Quote Originally Posted by neuroanatomist View Post
RF 24-105mm f/2.8L IS USM Z ordered at 12:02a. Supposed to ship in December.


I was asleep at 12:02 am. But you should have secured a place at the top of the list.

I am curious, what is it about the RF 24-105 f/2.8 that is really appealing to you?

Big picture for a second, we have learned that Canon will be releasing a series of "Z" zooms. These seem to be a hybrid lens series incorporating features from the cinema line but that are still less expensive and balancing those that also want to use them for stills. As is very typical of Canon, they have picked a large target market and are providing them an extremely good product that the rest of us can choose if we would like. In this instance, I can see this lens ending up in the bag of many event/wedding photographers and other hybrid video/still photographers. Strongly suspect next on the list is a RF 70-200 f/2.8 L "Z" lens, as there is a rumor that an internally zooming 70-200 is coming.


As for me....I pre-ordered both the RF 24-105 f/2.8 and the RF 200-800 but am still on the fence regarding both. I secured my place in line at 6:27 am.

The RF 24-105 f/2.8. Actually, making this a hybrid videographer lens really hit on a hole I have identified, namely when I want to be a hybrid photo/video photographer. With my EF lenses, I can hear a clicking sound during autofocusing while videoing. I tend to take videos at family functions and have been asked to take video at ~4 to 5 different friend's weddings (usually they spend their money on photographers and ask me to capture videos of key events for them). Anyway, I've used a combination of the EF lenses where I hear the clicking and the M6II with EF-m lenses that are silent but tend to suffer in lower light.

The RF 24-105 f/2.8 seems to be a solution. Just not sure if that is such a big "hole" that I want to invest $3k into it. So, we'll see.


The RF 200-800. That gets a bit tougher. It fills a more distinctive niche for me, being portable and getting more reach, as, always more reach. The MTF makes it look better than the 100-500 + 1.4x tc (going off CRs comparison), but just by a little, mostly in the center. But, ever since I was on a glacier tour in Alaska where we had Humpback's breaching around our boat, I have valued having a zoom supertelephoto. At the time, I had the Sigma 150-600S.

Case and point, this whale breached near the boat and I pulled the zoom back in and took this at 279 mm
Small-5957 by kayaker72, on Flickr

On the same trip, I photographed bears, almost exclusively at 600 mm.

What I really want is a 200-500 f/4 with built in 1.4x TC. Which doesn't exist...yet. And a lighter weight altnerative. The rumor is that 200-500 f/4 will not include a built in TC when/if it arrives (we'll have to see if Canon provides a solution, as rumored). But I am also becoming more convinced that this is going to run $15k or more. Which is more than I want to pay considering how happy I am with my EF 500 f/4 II.

So, I want something like the 200-800 to be an alternative. The trick will be deciding if I: 1) stay with the EF 100-400L II plus 1.4 tc (both already in my kit); 2) 200-800; 3) RF 100-500 plus RF 1.4 tc; or 4) wait for the 200-500...plus a tc...if it ever comes. I am tempted by all four options, just have to decide. Ultimately, what I would have wanted is something like a RF 200-800 f/5.6-8 L for $3.5k. Canon picked a higher end prosumer lens with this lens.

All this is part of the reason that just a week or so ago, I was thinking I would be set for another couple of years. My quick guess is that I'll keep the 24-105 and cancel the order on the 200-800, save the money for another day...but we'll see.