Thanks for your reply Brant!

Yeah I get what you're saying in terms of the gateway nature of the APS-C cameras and kits. It might just be time to save up and make the jump.

To clarify, the plastic I'm referring to was kind of a poor choice of words on my part. What I should have alluded to is the cheap feel of the RF-S lenses which is likely less to do with the plastic construction and more to do with the overall amount of glass used which contributes to a feeling of cheap lightness.

They are really making clear that APS-C is entry-level outside of wildlife/sports telephoto offerings. Every RF-S lens is narrow, variable aperture, narrow diameter size in the construction. This means you can use a cheaper filter because the lens is tiny and light. This means you can carry it around because you're less likely to be someone with a big camera bag with lots of glass in it.

I had forgotten about the "Ultrasonic" designation of those old EF-S Gold Ring lenses and you're right, perhaps that gold ring was linked with that designation, not necessarily the quality of the glass or the construction.

But I'm wracking my brain to think of any EF-S glass other than the 17-55mm f/2.8 that had a constant aperture available throughout the entire zoom range. And I guess, at baseline, I'm asking in all these rambling words if Canon is ever gonna do that again for the RF-S lenses.

I doubt it.

So the answer for me seems to be either to continue to use the EF-RF adapter, or switch to full frame RF.

If I did make the switch to something like the R6 I or II with the 24-105 f/4L, I'd have a pretty decent kit with that, the 14-35, and the 100-400mm.

Of course, I haven't even considered up until this very moment the possibility of any future change in third-party lenses and the RF mount. This would potentially change this entire conversation.