Gear isn’t always about megapixels, dynamic range, or pixel-peeping. This set doesn’t change the quality of my photos, but it’s possibly my all-time favorite.
Equipment obsession or the next best thing is getting a little tired in the photography space. I totally understand sometimes, getting something new can boost your motivation to go out there and create new images. I was particularly at fault with it earlier in my preference, and readily admit that I might care or focus too much on the technical features of the device. That eventually changed over the years, leading me to my current position where all I care about is the device or tool that makes my life easier as a photographer. photographer.
Of course, I need it to match or stay at the level of quality I’m used to, but there are plenty of great options out there for almost any device. Lenses, tripods, filter systems, storage, you name it, and there’s probably a great selection. So when a device comes along that can change the way I work and make my life easier, that’s what I’m most excited about. That’s why Canon RF 70-200mm f/4L changed my taste for telephoto landscape photography.
This is not a review
This is not a review of this particular lens, nor is it an endorsement that you need this lens. There won’t be any comparisons in image quality or barrel distortion or image stability tests here. If that’s what you’re looking for, there are plenty of resources out there that are absolutely amazing and get the job done much better than I could. At this point, technology and competition in the space mean that if you’re spending a significant portion of your salary on a lens, camera or accessory, it’s going to have stellar image quality.
I bought the Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS II almost 10 years ago and it has been my favorite lens for a while. The idea of replacing it was really hard, as if I was betraying all it had done for me all these years. I have no sympathy for the device at all, but that lens has so much history that I can’t afford to sell it myself to buy a replacement. All that said, replacing it is one of the best decisions I’ve made in my career as a photographer, but it has nothing to do with upgrading the quality of my images.
Size problem
Deciding between the f/4 or f/2.8 version of the new lens is pretty easy. When I bought the original Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8L, I photographed and filmed a lot of live musicians where additional lighting really matters. I review many of my portfolios and view the metadata for the times I used to take wide shots after switching focus to landscape photography. Not only did it happen rarely, but more often than not, keeping my shutter speed high enough to avoid camera shake in the lower light moments of the scene. If I were ever to artistically use wide open apertures for blurred backgrounds, the difference between f/2.8 and f/4 is surprisingly minimal at longer focal lengths.
I bought Canon RF 70-200 f/4L, which means I’m naturally going to lose a bit of weight by reducing that stop of light through the difference in aperture, but it also means a tripod is no longer needed, making it it’s even smaller. Look at the size difference between these two lenses. If you include EF to RF . converter as part of the footprint for the old lens, it’s almost twice the size of the new lens Canon RF 70-200 f/4L. The weight difference is huge, with the older lens weighing 1,490 g plus 110 g with the adapter (3.53 lbs total) compared to 695 g (1.53 lbs) for the new RF lens. Losing two pounds of weight is any backpacker’s dream and has given me less strain on my wrists when commuting without any support system.
Here is my comparison Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L about the size, and the fact that these lenses are almost exactly the same size bothers me, and that doesn’t have an EF to RF converter! This means I don’t need to have a larger room in my bag to reserve a longer lens. My camera can be attached with either lens and fits in the same spot in my pocket, which saves a lot of time and headaches. In the past, if I wanted to put the camera back in my bag, it had to be attached to the EF 70-200mm lens and that was the only way for it to fit. Now, I can mount any lens I own, and it all fits into a much smaller space.
My pictures don’t get any better
All these characteristics make me more interested in photography. It means I can take my telephoto lens for longer hikes without any further thought. That means I can walk around and hold the camera for longer periods of time without straining my wrist. It connects me to photography more because it doesn’t feel like it’s in my way, and that’s the most important thing to me above everything else.
The lens did absolutely nothing to improve the quality of my images or to capture better images. Is it sharper from corner to corner? Technically, yes, but that’s not something I would really pay attention to. What I keep finding is how much more I enjoy creating photos with this lens. Gear isn’t always the next best thing, and I’m excited for something that makes photography easier than something that can add a few pixels to my images.
Have you made any purchases that completely changed the way you create images – anything that doesn’t necessarily change the quality of your images but just the quality you enjoy taking photos of?
