Which is the best budget zoom lens for Canon R5?

Question

What are you guys using for a budget zoom on the R5 that actually keeps up with the sensor? I just finally made the jump from my trusty 5D Mark IV and wow the eye tracking is insane but I definitely blew my whole budget on the body itself. Now im staring at these RF L series prices and my wallet is crying lol.

I have a trip to the Rockies coming up in three weeks and really need something versatile but sharp enough so I dont waste all those megapixels. I tried adapting my old EF 70-300 but the AF hunt was driving me nuts. Looking for something under $800 that wont break my back on a trail. Maybe the 24-105 non-L or something from a third party?

budget: $800 max

location: Colorado hiking trip

timeline: 3 weeks

What am I missing?

JeffreySlaro · Accepted Answer

I just spent a week hiking with the Canon RF 24-240mm f/4-6.3 IS USM on my R5 and honestly, I was kinda let down. After buying it because I wanted one lens to do everything, the sensor on the R5 proved to be just too demanding for it. When I got home and finally looked at my shots from the trail, the corners were super soft and the distortion was wild before the camera corrected it. It felt like I was wasting that expensive body on glass that couldnt keep up. If youre worried about those R5 megapixels, you gotta be careful with these all-in-one zooms. I learned the hard way that convenience usually means compromises:The Nano USM focus is actually really fast, way better than your old EF 70-300, so it tracks eyes well even in deep woods.Unfortunately, the lack of weather sealing made me nervous every time it misted. I had to baby it way too much for a hiking lens.The weight is surprisingly heavy for a non-L lens. My neck was killing me after four miles on a steep grade. I actually ended up returning it and grabbing a used Canon EF 24-70mm f/4L IS USM with the Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R. Its an older setup, but it handles the high resolution way better than the cheap RF glass. Its disappointing that the native budget RF options feel so plastic-y and compromise so much on image quality just to hit a price point. Just make sure you get the official Canon adapter or the AF might hunt like your old lens did...

Dread_nima · Answer

Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 IS STM is reliable but slow. Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM is sharp tho dark. Im satisfied with these for hiking, works well...

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Which is the best budget zoom lens for Canon R5?