Ive been shooting sports and wildlife professionally for over a decade now, so I know my gear, but moving up to the EOS R1 has me second-guessing my entire kit. The autofocus tracking is insane compared to my old 1DX iii, but my current glass just doesnt seem to resolve enough for the new sensor when cropping heavily in post. Im trying to figure out what the absolute sharpest native RF lens is for outdoor track events where Im usually shooting from the sidelines. Here is what I am working with right now:
- Budget is around $3k to $4k max since I just dropped a fortune on the body itself
- Need fast tracking obviously, USM motors are a must
- Weather sealing is huge because I shoot a lot of soccer in the rain here in Seattle
- Prefer primes over zooms if the optical quality is noticeably better
What are you guys pairing with your R1s that actually maximizes that new sensor...
Stumbled upon this discussion and honestly, coming from a 1DX iii myself, I was super nervous about pushing my old glass on the R1 sensor. Like someone mentioned, the big whites are amazing, but be careful with your budget here since primes like the Canon RF 400mm f/2.8L IS USM will completely shatter that four grand limit. I would suggest looking at these instead:
- Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM
- Super sharp and versatile for track events, but watch out for diffraction when cropping heavily in dim rain.
- Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM
- Incredible build quality for Seattle weather, though you might miss the reach. Make sure to check out TDP lens charts online for exact MTF comparisons before pulling the trigger.
@Reply #2 - good point! Budget is definitely the biggest hurdle here, especially since the ultra-telephotos cost way more than the 3k to 4k limit mentioned. Honestly, I was pretty disappointed when I realized my favorite telephoto setup wouldnt fit that budget without taking a massive financial hit. If you want something that keeps weather sealing and sharp tracking without going completely broke, looking at third-party options or slightly older adapted EF glass isn't ideal for a new sensor, but sticking to native RF is safer for reliability. Have you looked at the Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM instead? It falls right into that price range and gives you the reach needed for sidelines, even if the aperture is slower than those massive primes.
For that Seattle weather and heavy cropping, grab the Canon RF 400mm f/2.8 L IS USM. It easily maxes out the sensor and works well.