holy cow I actually did it I finally ordered the Canon EOS R1 after months of saving and selling off pretty much all my old EF glass and I am beyond stoked it is supposed to arrive at my house here in chicago next tuesday just in time for me to shoot my best friends wedding and a local roller derby bout that same weekend. but now im panicking a little bit because I dont have a main workhorse lens for this beast and I need to figure out what to attach to it immediately.
ive been staring at spec sheets until my eyes bleed and Ive narrowed it down to two main options. option one is the classic RF 28-70mm f2 L because holy moly that aperture on a zoom sounds like an absolute dream for low light derby arenas and moody reception halls even though my arm is probably gonna fall off carrying that heavy brick all day. option two is sticking with the trinity setup and getting the RF 24-70mm f2.8 L which is way lighter and has image stabilization which the f2 lacks but man I keep thinking about that extra stop of light.
my budget is pretty much maxed out after buying the body itself so I can really only buy one high end lens right now to kick things off. am I crazy for wanting the heavy 28-70 for fast paced sports or should I just play it safe with the 24-70...
Late to the party here, but seeing that you drained your bank account on the body alone, we need to talk about some serious financial reality. Dropping thousands more on a flagship zoom right after the camera purchase is honestly quite risky, especially with tight client budgets. Here are a few technical factors and money-saving alternatives to consider:
- The Canon RF 28-70mm f/2L USM lacks optical stabilization, which is a massive drawback when shooting heavy video in dimly lit venues.
- Look into the Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM as a budget alternative to save nearly half your remaining cash while still getting great sharpness.
- Renting the Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS USM for just that single weekend instead of buying outright might save your savings account. What is your exact remaining budget in dollars after tax so we can figure out a realistic glass strategy?
Jumping in here because specs matter a lot on a flagship body. Unfortunately, the Canon RF 28-70mm f/2L USM had focus breathing issues and softer edge sharpness than expected in my testing, plus it lacks stabilization for slow panning shots at the derby. You are much better off grabbing a Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS USM instead, which saves your wrist and handles low light fine with the R1 high ISO performance.
Congrats on the R1 pickup, thats an absolute monster of a camera. Honestly, skip the heavy brick for wedding days and roller derby unless you hate your wrists.
- Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS USM gives you stabilization and saves your arms
- Canon RF 28-70mm f/2L USM is too front-heavy for running around a roller derby track all night Go with the 24-70, you wont regret the IS.