Honestly Im just so fed up with dragging around my bag full of primes for the R5. I love the image quality, dont get me wrong, but swapping lenses in the middle of a shoot when I am out hiking or trying to catch candid moments at my sisters wedding in Chicago is just killing me. Ive missed so many shots because I had the 35mm on when I needed the 85mm and by the time I switch everything is gone. I only have about 2500 bucks to spend on this and I need something that is gonna be sharp enough for the R5 sensor because I do a lot of cropping in post. I looked at the RF 24-70mm f/2.8 but that thing costs as much as a used car and weighs a ton which is gonna be a nightmare for my back.
Is there actually a lens that can do it all without making my camera look like a telescope? I feel like im constantly compromising between weight and sharpness and its driving me crazy. I have a trip to the mountains coming up in three weeks and I really dont want to be doing the lens juggle on a cliff edge. I just want one solid piece of glass that stays on the body 90 percent of the time. Does the 24-105 f/4 hold up well enough for professional work or am I gonna regret not having that extra stop of light? Someone please tell me what the best all-around lens is because I am seriously about to just sell the whole kit and pick up a point and shoot at this rate...
Ugh, I totally get the lens juggling frustration. I used to be that person hiking with a bag full of heavy glass until I almost slipped off a ridge in the Cascades trying to swap my Canon RF 85mm F1.2L USM for a wide angle. It really isnt worth the stress, honestly. I tried the Canon RF 24-105mm F4L IS USM for a few months but, unfortunately, I had issues with the low light performance when I was shooting inside at a reception. It just wasnt as crisp as I expected when I started cropping in, and that f/4 aperture felt limiting once the sun dipped. It feels solid, dont get me wrong, but if you do heavy cropping on the R5, you might find the corners lacking compared to the high-end primes. Maybe look into the Canon RF 24-70mm F2.8L IS USM if you can find one used, though I know it is heavy. I actually ended up leaning more toward the Canon RF 28-70mm F2L USM for a while, but that thing is a beast on your back too. Couple things that helped me survive:
- Carry a really good strap so the weight doesnt just kill your shoulders.
- Use the R5 crop modes if you really need that extra reach without switching glass. Just be careful up there. No photo is worth a bad fall, and honestly, sometimes the lens that stays on the camera is way better than the one sitting in your bag when the moment happens.
I feel your pain. I spent years lugging around a bag of primes before finally realizing that the R5 sensor is so forgiving that you really dont need a bag full of glass anymore. Honestly, the Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM is the workhorse you are looking for. In my experience, people get way too hung up on that extra stop of light at 2.8, but when you are out on a mountain trail, the 105mm reach and the image stabilization are gonna save your shots way more often than the f/2.8 aperture would.
- The stabilization is honestly insane, I can shoot at half a second handheld.
- 24-105mm covers pretty much everything for weddings and landscapes.
- Weight distribution is way better balanced than the 24-70mm bricks. I have used this lens for everything from corporate headshots to mountain hikes where every gram counts. Sure, you lose that razor-thin depth of field you get with a prime, but the sharpness on the R5 is still excellent. If you are worried about the low light, modern software handles high ISO noise so well that you wont even miss that extra stop. Stop worrying about the gear shuffle and just grab this. You will actually enjoy your hike instead of staring at your bag wondering which lens is next. Dont sell the kit, just get this lens and go shoot.
Late to the party but I hear you loud and clear. Honestly, I ditched my prime bag years ago after a near-miss on a hike. If you are worried about the 24-70 weight, the Canon RF 24-105mm F4 L IS USM is genuinely the best move for your R5. It handles landscape details perfectly even when I crop heavily for social media edits.
- The stabilization is a lifesaver for handheld shots.
- It balances way better on the R5 than the heavy f/2.8 glass.
- You wont regret the f/4 if you shoot in decent light. Just bump your ISO a little when it gets dark; the R5 sensor handles noise better than any camera I have owned. Trust me, the convenience of not missing those candid moments is worth way more than a single stop of light.
