What gear to bring for Banff/Jasper with EF and RF mixed systems?

I will be visiting Banff/Jasper next week and am wondering if I should bring my 200-400mm lens for wildlife. I will be with my family so it's not a pure photography trip where I will be able to take off for hours.

I'm just picking up an R5 + 28-70 this week which I will bring along for 4K video. For still photos, I will probably stick with my 5D MIV since I know that body a lot better. The other EF lenses I am thinking of bringing are:
  • 16-35 f/2.8
  • 24-105 f/4
  • 17mm TS-E f/4
  • 70-200 f/2.8
  • 200-400 f4 (trying to decide on)
For those of you that have been, do you think I'm bringing too much gear and do you think I will get any use out of the 200-400?
 
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Del Paso

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I'm a pretty bad counselor, since I almost never leave home without a 400mm zoom, and tons of gear.
But: since you expect to see some wildlife, the 200-400 is a must. With the other lenses you mentioned, your equipment seems perfect to me, a coverage from 17 to 400mm.
You might add a luminous prime ,maybe a 50mm instead of the redundant 24-105, and an extender.
Enjoy your trip!
 
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dcm

Enjoy the gear you have!
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Apr 18, 2013
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Depends on the balance between photography and family. It’s different for each of us and each time we travel. Rather than cover the entire focal length range, I tend to pick something wide, mid, and long for my 3 lens kit.

I’m on family vacation right now, but will have photo opportunities. I tend to dial it down. Left the 1DXII and most of my EF lenses at home. I acquired an R6 , RF24-240, RF800 f/11, and RF 1.4x a few months ago. I plan to get more familiar with them on this trip. I shot a bald eagle 50ft off our deck yesterday with the 800. The R kit could possibly meet most of my travel photography needs other than it’s size. I added the EF 11-24L just in case. Left the rest of my L primes and zooms at home.

I also brought along my S110 and M6II/M5 kit to spend some time shooting with my 9yo granddaughter. She’s been using P&S for a while. She took a few snaps with the M5 and suddenly got more excited about photography (it has a view finder) so I may be gifting her my M5 and a lens. We’ll see how it goes. Her mom has my 6D and f/4 zoom trinity (17-40, 24-105L IS, 70-200L IS).

If I had your kit and wanted to travel light, I’d bring the R5 and RF 28-70 and commit to using it. I’d add the 17 for all wide and the 200-400 for long. I like two body setups so I’d bring the 5DIV and mount the 17 or 200-400 on it. With an adapter I could mount the other on the R5 if I don’t need the midrange. This really minimizes the equipment and setups which I prefer to do when traveling, even by car.
 
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Thanks for all your feedback. I took everyone’s feedback and this is what I ended up bringing and how often I used it:
  1. Canon 5D IV
    1. I used this body for the first portion of the trip exclusively because I didn’t get the R5 until a few days into the trip. I did all video from my iPhone 12 Pro Max shooting 4K 30FPS
  2. Canon 70-200 f/2.8
    1. I only had a chance to use this twice as we were not fortunate enough to see much wildlife.
    2. We saw an elk once in town in Banff. I also use it at the waterslide in one of the hotels.
    3. I can’t imagine a time when I would have needed the 200-400
  3. Canon 17 TS
    1. Of all the lenses, I used this this about 10% of the time
  4. Canon 16-35
    1. Of all the lenses, I used this about 10% of the time
  5. Canon R5
    1. I use this exclusively once I received it.
  6. Canon 24-105
    1. Of all the lenses, I used this about 70% of the time, as my primary walk around
    2. For family trips, this was the easiest as I was already packing too much.
  7. Canon RF 28-70
    1. Honorable mention. I didn’t get this lens until after my trip was over but I feel I would have used this one instead of the 24-105
After using the 28-70 for a week, I think I will keep looking for a lighter travel lens or continue to use the 24-105.
 
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