With the R1 and R5 II released/announced, I am musing about upgrading my R5. While the R5 II does appear to fix any quibble I had and better is better, I am getting to the point where the R5 may be good enough for me for a while. With my photography budget having only been touched a bit last year and having been growing for awhile, I am reminded that 2024-2025 is the window where I had thought about pivoting from EF to RF glass. What I had assumed is mostly correct, in that there are now 40+ RF lenses to choose from and that there have been a number of very innovative lenses.
I have picked up three RF lenses: the 16 f/2.8, RF 24-105 f/2.8, and RF 200-800. I have traveled with just this set up and, if I were to add the RF 100-500 as a lighter weight alternative to the 200-800, honestly, this does a lot of what I want.
My issues with pivoting to RF at this point are 1) my EF glass still magically works really well, and 2), I haven't really seen the lenses I have been waiting for. Lenses that really provided enhancements over the EF equivalents I now own.
Thus, my RF lens wish list:
- RF 200-500 f/4 w/ 1.4TC built in. This would become my primary wildlife lens.
- RF 70-300 f/4-5.6 that small and compact, similar to the RF 70-200 f/4, as a great travel telephoto lens (smaller/lighter replacement for the EF 70-300 L, which I love).
- RF 24-70 f/4 (smaller lighter version of the EF 24-70 f/4, smaller and lighter than RF 24-105 f/4, again, ultimate travel lens)
- Nightscape/astro lens, something like a 18 or 20 mm f/1.4 or 2.
- RF 50-150 f/2 or some variation (50-135 or 70-150). Ultimate portrait lens.
When I hatched that plan to transition to RF lenses around 2024-2025, the RF 28-70 f/2 had just been announced and I was thinking that a few more novel RF lenses that I would want would be released. Rather, some absolutely amazing lenses have populated the RF lineup, but many of them are updates to existing EF lenses. For example, I see no reason to update my EF 85 f/1.4 to the RF 85 f/1.2. I've looked at the comparisons, yes, the RF is a little bit better. But nothing that would affect my photography. Is the RF 50 f/1.2 better than my Sigma 50A, yeah it is, but I actually do not use the 50A all that much since I got the EF 85 f/1.4. I might get the 50 f/1.2, but it certain isn't a pressing need.
A lens that I am considering is the RF 100-300 f/2.8. I had originally dismissed it as I was holding out for the rumored RF 200-500 f/4. But, the most recent rumor (albeit, a bit old at this point) for that lens indicated it would not include a built in TC. And, I have started to wonder if Canon already released the RF 200-500 f/4, they just didn't announce it. Add a 1.4xTC to the 100-300 f/2.8 and you get an incredible 140-420 f/4. Granted, I wanted the ability to get to 700 mm f/5.6 with the flip of a lever, but this would be an amazing lens for wildlife and it's performance with a 2x TC is really pretty good.
So, I am wondering where others are at? Have you/are you pivoting to RF glass? Which lenses? Or are you staying with your EF glass?
