Why no more Gold ring lenses?

[neuroanatomist]

When Canon launched the EOS M system, the EF-M 22mm f/2 was one of the two lenses that launched with the system (the M18-55 was the other). The M11-22 was launched the following year. With RF-S, Canon launched the mount with an 18-45 and an 18-150 (the latter was optically the same as the M18-150, the 6th of 8 EF-M lenses). For RF-S, they followed with a 55-210 and then the 10-18. So it appears Canon has shifted priorities a bit. Other than the 22/2, the remaining two EF-M primes were the last two lenses for the system (28mm macro and 32/1.4).

Canon never updated the EF-S 17-55/2.8, and I think releasing an RF-S version of a 'high end' APS-C standard zoom is pretty unlikely. Canon wants those interested in such a lens and willing to pay for it to buy FF.

As you say, an R6 or R6II (or even the R8) plus an RF 24-105/4L is a great combination. When you consider the comparison to the crop 17-55/2.8, the 24-105/4 is effectively wider (24mm vs. 27mm), longer (105mm vs. 88mm), faster (f/4 vs. f/4.5 for DoF when matching framing), and with the FF sensor you gain 1.3-stops of noise or shutter speed that more than offsets the one stop lost in lens aperture.

[alex]

As you say, an R6 or R6II (or even the R8) plus an RF 24-105/4L is a great combination. When you consider the comparison to the crop 17-55/2.8, the 24-105/4 is effectively wider (24mm vs. 27mm), longer (105mm vs. 88mm), faster (f/4 vs. f/4.5 for DoF when matching framing), and with the FF sensor you gain 1.3-stops of noise or shutter speed that more than offsets the one stop lost in lens aperture.

I think that pretty much seals it for me, thank you for spelling it out so clearly!

The only thing I will be missing will be reach, but it'll be interesting to see how much I actually miss it.

[neuroanatomist]

The only thing I will be missing will be reach, but it'll be interesting to see how much I actually miss it.

Affordable reach, even for FF, is a great and really unique attribute of the R system. The RF 100-400 is inexpensive (especially timed right, I paid $500), and optically it’s nearly as good as the RF 100-500L (I have both). If 400mm isn’t enough reach, there’s the 600/11 and 800/11, the latter being the longest branded lens for <$1000 and it is very good optically (though with quirks like a fixed aperture). There’s also the new RF 200-800 for $1900. The apertures are relatively narrow, but paired with a current FF sensor that’s not a showstopper. When I shot with a 7D, I would cringe if I needed ISO 3200. With my R3 and R8 shooting RAW and using DxO to convert, I routinely shoot at ISO 25600.