Ive been shooting with DSLRs for over a decade now so making the jump to the Canon EOS R system felt pretty straightforward at first, but man, picking a daily walkaround lens is actually driving me crazy. My logic was just to grab the usual 24-70mm f2.8 and call it a day, but then I started looking at the RF primes and lighter zooms and now Im totally second guessing everything. Im heading to Japan in about three weeks for a two-week trip where Im gonna be doing tons of street photography and low-light shrine wandering, and my budget is around $1500 max. Do I go heavy with a constant 2.8 zoom, or save my back and get something like the 35mm f1.8 macro and a small tele, or just bite the bullet on the kit zoom? What is the best all-around lens for Canon EOS R for this kind of travel...
Japan trips will absolutely wreck your shoulders if you bring a heavy constant zoom, trust me on this! When I went last year, I saw so many people struggling with massive glass all day long. For an EOS R, you gotta protect your back while still getting killer low-light shots for those temples.
- Canon RF 35mm f1.8 IS STM Macro
- Super tiny, cheap, and the image stabilization is a lifesaver for night street shots. Only downside is the slower focus motor.
- Canon RF 24-105mm f4L IS USM
- The ultimate travel workhorse. Weather sealed and super sharp, though you lose a bit of bokeh in dark shrines compared to primes. Grab the 35mm and maybe a small lightweight tele like the 50mm f1.8 to stay well under budget. Youre gonna have an amazing time out there!
Before spending that $1500, what kind of weather sealing do you actually need for your shrines trip? I usually take the Canon RF 50mm f1.8 STM for safety.
To add to the point above: absolutely protect your back! Heavy glass is a total nightmare after walking ten miles through Tokyo streets. Since you have a fifteen hundred dollar budget, you can actually crush this setup without going broke. Skip the bulky f2.8 zooms completely. Instead, grab the Canon RF 35mm f1.8 Macro IS STM for your main street shooter. It has optical image stabilization which is a lifesaver for low-light shrine wandering at night. Pair that little beauty with the Canon RF 50mm f1.8 STM and maybe a lightweight telephoto like the Canon RF 24-240mm f4-6.3 IS USM if you really need reach. You will stay way under budget, your shoulders will thank you, and you get amazing sharpness for the price. Have an epic trip!