Been shooting on Canon DSLRs for a decade, finally upgraded to the R6 last month. Love the body, but adapting my old heavy EF 24-70mm f/2.8 II is killing my neck on day trips. I need a native RF zoom for a trip to Japan next month, mostly street and landscape. Im on a tight budget after buying the body, looking to spend under $500.
The RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 STM is cheap but that variable aperture looks rough at the long end, whereas the f/4 L is way too expensive right now. What budget zoom lens actually performs well on the R6 without making me regret leaving my EF glass at home?
Are you planning on doing much night street photography in Japan? Honestly, the budget RF zooms are pretty disappointing compared to your old L lens. The Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 IS STM has massive barrel distortion at 24mm that requires heavy software correction. The alternative Canon RF 24-50mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM is lighter but unfortunately has a tiny zoom range and slow variable aperture. Let me know your low-light needs so we can compare.
Honestly, coming from the legendary EF 24-70mm f/2.8 II, you are probably going to be pretty disappointed with the budget RF glass. I tried going the cheap route for a trip last year and unfortunately had some real issues with image quality and vignetting. Here is the technical reality of the budget options:
- The Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 IS STM has pretty bad distortion at 24mm, and the corner sharpness just isnt there. Plus f/7.1 makes subject separation almost impossible.
- The Canon RF 24-50mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM is incredibly light, but that zoom range is honestly too limiting for a trip like Japan where you want some reach. If you dont want to regret leaving your L glass at home, my advice is to look for a used Canon RF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM. It might stretch your budget to around $600, but its the only safe bet.
Honestly, dont write off that Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 IS STM just yet. I know f/7.1 sounds like a pinhole on paper, but you gotta look at the whole picture. The R6 sensor is a low-light beast. You can easily bump your ISO to 6400 or even higher without worrying about noise, which basically offsets that slow aperture during day trips and street shooting. I took this exact lens to Italy last year because I got tired of hauling my heavy L glass around. It weighs next to nothing and the center sharpness is actually impressive. The main drawback is the corners at the wide end and, obviously, you wont get that creamy f/2.8 bokeh. But for street and landscape where you are stopping down anyway? It works surprisingly well. If you really cant stand the variable aperture, your only other native option under $500 is going used. You might find a beat up Canon RF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM if you get lucky, but it usually goes for more like $700. Honestly, for walking around Japan all day, the cheap STM zoom is a lifesaver for your neck.
