Whats the absolute best all-around lens I should get for my new Canon R5? I finally bit the bullet and bought the body last week after saving for like a year and I'm honestly still a bit in shock that I own one now. I'm upgrading from an old 80D so the whole full frame thing is a massive jump for me. I live up in Portland and do a ton of hiking in the Gorge but I also like doing some street stuff downtown and taking photos of my nieces and nephews when they visit. I really just want one high quality lens that can stay on the camera 90 percent of the time because I hate carrying a massive bag of glass.
I spent way too many hours on YouTube and I keep seeing the RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L vs the RF 24-105mm f/4 L debate. Everyone says the 24-70 is the pro choice but man it is heavy and the price tag is kinda painful after already dropping three grand on the R5. My budget is pretty much capped at $2500 right now for this first lens. Then there's the 24-105 which is cheaper and lighter and has more zoom but I'm worried f/4 won't give me that blurry background I want for portraits or that itll struggle when we're at a dim restaurant for dinner. Is it weird to put an f/4 lens on a camera this powerful? Like am I wasting the sensor?
I even saw the 28-70mm f/2 mentioned but that thing looks like a literal bowling ball and I dont think my neck would survive a three hour hike with that thing hanging off me lol. I have a trip to the Olympic Peninsula coming up in about three weeks so I'm trying to get this sorted before then so I can actually practice with the gear. Is the extra stop of light on the 24-70 really worth the weight and losing that extra reach at the end? Or am I overthinking the f/4 thing...
Congrats on the R5! I made that same jump from a crop sensor and almost ruined my back carrying heavy glass on long trails. I would suggest being careful with the weight of the 24-70.
- Canon RF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM is my pick for the Gorge.
- R5 high ISO handles f/4 easily in dim rooms. Make sure to consider your neck before buying a heavy lens... I learned that lesson the hard way.
Adding my two cents here because I went through this exact same dilemma when I first got my R5. It felt weird putting an f/4 lens on a flagship body, but after using it for a while, I am honestly so satisfied with how it works out in the real world. You are definitely not wasting the sensor, I promise... A few things from my own experience:
- The weight difference is a massive deal when you are actually out hiking for hours. I took the Canon RF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM on a long trek recently and didnt feel like I was carrying a literal boat anchor.
- If you are worried about the pro look or low light, the R5 handles noise like a dream. I have shot at ISO 6400 in dark restaurants and it looks way cleaner than my old gear did at like ISO 800. High ISO is basically a cheat code on this body.
- Since your budget is $2500, you can basically get the best of both worlds. Grab the Canon RF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM and use the leftover cash for a Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM. That way you have a tiny, fast prime for the family dinner and a versatile zoom for the Olympic Peninsula. I found that having that extra reach to 105mm is way more useful for landscapes than the extra stop of light usually is. Plus, having some cash left for a Peak Design Slide Camera Strap is a life saver for the neck pain.
Just saw this. Unfortunately, I had issues with the Canon RF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM resolving enough detail for that 45MP sensor. The diffraction kicks in way too early. I actually switched to the Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS USM because the edge-to-edge sharpness is significantly better, even if it is heavy. Settling for f/4 might leave you disappointed with the technical output since you wont maximize that body.
Saw this earlier but just now getting a chance to reply. Honestly, you might want to consider how often you actually plan on printing these shots before you drop that much cash on the 24-70. Are you doing massive gallery prints or mostly just sharing stuff online and with your family? That really changes whether the technical edge of the f2.8 is actually worth the extra weight for those hikes. I think I read somewhere that the 24-105 might have some long-term reliability issues with the internal ribbon cable if you are constantly zooming in and out, but I am not 100% sure on that. IIRC, it was a bigger issue on the older EF versions, but someone told me it can still be a thing with the RF ones if you are rough on them. Make sure to look into the weather sealing too because the Gorge is no joke when it starts drizzling. Be careful about overextending your budget too soon... you still need a good bag and extra batteries since the R5 eats through them. Let me know about the printing though, I can probably give better advice then.
