What lens should I buy? RF lens recommendations for novice

[BDR_529]

Hello community, my name is Joseph.  I am a complete novice.  I have never owned a camera.  It will be for my personal use and my new hobby, I am not going to be a professional.  I have done some research and I am going to purchase the Canon R6 Mark III when it is released.  But I can not figure out what lens to buy.  I want the best but the best are so large and heavy I am afraid it will stop me from using my new camera.  I would love to hear all suggestions.  I am leaning toward either the RF 24-105 f/4 L IS USM or the RF 24-70 f/2.8 L IS USM.  I know there is a big difference in price, but I am more concerned about size.  So what lens should I buy first?

[Tronhard · Accepted solution]

Jospeh:

If you are waiting until the R6III comes out, which will be at least 4 months to wait (probably closer to six), can I suggest in the meantime not committing to buying everything right now.  I would like to think that my colleagues would not suggest that you spend significant sums on gear without knowledge to be sure that it is what you want.

Please Invest your resources in learning about the practice of photography first.  It sounds like you are prepared to throw a lot of money at something about which you admit you have little knowledge.  Expensive gear will not replace skill - as per the last line in my signature.
For a start, you are indicating conflicting preferences: the lenses that offer the largest aperture are large, expensive and heavy, yet you say you are concerned about weight.  The highest-end gear will not work for you if you are not prepared to carry it

In the meantime, you can rent the gear and try it out to see what will work for you best.  Please consider the guidelines in this article: Considerations for buying camera gear 

So far we have no indication of a budget, we don't really know subjects what you want to photograph and under what conditions, and we don't know what you will produce.  What you will therefore get is more our perspective on photography rather than what you will need and use.  That is not a good way to approach buying camera gear.

You need to learn the way in which cameras measure light (metering), and how the three controls of the camera: Shutter, Aperture and ISO each work to allow the camera to get the right exposure.  How auto modes can be fooled by the lighting conditions and how to overcome those limitations by taking control yourself.  You also need to explore how the right exposure can be achieve by multiple different variations of those three, but how each has a significant impact on the resultant image.  This will take time and you can't shortcut that learning process - so please invest your efforts in learning.  Expensive camera gear will not, in itself, make you a better photographer.

If you want help in finding resources to learn, we can do that too.

[WCETECH · Accepted solution]

If at all possible rent a lens to try out, then if you find it meets your needs you might consider buying it.

[TomRamsey · Accepted solution]

I don't believe there is a best beginner lens for everyone.  A lot depends on what you are shooting, and i understand that you may not really even know yet, and as you get more experienced you may change your focus.  I've shot Pentax for several years and just recentley bought an R6 MarkII.  I bought it to go along with the RF200-800 lens I had ordered, which was my reason for buying into the RF system anyway.  But I knew there was a long wait for the 200-800 lens, so I bought the camera with the kit 24-105 STM lens, so I could learn to use the camera while I waited. It's a great camera, and getting that kit lens was really helpful in getting to know the camera as well as setting it up for my use. There is nothing wrong with getting the best lens you can afford as your first lens, as long as it meets your needs.  But, if you aren't sure of your needs yet, nothing wrong with renting, or getting one of the cheaper lenses to learn with.  There are several directions that you can go with photography, and it is almost a guarantee that you will change your focus a few times, so why box yourself in by blowing your budget right away then finding out that another lens could suit you better.  My case was a little different, I knew what I wanted through many years of experience.  Choose wisely and have fun.

[March411]

Hello Joseph, welcome to the forum.

I own the R6 MkII and love it, the R6 III should be a great purchase.

It may help to know what type(s) or styles of photography you will be focusing on to help with lens suggestions. If you are starting with general photography the two lenses you mentioned will be a nice start. I own the 24-70mm and it performs well in every way, I think either would be a great choice.

[BDR_529]

Thank you for suggestions.  My focus will be general photography for now so I want versatility and convenience.  But if I am spending that much money I don't want to end up wishing I had a lens that could capture a clear picture of my moving cat in low light or an in flight baseball.

[Tronhard]

The RF 24-105 f/4 is, IMHO, the better balance of versatility and low light performance.  The 24-70 would likely be more effective where you want extremely narrow depth of field, which is less likely when you do not have a subject you can direct (like a human) for portraiture.  The 24-105 range is the most common lens for general purpose work for a reason.  As to the difference in aperture, camera sensors are really very capable of dealing with low light, so unless you are considering taking photos in extremely dim light f/4 should not be an issue.

[Tronhard]

Hi and welcome!

There is a significant difference between the two lenses you mention.  On one hand the RF24-70 f/2.8 has a narrow focal range but has one stop of light better performance than the Rf 24-105 f/4.  In that respect it would be helpful to know if you have budget limits - these are not cheap lenses, and when the R6III comes out it will be at a price premium.   The question would be do you need that extra stop of light?   A lot of folks go for that and rarely use it - it's far from a universal statement but it begs the question of what you will need that stop for and whether it is worth giving up the extra focal length for.

At the moment the R6III body is just a rumor, and we will not know for sure its specs until an official announcement, hopefully some time in Q1 of 2025 - so you have time to save up.

[BDR_529]

Thank you for your suggestions.  I am willing to spend the extra money for the f/2.8.  As I mentioned I am a complete novice so I don't know if I need the extra stop if light.  I am very concerned about the size difference.  Especially when I expand to the 70-200mm.  The f/2.8 version of the 70-200 looks huge.

[Tronhard · Accepted solution]

Jospeh:

If you are waiting until the R6III comes out, which will be at least 4 months to wait (probably closer to six), can I suggest in the meantime not committing to buying everything right now.  I would like to think that my colleagues would not suggest that you spend significant sums on gear without knowledge to be sure that it is what you want.

Please Invest your resources in learning about the practice of photography first.  It sounds like you are prepared to throw a lot of money at something about which you admit you have little knowledge.  Expensive gear will not replace skill - as per the last line in my signature.
For a start, you are indicating conflicting preferences: the lenses that offer the largest aperture are large, expensive and heavy, yet you say you are concerned about weight.  The highest-end gear will not work for you if you are not prepared to carry it

In the meantime, you can rent the gear and try it out to see what will work for you best.  Please consider the guidelines in this article: Considerations for buying camera gear 

So far we have no indication of a budget, we don't really know subjects what you want to photograph and under what conditions, and we don't know what you will produce.  What you will therefore get is more our perspective on photography rather than what you will need and use.  That is not a good way to approach buying camera gear.

You need to learn the way in which cameras measure light (metering), and how the three controls of the camera: Shutter, Aperture and ISO each work to allow the camera to get the right exposure.  How auto modes can be fooled by the lighting conditions and how to overcome those limitations by taking control yourself.  You also need to explore how the right exposure can be achieve by multiple different variations of those three, but how each has a significant impact on the resultant image.  This will take time and you can't shortcut that learning process - so please invest your efforts in learning.  Expensive camera gear will not, in itself, make you a better photographer.

If you want help in finding resources to learn, we can do that too.

[WCETECH · Accepted solution]

If at all possible rent a lens to try out, then if you find it meets your needs you might consider buying it.

[WCETECH]

What lens should I buy?

Why am I the only one encouraging our absolute newbie to learn something about photography when everyone else seems to want to spend his money on their favourite and expensive gear?
Let's encourage the OP to do some homework, maybe rent a camera and a lens or two and then be able to approach the rather expensive process of buying a camera and lenses with some experience.

This reply ought to be made a sticky at the top of the forum as the same question is asked over and over again ,

[Tronhard]

Why am I the only one encouraging our absolute newbie to learn something about photography when everyone else seems to want to spend his money on their favourite and expensive gear?
Let's encourage the OP to do some homework, maybe rent a camera and a lens or two and then be able to approach the rather expensive process of buying a camera and lenses with some experience.

For a start there are videos on You Tube to consider:

Plus a whole range of videos from Canon itself:
Canon EOS 101: Photo and Videography Basics | Canon U.S.A., Inc.

Joseph:
If you would like to check your local library on-line catalogue, there may well be a listing for an electronic resource called LinkedIn Learning.   If you can follow that link you can gain free access with you library card number and PIN  to a training site for all sorts of activities, including a massive array of video courses on photography conducted by skilled photographers and trainers.  They are broken down into lessons with notes and, in some cases, exercises.  If there is no link via catalogue, try LinkedIn Learning | Login  there is a option to use your library card and PIN if your library has the subscription otherwise you can sign up for a free trial.

When you get to the site do a search for Introduction to Photography  - you will find a complete curriculum on the science and art of photography from basics to advanced topics.  I strongly recommend you check it out.