Dream Lens List

Ozarker

Love, joy, and peace to all of good will.
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Jan 28, 2015
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Well, the pandemic really derailed things for me. I had the RF 28-70 f/2, 50 f/1.2, 85 f/1.2. I even had the RF 24-105mm f/4L IS at one time. I was partway towards my goal and had a huge setback. I now own zero RF lenses. My dream list remains the same:
RF 14-28mm f/2L
RF 28-70mm f/2L
RF 70-135mm f/2L
RF 24mm f/1.2L
RF 35mm f/1.2L
RF 50mm f/1.2L
RF 85mm f/1.2L
RF 135mm f/1.8L

Anyway, that's some mighty high hopes. What is your dream kit from Canon?
 
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Deleted member 381342

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Lets see, mind are all way on the other end from you:
RF 200-500mm f/4 L TC
RF 500mm f/5.6 DO L
RF 800mm f/4 DO L
RF 300mm f/2.8 DO L

Those four would cover most wildlife settings with a 200-500 being hefty but covering all the key focal ranges and with a built in TC it handles burbs. The 500 f/5.6 covers times you need/want to be more mobile. And the 800 f/4 or even f/4.5 DO L should be about as big as a 600mm f/4 is now but with a bigger front element. It would seem a waste to me to have DO just to make some of the big primes smaller and lighter when it could be used to make some lenses which would have been impossible before.

I think all of these are possible, though for balance I may not want the 300mm f/2.8 to be a DO as it would be quite a little fatty.
 
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AlanF

Desperately seeking birds
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Aug 16, 2012
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Lets see, mind are all way on the other end from you:
RF 200-500mm f/4 L TC
RF 500mm f/5.6 DO L
RF 800mm f/4 DO L
RF 300mm f/2.8 DO L

Those four would cover most wildlife settings with a 200-500 being hefty but covering all the key focal ranges and with a built in TC it handles burbs. The 500 f/5.6 covers times you need/want to be more mobile. And the 800 f/4 or even f/4.5 DO L should be about as big as a 600mm f/4 is now but with a bigger front element. It would seem a waste to me to have DO just to make some of the big primes smaller and lighter when it could be used to make some lenses which would have been impossible before.

I think all of these are possible, though for balance I may not want the 300mm f/2.8 to be a DO as it would be quite a little fatty.
800/4 and 200-500/4 may be ok for you caber tossing Scots but a 500/5.6 is the most I could manage.
 
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Deleted member 381342

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800/4 and 200-500/4 may be ok for you caber tossing Scots but a 500/5.6 is the most I could manage.

You know they'll live on a tripod with a gimbal. You just have to get a young hing to move it from the car to the hide for you. The 200-500 f/4 should not have too much more heft than the 200-400. There is also a RF 120-300mm f/2.8 to consider, but that is more sports people than wildlife I feel. Though I do have to consider if a 120-300mm f/2.8 is close enough to prime IQ like the Nikon is, then that versatility might be worth the extra heft.
 
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Joules

doom
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Jul 16, 2017
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Hamburg, Germany
A 20-50 mm 2.0 and a 200-600 mm 4.0-5.6, each below 3000 € would be all I'd ever need. That would be the kind of gear that I could justify spending way too much on since it would certainly be the last I'd ever buy.

Alternatively, a 35 mm 1.2 and 500 mm 5.6 each below 2500 € would also do the same for me.
 
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Bdbtoys

R5
CR Pro
Jul 16, 2020
467
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My realistic wish kit is the 35/50/85 f1.2 primes, 15-35/24-70/70-200 f2.8 trinity, & 100-500 f4.5-7.1 w/ TC's, and the longshot being to add the 24/100/135 f1.4 primes (depending on cost).

The f2 zooms are definitely on the dreaming wish list, and if I had a real need for one I would pursue... but they are not at all priority for me anymore (they definitely were at one point... until I used one). So now the goal is to use the primes if I need fast and the 2.8's if I don't.

I'll probably pick up a 24-105 F4 for a super light 'one lens' kit at some point if there is a good enough deal on it.
 
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Del Paso

M3 Singlestroke
CR Pro
Aug 9, 2018
3,299
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Well, the pandemic really derailed things for me. I had the RF 28-70 f/2, 50 f/1.2, 85 f/1.2. I even had the RF 24-105mm f/4L IS at one time. I was partway towards my goal and had a huge setback. I now own zero RF lenses. My dream list remains the same:
RF 14-28mm f/2L
RF 28-70mm f/2L
RF 70-135mm f/2L
RF 24mm f/1.2L
RF 35mm f/1.2L
RF 50mm f/1.2L
RF 85mm f/1.2L
RF 135mm f/1.8L

Anyway, that's some mighty high hopes. What is your dream kit from Canon?
Very sad to hear you've been so badly hit by covid 19....
Wish you (your camera gear!) a quick revovery.:)
 
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AlanF

Desperately seeking birds
CR Pro
Aug 16, 2012
12,355
22,534
Well, the pandemic really derailed things for me. I had the RF 28-70 f/2, 50 f/1.2, 85 f/1.2. I even had the RF 24-105mm f/4L IS at one time. I was partway towards my goal and had a huge setback. I now own zero RF lenses. My dream list remains the same:
RF 14-28mm f/2L
RF 28-70mm f/2L
RF 70-135mm f/2L
RF 24mm f/1.2L
RF 35mm f/1.2L
RF 50mm f/1.2L
RF 85mm f/1.2L
RF 135mm f/1.8L

Anyway, that's some mighty high hopes. What is your dream kit from Canon?
Sorry to hear that CFB, and I hope your situation recovers.
 
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AlanF

Desperately seeking birds
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Aug 16, 2012
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You know they'll live on a tripod with a gimbal. You just have to get a young hing to move it from the car to the hide for you. The 200-500 f/4 should not have too much more heft than the 200-400. There is also a RF 120-300mm f/2.8 to consider, but that is more sports people than wildlife I feel. Though I do have to consider if a 120-300mm f/2.8 is close enough to prime IQ like the Nikon is, then that versatility might be worth the extra heft.
The requirements for lenses evolve as camera sensors and AF evolve, albeit lagging behind in implementation. Regarding telephoto lenses, when FF sensors were limited to 20 Mpx, then wide 400-500-600-800mm + TCs were necessary for wild life photography, as they are today for 1D series. Even so, the 800mm/5.6 is an extremely expensive and rare lens, with the 600/4 being far more useful. Nowadays, 500mm on an R5 gives similar resolution to 700mm on a 1DXIII, and with a 1.4xTC about 950mm, and with a 2xTC about 1400mm. You will get better images with a longer wide lens on a 20Mpx FF and a tripod and gimbal, but the smaller narrower lenses are much more portable, not restricted to being used on a tripod and probably give you far more opportunities for shots as you can carry them around with you. For a lens to sell in large numbers, a 95mm filter ring seems the upper limit. The Sony 200-600mm with such a size is used by hot shot birding photographers with a 1.4x or 2xTC on the A9 or bare on the A7RIV. My wish list would be an RF DO of 400mm f/4 or 500mm f/5.6 to be used on the R5.
 
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Deleted member 381342

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The requirements for lenses evolve as camera sensors and AF evolve, albeit lagging behind in implementation. Regarding telephoto lenses, when FF sensors were limited to 20 Mpx, then wide 400-500-600-800mm + TCs were necessary for wild life photography, as they are today for 1D series. Even so, the 800mm/5.6 is an extremely expensive and rare lens, with the 600/4 being far more useful. Nowadays, 500mm on an R5 gives similar resolution to 700mm on a 1DXIII, and with a 1.4xTC about 950mm, and with a 2xTC about 1400mm. You will get better images with a longer wide lens on a 20Mpx FF and a tripod and gimbal, but the smaller narrower lenses are much more portable, not restricted to being used on a tripod and probably give you far more opportunities for shots as you can carry them around with you. For a lens to sell in large numbers, a 95mm filter ring seems the upper limit. The Sony 200-600mm with such a size is used by hot shot birding photographers with a 1.4x or 2xTC on the A9 or bare on the A7RIV. My wish list would be an RF DO of 400mm f/4 or 500mm f/5.6 to be used on the R5.

I am all with you on wanting/needing something portable. My wish for the big boys, especially a 200-500 f/4 would be specifically for those times you are camped out in a hide and you don't know when that polar bear is going to show up or how close it is going to be. For a lot of my stuff, nothing felt better than that 500mm f/5.6 PF but if I know there is a fox den/burrow I would setup with a makeshift hide, flask of tea, and the sharpest and brightest lens I could set up on a tripod. Might even have that 500mm f/5.6 with me too incase some buzzard lands behind me.
 
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AlanF

Desperately seeking birds
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Aug 16, 2012
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I am all with you on wanting/needing something portable. My wish for the big boys, especially a 200-500 f/4 would be specifically for those times you are camped out in a hide and you don't know when that polar bear is going to show up or how close it is going to be. For a lot of my stuff, nothing felt better than that 500mm f/5.6 PF but if I know there is a fox den/burrow I would setup with a makeshift hide, flask of tea, and the sharpest and brightest lens I could set up on a tripod. Might even have that 500mm f/5.6 with me too incase some buzzard lands behind me.
Polar bear? OK an 800mm with a 3xTC - nothing closer. ;)
 
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Deleted member 381342

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Polar bear? OK an 800mm with a 3xTC - nothing closer. ;)

My point is more that there are some animals you don't want to get close to and sometimes f/4 or even f/2.8 is high ISO. For me the nope animals are more if I take a wee trip over to photograph brown bears or other large 'nope' predators. And I am not going to be darting about with the 500mm f/5.6 at those times, I am going to be in a hide with a big lens on a tripod with many layers of anti nope around me and maybe some chap with a rifle.

And while I gather you were likely joking, for a polar bear a 200-400 seems to be the ideal as they are pretty big and can get way too close.
 
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In the Arctic I would expect the snow would reflect enough light most of the day half the year that you wouldn’t be shooting at high ISOs or needing to open the lens very wide. Blowing out highlights on a white bear in strong light would be more a concern.

It was an example of where we might want a 200-400 or 200-500 f/4 TC instead of a 500mm f/5.6. Also a situation you would want a R1 with you instead of a R5. There are just cases where the trip is way more expensive than the equipment and you really want to make sure you got that shot, even if you dial the lens to f/8 when you are there. Not to mention, the portability of the 100-500 or a 500 f/5.6 becomes irrelevant and I am sure there are other cases we want the bigger faster lens.
 
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brad-man

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Jun 6, 2012
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It was an example of where we might want a 200-400 or 200-500 f/4 TC instead of a 500mm f/5.6. Also a situation you would want a R1 with you instead of a R5. There are just cases where the trip is way more expensive than the equipment and you really want to make sure you got that shot, even if you dial the lens to f/8 when you are there. Not to mention, the portability of the 100-500 or a 500 f/5.6 becomes irrelevant and I am sure there are other cases we want the bigger faster lens.
The ruggedness and portability of the kit wouldn't be an issue for me as I would be shooting from a helicopter...
 
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