so i basically just dropped a ton of money on this canon r5 because i saw a travel vlogger using it and the pictures looked incredible but i am realizing now i am way out of my league. i have a huge trip to italy coming up literally next friday for my sisters wedding and then we are heading up to the mountains for some hiking and i dont even have a lens yet. i thought it came with one but the box was just the camera body and now im scrambling.
the guy at the local shop was trying to explain the difference between an rf 24-70mm and a 24-105mm and he kept talking about f-stops like f2.8 versus f4 and i just nodded along but i have zero clue what that actually means for my photos. my budget is around $2800 for the lens but i really only want to carry one single thing with me. i dont want a huge backpack full of gear because i want to actually enjoy the trip and the wedding without fumbling around with caps and stuff. i need to be able to zoom in on my sister during the ceremony from the back of the church but also capture the big mountain views when we are hiking later that week.
is there one lens that is like the do it all for this camera? someone online said the 24-70 is the best but then i saw someone else say the 24-105 has more zoom so i am stuck. also is the f2.8 worth it if i dont know what im doing? i really dont want to have blurry photos or dark photos because i picked the wrong one. i have to order this like tonight so it gets here by wednesday otherwise im just gonna be taking photos on my iphone which feels like a waste of such a nice camera. sorry if this is a super basic question i just feel really overwhelmed with all the options and the technical talk...
Unfortunately, trying to find one lens that does both low-light weddings and long-range hiking is going to result in compromises. I have used both main options on my R5, and some results were not as good as expected. Here is the technical breakdown of what you need to know:
- Aperture (the f-stop): This measures the light-gathering capability. An f2.8 aperture lets in double the light of an f4. Inside a dim church, the Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM unfortunately struggles, forcing the camera to raise ISO and creating grainy images.
- Focal Length: The 70mm limit on the Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS USM is short. From the back of a church, you wont get a close-up. However, the R5 has a 45-megapixel sensor, meaning you can crop the photo later to simulate a longer zoom. I highly recommend going with the Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS USM. I had issues with the f4 version in low light, and the superior glass of the f2.8 is worth the cost. You can crop zoom later, but you cant fix a blurry photo.
> I need to be able to zoom in on my sister during the ceremony from the back of the church but also capture the big mountain views Just saw this thread and wanted to share my experience because I went through a similar panic when I first got my R5. I am extremely satisfied with the Canon RF 24-105mm f4 L IS USM for travel. It is a very reliable piece of gear and works well for both scenarios you mentioned, honestly. Since you are worried about dark photos at f4, keep in mind the R5 has incredible stabilization. I have taken sharp photos in dim cathedrals without a tripod just fine. The f2.8 version is basically a brick in terms of weight... you wont want to carry that on a hike, trust me. The 105mm reach is much better for the wedding ceremony than the 70mm would be. Its the safest, most professional route for a one-lens setup imo. No complaints with mine after two years of heavy use.
Honestly I am in the exact same boat right now and it is so frustrating. I have been shooting hobby photos for years but just upgraded to the R5 and I have been stuck trying to make this exact decision for two months now. Here is what is holding me back:
- The cost difference is huge, and it is hard to justify spending almost three grand if the cheaper f4 lens does basically the same thing in daylight.
- Practicality-wise, carrying a heavy f2.8 lens all day on hikes sounds miserable, but I am terrified of getting blurry shots at family events.
- I still cannot find a straight answer on whether the extra reach of the 105 is worth sacrificing the low-light capability. I am leaving soon too and still have not ordered anything...
