Waiting for the RF 85mm f/2

MPB has received my gear and, following their final evaluation, I will be getting a "like new" copy of the RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM lens and a healthy transfer to my checking account. This will be the third copy of this lens I've owned, both times trading it in when I wanted to try something new.

Something I didn't have when I owned the lens previously is an R series body with built in stabilization. With my previous RP and R bodies the lens provides a claimed five stops of stabilization. The EOS R6 coordinates its stabilization with the lens based stabilization to provide a claimed eight stops of stabilization.  I look forward to this level of stabilization as my other RF lenses do not have their own stabilization and when you use EF lenses with the adapter there is little to no improvement over the lens stabilization alone.

The RF 85mm f/2 is also a half macro lens with hybrid stabilization and it should be almost perfect for shooting still life type photos in poor lighting conditions such as under a forest canopy.

The four lenses I will have are 16mm, 28mm, 50mm and 85mm. None are slower than f/2.8. The three longer focal lengths are each 1.75 times the focal length of the next wider lens. I can't imagine what a 16-85mm f/2.8 lens would weigh and cost. Nothing like that exists.

Unrelated, here is a photo with the RF 16mm f/2.8 lens from the other day.

I've been trying to come up with an apt analogy for the change from professional grade, very fast EF prime lenses to the consumer grade, slower and smaller RF prime lenses. I came up with going from a MacBook to an iPad. Some things you won't be able to do and some things you won't be able to do as well but it's lighter and more agile, still extremely useful and, in some ways, more fun.