- Compact, Lightweight and High-Quality RF Lens with a Versatile Zoom Range of 24-105 millimeter
- Optical Image Stabilization at up to 5 stops of shake correction
- Maximum Magnification of 0.4x and Minimum Focusing Distance of 0.66 feet in Auto Focus.
What is the best travel lens for Canon RP?
So you’re planning on travelling and wondering which lens is best for travel photography with your Canon RP?
These days, most travelers use their smartphones to take pictures and post them on Facebook or Instagram. Don’t get me wrong, you can make impressive pictures with recent smartphones and they are very useful to document little details of your trip, but they are limited to one perspective.
So you’ll probably need a lense with a focal range that will allow you to get shots that are impossible to get with your cell phone (zoom or wide angle).
What makes a good travel lens?
Well, this is extremely subjective and depends on the type of photo you will make when you will be on the road. It also depends on how often you’re going to use it. Any lens can be good for travel, but having to commute by train, bus, plane, and moving around all the time makes it hard to carry a huge bag dedicated to your favourite lenses. There are always the risks to pay extra fees for them, to break them during the trip or to get your bag stolen.
Hence, most photographers like to travel light, with the lightest and most versatile setup possible. Getting the most out of one or two lenses is probably the way to go, with a range .
You may not know for sure what kind of shot you are about to make during your trip. If you plan on taking portraits, wildlife, street scenes but also landscapes, a zoom lens will be perfect since they offers the advantage of allowing close-ups and scenery shots, to some extent. For a more versatile use, this kind of lens will be the perfect fit.
Travels are full of surprises, and you may want to grab your Canon RP and shoot as quickly as possible. For this situation, the best lens will be a bright wide angle lens since they are usually a good choice for street photography. They allow for close-ups and large scenes, and are generally pretty small and convenient to carry. If you are planning a city trip, this kind of lens should be attached in permanence to the body of your Canon RP.
Every photographer has its own favourite setup for snapping on the go. But if you are not sure on what travel lens to choose for your Canon RP, this small selection is suitable for most photographic opportunities while traveling.
Note: the product links in this article lead to Amazon.com
Summary
- Canon RF 24-105mm f4L IS USM (All around travel lens)
- Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM (Cheap, Compact & Light Travel Lens)
- Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8 L IS USM (Wide Angle)
- Useful accessories
- Conclusion
Here’s the Top 3 travel lenses you should consider for your Canon EOS RP:
Canon RF 24-105mm f4L IS USM (All around travel lens)
Weight: 700 g
Filter size: 77 mm
This versatile zoom is offered as an entry kit into the EOS R market. Perfect for shooting all kinds of scenes such as streets, portraits or landscapes, with a minimum focusing distance of 45 cm, its 5-speed stabilizer and USM engine, it is a balanced, robust and waterproof tool. Responsive and space-saving, it avoids frequent optical changes and its constant maximum aperture at f/4 makes it bright. In manual mode, the distances are displayed in the viewfinder. Once again, the great novelty is the increased reactivity and sharpness of the image resulting from the 54 mm frame and its 12-pin connectors.
All the objectives of the range are designed in this way and represent tools for the future. A new control ring at the end of the lens allows the assignment of functions such as aperture, exposure compensation, shutter speed, etc. In video, fluidity is also ensured. Note that a zoom lock button is available for transporting the camera. Another alternative is the Canon RF 24-240mm F4-6.3 IS USM: it’s 50 grams heavier but has a much larger focal range (but no resistance to moisture and dust).
- Compact, high-quality Lens with broad zoom range for the EOS R system
- Bright, constant f/4.0 zoom Lens
- First L-Series Lens with Nano USM
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Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM (Cheap, Compact & Light Travel Lens)
Weight: 305 g
Filter size: 52 mm
Very compact, this 35 mm lens weighs only 305 g and has a maximum aperture of f/1.8 and a minimum aperture of f/22. It allows a focus at 17 cm and offers a reproduction ratio close to 1:2. We obtain a nice bokeh and its optical stabilization system compensates up to 5 EV. An STM engine provides smooth transitions that are highly appreciated in video applications. It is also equipped with a ring to be set which is close to the one used for focusing. There can be confusion between the two despite their different finishes.
As with the other lenses in the range, the distance scale is displayed on the viewfinder. However, it has a vignetting with a large diaphragm aperture. The cheapest in the RF range, it has no waterproofing treatment. Its lenses are not in the L range but have undergone a Super Spectra treatment on the surface.
It’s a lens that allows you to take sharp pictures and its versatility is appreciated while on a trip. Very useful for street photos, portraits or close-ups, its small size makes it a very popular tool for travel photography. It’s delivered with a sun visor.
- Compact macro Lens with 0.5x Magnification Ratio
- Minimum Focusing Distance of 0.56 ft. ; 0.17M
- Control Ring for direct setting changes
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Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8 L IS USM (Wide Angle)
Filter size: 82 mm
It’s an ultra-wide angle lens that will allow you to take impressive photos of landscapes and architecture. Its f2.8 aperture is also perfect for astrophotography, and its minimum focusing distance of 28 cm is useful for close-ups and portraits. As for the rest of the RF range, the manufacturing of the lens is impeccable and its grip pleasant. The autofocus is perfectly silent and fast. The sharpness of the RF 15-35mm f/2.8 L IS USM is less than that of the RF 24-70mm f/2.8 but it remains decent.
For its negative points, it is sold a bit expensive, and it is heavy and bulky but it is the only option in RF wide angle lens.
In short, if you’re looking for a wide angle lens to accompany you on your travels, this 15-35mm is a good option.
- High image quality and bright f/2.8 wide-angle zoom RF L lens
- Optical image stabilization of up to 5 Stops* of shake correction
- High speed, smooth and quiet auto focus with Nano USM
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☛ MORE TRAVEL LENSES
- The Canon RF 24-70mm F2.8L IS USM offers a fantastic image quality and should be considered if you have the money for it and don’t mind the weight.
- For other travel lenses options, check this out: The best lenses for Canon EOS R5
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Useful accessories for travel photography
Travels can be hectic, so you want to make sure that your lenses are safe and sound all along the trip. A good quality carry bag is mandatory to protect them from the weather and bumps. A UV filter will also help protect your lens by adding a layer of glass that can be scratched or dripping with water with no harm to the lens. Finally, a polarizing filter is always useful to get a glare-free result in any shooting scenario you might face.
Here is a small selection of useful accessories to complement your lenses and your Canon RP:
Conclusion
If you want to go on a trip soon and are wondering what is the best travel lens for the Canon RP, think in advance about the types of photos you plan to take mainly: landscapes, portraits, night shots… Think about the focal lengths you need for that.
You can also go on Google, type in the name of the country or the tourist sites you want to visit and you will see which focal lengths are mainly used. This will give you an idea of what equipment you will need to bring but remember that taking a single lens with you might be too limiting. The flexibility of an all-around lens is very useful but generally they offer a lower image quality than a fixed focal length.
Another thing, if you plan to do a lot of walking or hiking, take into account the total weight with the camera body and the lens. If the whole thing is too heavy or bulky and lacks discretion, you won’t want to bother with it and would rather just take your smartphone with you. You may also not want to risk damaging an extremely expensive lens.
And finally, perhaps the most decisive point about choosing the perfect travel lens for your Canon RP will be if you need to get a portfolio of professional quality travel photos or videos (it may be your business or it may become your business who knows?).