Next Lens Options for Canon R5 (EF or RF): portraiture and bird photography

[regaru]

Hi all! This is my first time posting so please let me know if I've done something wrong. I am student photographer and a Canon R5 and R6 owner. I have the RF 24-105 F4 L, RF 50mm F1.8 and EF 70-200 F2.8 ii. This setup has been amazing for me as I've transitioned into doing (semi) professional shoots more on the regular however, I have been finding myself in need want of two things: a fast (or maybe two) prime lenses (maybe a single fast-ish zoom instead?) for more creative portraiture, and a super telephoto lens (not super high-end) as i've been enjoying wildlife/bird photography a lot more but am feeling the limitations of only having 200mm. I would love your thoughts and suggestions around what to get. I have looked at the EF 100-400 ii, RF 100-400, RF 600/800mm primes and am completely lost in the fast prime/zoom lens world with all the EF choices out there! Thank you in advance!

[Tronhard]

Hi and welcome to the forum:

I have the same cameras myself and I am a wildlife photographer.  As always much depends on your budget, but making the assumption that it is enough, I will suggest two lenses to you for wildlife.  First I will say that one can never have too much focal length, but a fixed focal length lens can be challenging, as you are not always going to be in control of the shooting environment and the subject - in fact, very often not. You cannot zoom with your feet, as they say.  For that reason I have always favoured a zoom lens for this work.

Essentially, there are two lenses I would suggest, and I do so owning both.
1. RF 100-500L I IS USM.  This is a fabulous L series lens, and has dual nano-USM focusing motors, making it blazing fast to find focus.  It has excellent optical quality across the focal range.
2. RF 200-800 IS USM.  While not an L-series, it is well built, with some sealing, is amazingly light for the focal range and has excellent optics.  Don't be put off by the max aperture of f/9 at the 800mm FL:  remember the longer the FL the shallower the DoF and both bodies we have are fine to work with higher ISO values.  If you go to the menu at the top and select Gallery > Share Your Photos, you can search for references to images take with each lens.

As to portraiture, I honestly think you are well covered by the zooms you have, but if you wanted a prime lens for that, you could consider the RF 100 f/2.8 Macro lens, which is also a fabulous portrait optic.

[Waddizzle]

If you do not own or use EF mount bodies, then I do not see any reason to buy EF lenses. 

[ebiggs1]

"I have looked at the EF 100-400 ii, RF 100-400, RF 600/800mm primes and am completely lost in the fast prime/zoom lens world with all the EF choices out there! "

If I was faced with that querry today 9/8/2024, I would buy the Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 and Canon adapter without control ring. I just can't love teles that start out at f11. I know why Canon made them and all but there still seems to me to be a better option and that is the big Tammy. But, I also agree with this statement, "If you do not own or use EF mount bodies, then I do not see any reason to buy EF lenses" . However in this case I would break it and get the Tamron G2.

As to the 100-400mm Canon zooms, I don't think 400mm is long enough. I see 400mm being the shortest FL for birds. Consider most of the time you use a tele zoom like this type at the long end, or 400mm in this case. Most people don't buy this type lens to use it at 100mm or the Tamron at 150mm. So you are essentially buying the long side. The question becomes do you want a 400mm lens or a 600mm lens? 200mm is a big deal.