Unfortunately, I had issues with heavy lenses in Venice.

• Canon RF 24-240mm f/4-6.3 IS USM is versatile but not as good as expected.
• Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM is light but fixed. Tough trip!

I absolutely love the Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM for travel! It is an amazing and reliable choice for the R5.

• Always mount a B+W 77mm Master Clear Filter to protect your optics from debris.
• Keep your gear in a padded insert for safety. This setup is fantastic and wont fail you in Italy... definitely worth it!

Just found this and honestly, i've tried so many different setups over the years but for a big trip like Italy, reliability is everything. You dont want to be stuck in some village with a lens that has a weird connection error or something. Just go with any of the Canon zooms. You really cant go wrong with their glass, it just works every time. Speaking of Italy, man I spent a week in Florence once and barely took any photos because I got so distracted by the street food. There was this one tiny place near the river that had the best panini I've ever had in my life. Looking back, I think I spent more time hunting down snacks than actually using my camera. My wife still gives me a hard time about that trip because all our scenic photos are just me holding half-eaten sandwiches... anyway, just grab a solid zoom and focus on the pasta. But yeah.

I've spent years hauling gear across Europe and I totally get the one lens dream. I remember being in Florence, sweating my soul out near the Duomo, and wishing I hadn't brought a massive bag full of glass. Honestly, if you want to keep it simple but still feed that R5 sensor without breaking your back, you should look at the Canon RF 24-240mm f/4-6.3 IS USM. People look down on it because it isnt an L-series, but in my experience, the versatility is insane for travel.

• The reach lets you grab architectural details on high ceilings that a 70mm or 105mm just wont touch.
• Nano USM is whisper quiet and focuses instantly, which is huge when you're trying to be discrete in a quiet cathedral.
• On the R5, you can use the 1.6x crop mode and still have around 17MP, effectively giving you a 380mm lens for far-off subjects. If you're worried about the aperture for dinner shots or dark churches, I usually just toss a Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM in a jacket pocket. Its basically weightless and gives you that low-light punch without needing a full camera bag. Italy has some tight spots and that 24mm wide end is pretty essential for those narrow Roman alleys. Just dont overthink the softness stuff too much... most of that is just pixel peeping in forums rather than looking at real world prints. The R5 sensor is amazing but you dont always need the heaviest glass to get a great memory.