I finally pulled the trigger on the R8 and it's a beast but the kit lens is really not doing it for me for portraits. I've been obsessing over reviews and I'm stuck. I keep seeing the RF 85mm f1.2 L being called the sharpest lens ever made for Canon but the price tag is absolutely insane and honestly it looks huge on the tiny R8 body. Like, would it even be balanced? On the other hand people say the 85mm f2 macro is a great budget pick but I've read complaints about the stepping motor being slow and loud which worries me because I do a lot of candid stuff.

I have a family reunion shoot in Portland coming up next month and I really want to nail those headshots. My budget is strictly under $1600 so that basically rules out the top-tier L glass unless I find a crazy used deal which seems rare for RF stuff right now.

• extreme sharpness even wide open
• fast autofocus for kids running around
• something that wont make the R8 feel totally front-heavy

I was thinking about maybe looking at the 50mm 1.2 or even some EF glass with an adapter? But I heard adapters can sometimes mess with the eye-autofocus speed or accuracy. Is it better to stick with native RF glass or is the EF 85mm 1.4 IS still a viable contender in 2024?