Sorry for the late response - maybe this will helpful for you or someone for Christmas. I have both that camera and that lens and agree about Program mode. I've shot it wide open and Canon software does a good job of correction. That said, on a budget I would find it more effective and fun to use a faster lens. On a budget there are some nice prime lenses. If you like wider lenses the 16mm and 28mm are both f2.8, and if you prefer narrower shots the 50mm f1.8 are all in about the same price range and can be had used, as well. RF L lenses are fast zoom lenses if you can afford them. I've shot with them all and when shooting family holidays I am assuming that I'm going to not blow them up for all prints, but for sharing with others. Thus high ISOs aren't a problem. For a non-L lens I'd probably pick the 28mm and ignore zooming to make me and the camera as invisible as possible. I use electronic shutter for no sound, and would do my best to compose with my legs, but plan on cropping. I prefer wider and cropping for composition so that I can participate as much as possible and shoot as little as possible. What I really recommend is whatever is fun and familiar for you, is what I really recommend. though. Put the camera on full auto and focus on participating if that's what it takes to have fun and fully participate at a family event. You never know how long you'll have the 92yo and other family members with you. Cherish the moment first and capture what you can while you can and still participate and have fun. Of course, capturing precious moments on film is important, but stressing about missing one or fussing with learning a new mode or technique can make the time more stressful and less enjoyable. That's why it's important to practice before the holiday itself. In fact, I didn't take any pictures this year, but just enjoyed being there and helping the wife host the event.
I will photograph the grandkids and family at Christmas. I'm currently planning to use the RF L 15-35mm f2.8 L lens at about 28mm (and not fiddle with zoom), in Fv mode with ISO on auto, shutter at 1/100th, f11, and high-speed continuous drive mode . I am used to getting just a few frames with a light touch with continuous drive, so that I don't have to sift through a thousand frames. I love that you can delete the whole series for a bad shutter click. Things tend to move somewhat quickly with grandkids, otherwise I'd probably use bracketing instead of the continuous drive mode. In the slower parts of Christmas I'll likely do some manual adjusting to adapt to the lighting as I move about the house. I'm using Fv in essentially Program mode, so that's a great choice. Still, I prefer Fv in that it allows me to range from wholly manual to fully auto in the viewfinder if/when that means a better picture. I'm comfy in Fv and high-speed continuous drive mode because of my time shooting wildlife in those modes, but each person has to decide for themselves what works for them for skill comfort level and budget. I may change my mind and decide to shoot single frames and use the zoom and skip any post-processing, as well. Again, for me, taking a few nice snapshots is fine for family events, and if I get a few special gems to share with others, and I participate in the fun and don't detract from others' fun I'll have met my goals.
