RF 16-28MM F2.8 or RF 35, 28, & 16 Primes?
p.1 #1RF 16-28MM F2.8 or RF 35, 28, & 16 Primes?
Looking for suggestions on which lens/lenses to take along for night time street photography in a city (Tokyo at night). I have the following:
- Canon R6II
- Canon RF 16-28mm f2.8 STM
- Canon RF 16mm f2.8 STM
- Canon RF 28mm f2.8 STM
- Canon RF 24mm f1.8 Macro
- Canon RF 35mm f1.8 Macro
- Canon RF 50mm f1.8 STM
- For day time shooting, I'll have my RF 24-105mm f4.0L, but I'm looking for advice on which secondary lens/lenses to bring along for night time street photography.
While my RF 16-28mm f2.8 STM is somewhat slightly weather sealed, my primes are not. Also, I have a love/hate relationship with my RF 16-28mm f2.8 STM, as it requires more post processing to ease up a bit of the distortion compared to my primes.
I don't want to carry a huge backpack or bag with all my gear, plus I'm probably going to visit during rainy season. And, no I can't "just buy or rent another lens"; I have to select/choose from what I currently own. This trip is costing me way more than I had budgeted for, so I have to make due with what I already own. Thanks in advance.
- Canon R6II
- Canon RF 16-28mm f2.8 STM
- Canon RF 16mm f2.8 STM
- Canon RF 28mm f2.8 STM
- Canon RF 24mm f1.8 Macro
- Canon RF 35mm f1.8 Macro
- Canon RF 50mm f1.8 STM
- For day time shooting, I'll have my RF 24-105mm f4.0L, but I'm looking for advice on which secondary lens/lenses to bring along for night time street photography.
While my RF 16-28mm f2.8 STM is somewhat slightly weather sealed, my primes are not. Also, I have a love/hate relationship with my RF 16-28mm f2.8 STM, as it requires more post processing to ease up a bit of the distortion compared to my primes.
I don't want to carry a huge backpack or bag with all my gear, plus I'm probably going to visit during rainy season. And, no I can't "just buy or rent another lens"; I have to select/choose from what I currently own. This trip is costing me way more than I had budgeted for, so I have to make due with what I already own. Thanks in advance.
Jul 15, 2026 at 11:57 AM
p.1 #2RF 16-28MM F2.8 or RF 35, 28, & 16 Primes?
I will comment as someone who only had primes except for the EF70-200mm f2.8 IS..UNTIL I turned 72.
I have hand tremors now...My arsenal has grown more to excellent zooms. While the 16-35f2.8 has some issues for my shooting, you can't beat it for nightime! I went to the f4 IS because of tremors...
If time is no problem..your primes should give you the advantage of "going back" with another prime or a zoom to "catch" what one lens or another may miss....Otherwise I would recommend a quality zoom.
Have FUN!!!
Dan
Oh..weather..a good plastic bag for protection is very useful.
I should clarify my above statement..I have a MF Fuji and except for my GF120mm Macro all lenses are GF zooms....
I have hand tremors now...My arsenal has grown more to excellent zooms. While the 16-35f2.8 has some issues for my shooting, you can't beat it for nightime! I went to the f4 IS because of tremors...
If time is no problem..your primes should give you the advantage of "going back" with another prime or a zoom to "catch" what one lens or another may miss....Otherwise I would recommend a quality zoom.
Have FUN!!!
Dan
Oh..weather..a good plastic bag for protection is very useful.
I should clarify my above statement..I have a MF Fuji and except for my GF120mm Macro all lenses are GF zooms....
Jul 15, 2026 at 12:51 PM
p.1 #3RF 16-28MM F2.8 or RF 35, 28, & 16 Primes?
I wish I knew how to answer that since I've been around this loop a couple of times. I still have periods where I flip/flop - for the obvious reasons. In a way the zoom requires more attention since after using a prime for a day or two, that view is kinda stuck in my head, so it frees up brain power to look at composition and everything else. It depends on the trip and I will swap stuff around but gone are the days of my carrying everything.
For travel, I've mostly settled on a general zoom {mostly the 24-240 which is your 24-105} and 1-2 primes that add something the zoom does not OR 1-2 zooms {I drop the 24-240 in this use case} and a single prime. All three must add something different from the others.
In your case taking the 16-28 rules out the 16 and 28 primes since they are just not different enough. I'd also remove the 24 & 35 because while they are faster, they are not THAT much faster (especially with the R6ii's low-light ability) and they are basically inside the zooms range (28 vs 35 is meh), so I'd take the 50 with the wide zoom since it's faster and the most different - outside the 16-28's range and far faster than the 24-105.
For travel, I've mostly settled on a general zoom {mostly the 24-240 which is your 24-105} and 1-2 primes that add something the zoom does not OR 1-2 zooms {I drop the 24-240 in this use case} and a single prime. All three must add something different from the others.
In your case taking the 16-28 rules out the 16 and 28 primes since they are just not different enough. I'd also remove the 24 & 35 because while they are faster, they are not THAT much faster (especially with the R6ii's low-light ability) and they are basically inside the zooms range (28 vs 35 is meh), so I'd take the 50 with the wide zoom since it's faster and the most different - outside the 16-28's range and far faster than the 24-105.
Jul 15, 2026 at 04:53 PM
p.1 #4RF 16-28MM F2.8 or RF 35, 28, & 16 Primes?
Danpbphoto wrote:
I will comment as someone who only had primes except for the EF70-200mm f2.8 IS..UNTIL I turned 72.
I have hand tremors now...My arsenal has grown more to excellent zooms. While the 16-35f2.8 has some issues for my shooting, you can't beat it for nightime! I went to the f4 IS because of tremors...
If time is no problem..your primes should give you the advantage of "going back" with another prime or a zoom to "catch" what one lens or another may miss....Otherwise I would recommend a quality zoom.
Have FUN!!!
Dan
Oh..weather..a good plastic bag for protection is very useful.
I should clarify my above...Show more →
Thanks! I'm definitely a fan of primes, especially when I have more time to explore areas. Unfortunately, weather is a major factor for me; having to change lenses in bad weather is a problem. A couple of years ago I found out the hard way on a trip to Iceland. I thought I could just take a few primes, but I was wrong! It was so cold that even with thick gloves on I was freezing. The rain and heavy winds made it almost impossible to change lenses in the field. I ended up putting my R6 away for most of the trip and used my backup camera (OM-5 with Panasonic 12-35mm f2.8 G2) most of the time while I was there. That trip made me wish I had a 24-70mm f2.8 for my R6. Unfortunately, I still can't afford that 24-70mm f2.8 for my R6II, so I have to compromise with the other gear I own.
That being said, my dream vacation would be spending a month in a small town or city in Spain, and going out every dawn and dusk with just my R6II and a prime or two! However, this upcoming trip to Tokyo will be the usual "run and gun" style trip, but during the middle of typhoon season.
Edited on Jul 16, 2026 at 09:46 AM · View previous versions
Jul 15, 2026 at 05:45 PM
p.1 #5RF 16-28MM F2.8 or RF 35, 28, & 16 Primes?
robstein wrote:
I wish I knew how to answer that since I've been around this loop a couple of times. I still have periods where I flip/flop - for the obvious reasons. In a way the zoom requires more attention since after using a prime for a day or two, that view is kinda stuck in my head, so it frees up brain power to look at composition and everything else. It depends on the trip and I will swap stuff around but gone are the days of my carrying everything.
For travel, I've mostly settled on a general zoom {mostly the 24-240...Show more →
Thanks!! I think I go through this same "gear anxiety" issue whenever I travel to some far away place for the first time!
Last lengthy trip I took was to Spain, and I solved the gear issue by taking my R6II, R7 as backup, RF 24-240mm f4-6.3, RF 16-28mm f2.8 STM, and Tamron 11-20mm f2.8 RDX (for my R7). I liked how my RF 24-240mm performed, as well as the Tamron 11-20mm f2.8. Unfortunately, I sold my R7 and Tamron 11-20mm f2.8 after that trip because I wasn't happy with the AF of my R7.
I felt comfortable taking my RF 24-240mm f4-6.3 with me that time because I had been to Spain before and felt comfortable knowing what I was going to shoot. Also, weather was going to be pleasant and predictable. For this upcoming trip I decided to buy the RF 24-105 f4.0L because I know I'll be going during the peak of typhoon season, and it has decent weather sealing. I'm anticipating rain and bad weather. That will be my primary, "daytime use" lens.
I'm leaning toward your suggestion regarding taking my RF 16-28mm f2.8 along for indoir/night time shooting. Honestly, I hadn't really given much thought to the 50mm until you mentioned it! It does make sense to have the 16-28mm f2.8 plus the 50mm f1.8 for night time city shots! Thanks!!
Jul 15, 2026 at 06:02 PM
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p.1 #6RF 16-28MM F2.8 or RF 35, 28, & 16 Primes?
I'd take the 16-28 and maybe supplement with the 28/2.8 and 50/1.8 for a couple compact prime options and smaller backups to the two zooms.
The 16-28 outperforms the 16/2.8 and offers the flexility of a zoom.
I wouldn't worry so much about weather sealing. If it rains, just use regular caution with any of your equipment, even if it's supposedly weather resistant. At least for me, it's not a high priority when visiting a city. If the weather is bad, there are plenty of things to find and do indoors, especially in Tokyo. But yes, a zoom is easier to use in the rain/snow and results in much less frequent lens changes. Or mentally allows you to photograph more scenes because you're not debating the risks of swapping lenses in poor weather vs. the value of photographing the scene. You can just be happy and keep photographing.
In Tokyo you can go into pretty much any convenience store and buy a 600 Yen umbrella (non-collapsible style). Otherwise just bring a couple small microfibre cloths along with you to wipe off gear as it gets wet. Probably something you should be able to find in multitudes of stores in Tokyo.
The 16-28 outperforms the 16/2.8 and offers the flexility of a zoom.
I wouldn't worry so much about weather sealing. If it rains, just use regular caution with any of your equipment, even if it's supposedly weather resistant. At least for me, it's not a high priority when visiting a city. If the weather is bad, there are plenty of things to find and do indoors, especially in Tokyo. But yes, a zoom is easier to use in the rain/snow and results in much less frequent lens changes. Or mentally allows you to photograph more scenes because you're not debating the risks of swapping lenses in poor weather vs. the value of photographing the scene. You can just be happy and keep photographing.
In Tokyo you can go into pretty much any convenience store and buy a 600 Yen umbrella (non-collapsible style). Otherwise just bring a couple small microfibre cloths along with you to wipe off gear as it gets wet. Probably something you should be able to find in multitudes of stores in Tokyo.
Jul 15, 2026 at 10:11 PM
p.1 #7RF 16-28MM F2.8 or RF 35, 28, & 16 Primes?
snegron7 wrote:
I have hand tremors now...My arsenal has grown more to excellent zooms. While the 16-35f2.8 has some issues for my shooting, you can't beat it for nightime! I went to the f4 IS because of tremors...
If time is no problem..your primes should give you the advantage of "going back" with another prime or a zoom to "catch" what one lens or another may miss....Otherwise I would recommend a quality zoom.
Have FUN!!!
Dan
Oh..weather..a good plastic bag for protection is very useful.
I should clarify my above statement..I have a MF Fuji and except for my GF120mm Macro all lenses are GF zooms....Thanks! I'm definitely a fan of primes, especially when I have more time to explore areas. Unfortunately, weather is a major factor for me; having to change lenses in bad weather is a problem. A couple of years ago I found out the hard way on a yrip to Iceland. I thought I could just take a few primes, but I was wrong! It was so cold that even with thick gloves on I was freezing. The rain and heavy winds made it almost impossible to change lenses in the field. I ended up putting my R6 away for most...Show more →
I travelled very much when I worked. As you stated, it was a "run and gun" scenario and if I had any photo eqpt with me, I never had the right lens for what I wanted to shoot.
I only had "room" for 1 body and 1 lens.
Good luck, happy shooting and HAVE FUN!!
Dan
Danpbphoto wrote
I will comment as someone who only had primes except for the EF70-200mm f2.8 IS..UNTIL I turned 72.I have hand tremors now...My arsenal has grown more to excellent zooms. While the 16-35f2.8 has some issues for my shooting, you can't beat it for nightime! I went to the f4 IS because of tremors...
If time is no problem..your primes should give you the advantage of "going back" with another prime or a zoom to "catch" what one lens or another may miss....Otherwise I would recommend a quality zoom.
Have FUN!!!
Dan
Oh..weather..a good plastic bag for protection is very useful.
I should clarify my above statement..I have a MF Fuji and except for my GF120mm Macro all lenses are GF zooms....
I travelled very much when I worked. As you stated, it was a "run and gun" scenario and if I had any photo eqpt with me, I never had the right lens for what I wanted to shoot.
I only had "room" for 1 body and 1 lens.
Good luck, happy shooting and HAVE FUN!!
Dan
Jul 16, 2026 at 09:40 AM
p.1 #8RF 16-28MM F2.8 or RF 35, 28, & 16 Primes?
Even though I dislike the 35mm focal length, 35mm is probably better than 50mm for night time street photography. Easier to handhold, wider DOF.
Jul 16, 2026 at 03:45 PM
p.1 #9RF 16-28MM F2.8 or RF 35, 28, & 16 Primes?
This is a difficult question to answer since it depends on a bunch of variable and persona preferences.
My personal preference for doing street photography (with a different system that what you'll use) is to carry three small primes with f/2.8 or f/2 maximum apertures, and to use the middle one (neither the widest or the longest) by default.
This is partly because I like the smaller size of the lens plus camera (both for packing reasons and for being a bit less obvious), and I like primes also for their quickness — one less variable to deal with. My preference is one that is somewhat side (the equivalent of about1 FF), one that is slightly wide normal (like a 40mmor so FL) and one that is longer (mine is equivalent to a 75mm on FF).
The one thing that would be missing from selections taken from your set is the longer FL.
However...
it also sort of depends on what you think of as "street photography." Are you mainly photographing people and street scenes... or may you lean more toward buildings, larger subjects, and so forth? If the latter, a single zoom isn't a a half bad alternative. It keeps things simple and you don't carry multiple lenses, at the cost of a bulkier camera/lens combo and the need, at times, to take time to figure out the right FL.
With primes, I prefer that the lenses have a roughly 2:1 focal length ratio between them. If you think that is too large, you may lean more toward the zoom
My personal preference for doing street photography (with a different system that what you'll use) is to carry three small primes with f/2.8 or f/2 maximum apertures, and to use the middle one (neither the widest or the longest) by default.
This is partly because I like the smaller size of the lens plus camera (both for packing reasons and for being a bit less obvious), and I like primes also for their quickness — one less variable to deal with. My preference is one that is somewhat side (the equivalent of about1 FF), one that is slightly wide normal (like a 40mmor so FL) and one that is longer (mine is equivalent to a 75mm on FF).
The one thing that would be missing from selections taken from your set is the longer FL.
However...
it also sort of depends on what you think of as "street photography." Are you mainly photographing people and street scenes... or may you lean more toward buildings, larger subjects, and so forth? If the latter, a single zoom isn't a a half bad alternative. It keeps things simple and you don't carry multiple lenses, at the cost of a bulkier camera/lens combo and the need, at times, to take time to figure out the right FL.
With primes, I prefer that the lenses have a roughly 2:1 focal length ratio between them. If you think that is too large, you may lean more toward the zoom
Jul 16, 2026 at 04:17 PM
p.1 #10RF 16-28MM F2.8 or RF 35, 28, & 16 Primes?
doady wrote:
Even though I dislike the 35mm focal length, 35mm is probably better than 50mm for night time street photography. Easier to handhold, wider DOF.
IBIS is our friend here.
Even though I dislike the 35mm focal length, 35mm is probably better than 50mm for night time street photography. Easier to handhold, wider DOF.
IBIS is our friend here.
Jul 16, 2026 at 11:10 PM