im honestly at my wits end here. ive been lugging around a heavy bag of primes for months trying to get the absolute sharpest shots on my new r5 mark ii, but switching lenses in the middle of a shoot in downtown chicago is driving me insane. I missed three great street moments last tuesday just because I had the wrong glass on, and my back is literally killing me from the weight. my budget is around two grand, maybe a bit more if its really worth it, and I need something reliable by next month for a couple of weddings and travel gigs. what is the actual best all-around lens for the canon eos r5 mark ii so I can just leave one piece of glass on the camera and stop stressing about missing everything?
Honestly, ditching the primes is the best move you could make for your sanity. If you want that holy grail do-it-all lens, look no further than the Canon RF 24-105mm F4 L IS USM. It is an absolute workhorse! Having that extra reach over the 70mm mark is a total game changer for weddings when you cant get close to the action. Plus, the stabilization is magic, which helps a ton with the high-res sensor on your body. Quick tip: grab a decent Peak Design Everyday Sling 10L to keep things light while roaming the city. It fits that lens and your body perfectly without breaking your back. You will love how much faster you can work once you stop swapping glass constantly. Seriously, just get it and enjoy the freedom!
dropping primes for a single zoom on a high res body like the r5 ii is totally understandable, especially for fast paced gigs. Chicago streets are no joke either. here are a couple solid directions you could go within budget:
- Canon RF 24-70mm F2.8 L IS USM: heavy and maxes out your budget, but the constant f2.8 and stabilization make it the ultimate workhorse for weddings and low light travel.
- Canon RF 24-105mm F4 L IS USM: way lighter on the back and gives you that extra reach on the long end. you lose a stop of light compared to the 2.8, but handling is so much better for all day walking. either way youll save your back and stop missing shots.
Oh man this totally reminds me of my cousin back in twenty nineteen who tried shooting a destination wedding in chicago with three vintage manual lenses. He missed the entire first kiss because he was fumbling around in his bag trying to find his adapter while standing in a massive puddle. It turned into this whole ordeal where he dropped a filter down a storm drain and had to borrow an old smartphone from a tourist just to get some backup snaps of the reception...