its landscapes the 10-22 is great if you are doing wildlife the 100-400 is very versatile lens

Rent the 17-40L and the 24-105 f4 L. That should cover just about everything and you will be happy you did...

Im not a pro but I noticed a distinct increase in image quality when I started buying L glass.

EDIT: Here's a sunset pic my girlfriend took from the Grand canyon with my 7D and a sigma 10-20mm lens to get you excited... Nothing like sunset and red rock.

We expect photos when you get back!

If at all possible, take your 18-55mm lens and snap some 'comparison' shots. I'm really curious to see if I can see the difference between shots with the cheap 18-55 and the 17-40L.

Well it was a good thought but July 4th Holiday would make getting it here by Friday difficult.

I don't think my tent has a address :(