R6II + RF 16-28mm f2.8 or STM Primes?

[snegron]

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.

 

[Bryan Conner]

I will say up front that I don't own any of the lenses you listed, but I do own the R6II. And I have never been to Tokyo. But, I could imagine that you could use the 24-105 F4 for most shots, even night shots. The high iso capability of the R6II, as well as the IS on the lens combined with IBIS in the R6II can basically absorb most any loss of light due to the f4 vs even f1.8, in my opinion of course.
So, I guess I would probably take the 16mm f2.8 just in case I really needed wider than 24mm.

Maybe someone with Tokyo night experience will add their more relevant opinion.

 

[Dean Wilson]

My thought is the RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L it's fantastic in low light, you can zoom with the lens and not your feet. It is a fantastic lens on the R5, so I can imagine with the R6II it would make for fantastic photos.

Of your list... perhaps the RF 50mm f1.8 STM

 

[jcass]

For nighttime street photography, I was thinking the wider the aperture the better. Especially for the wide angle lenses listed.

 

[Only RF]

I have the RF 24-105 f4 which I took to Tokyo. The last thing I worry is about is noise these days. Good denoising apps out there.

All shots with the RF 24-105 f4

Kyoto at ISO 40,000

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A recovery. I was bracketing but decided to see what I could get out if the underexposed shot. ISO 4,000

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Not Japan but I was messing around with this at IS0 20,000 the other day.

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[Only RF]

I had a 16mm 2.8 for about a year. Inexpensive, light and great IQ for the price. I found I just never got around to changing lenses so I sold it. Easy to crop in with that lens instead of the 16-28. 16-28 does have some appeal for the coverage.

By the way if you time in Tokyo there is a Samurai museum.