I always travel with my R8 paired to a RF 35 1.8. I love how compact that set is, fits in a tiny bag and always ready! Love your videos, informative and a unique perspective 👍
I’ve made countless trips (in last 20 years or so of being a photographer) with only a 35mm lens. It’s the best there is, for me. Bodies and lenses have obviously changed every now and then, my current combo is the best one I’ve ever had - and it is exactly this R6mkII + RF 35/1.4L combo. Size, IQ, AF speed, build quality and weather resistance, everything about it is just a joy.
Ahhh... another great video with the nice atmosphere, beautiful stills and... a trip to memory lane, we were there in 2009. Thanks for this moment! I totally agree, James, 35mm is a great focal length for travel. In my teens (1970s) I bought the Pentor Super TL SLR with a 50mm f/1.8 Pentacon as kit lens. A few years later I bought the Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon "Zebra" 35mm f/2.8 for it and it was always screwed on, as most of my photography was travel. So do I agree? Of course! 35mm is the versatility king of primes. I was in Santorini too, in 2009, with a Canon 40D and its kit lens, the 17-85 mm f/4-5.6. Kit lenses are often zooms these days. And without paying attention to what I was doing, I was zooming in slightly to the 22 - 26 mm range, which is about 35mm FF equivalent FOV. Coincidence? Today, for street and travel, I'm using the RF 28 mm f/2.8 a lot, because it is so good. On the R8 it is especially good. My R7 works very well with it too. The equivalent FOV is 45mm and the detail in the images are really good. I did Berlin with the R7 / 28 and found the images were great but too tight. I did Lisbon with the R8 / 28 and that was much better. I like the 28 for travel. I have other lenses for portrait :-). Finally, the iPhone shot... Apple does it with pure tech (bracketing etc...) and the results for that kind of shot are very good indeed. In your video, the comparison isn't totally fair as there is some time between them and it looks to me the iPhone had the better timing, with the sun shimmering on the water. But the R6 II one gives away its higher class when you watch the clouds.
Thank you as always Philippe! I have found myself that when using zoom lenses I’m usually taking shots between 30-40mm subconsciously which is why I seem to feel quite comfortable with just a 35mm prime. A 28mm prime is definitely as good and the RF 28mm is so sharp that you see very little detail loss when cropping to 35mm anyway if you need too. You’re right about the iPhone shot. Unfortunately the day where I only had the phone the lighting conditions were just much better, which even the best camera can’t overcome
On a recent trip abroad, I used the RF 35 mm f1.4 L on a R5 Mk2 body. I did bring the 24-105 mm f4 lens as well, but never used it. The 35 mm f1.4 was great for low-light photography (indoors).
Thanks James for another amazing and informative video. Yes sometimes it is annoying when your phone shots are “better” than the expensive camera equipment! Putting that aside I am flipping between the 35 and 50 1.4, as I already have 24-70 f2.8. If you were to choose one, which one you would go for and why? Thanks
I've got the RF "budget primes" in 16, 24, 35, and 50 and I love them for video and for indoors or low-light, but for this sort of work I'd really have my 24-105 F4. The 28-70 F2.8 you recently reviewed might actually be a perfect travel lens.
I agree. 24-105 f/4 is great, the 28-70 brighter and sharper, but missing a bit of range in my opinion. You are missing the 28mm f/2.8 pancake. This is a terrific lens.
The search for the perfect walk around / travel lens is a perpetual one. I just nabbed the RF 28-70 f2.8 STM and it comes pretty close, with just the mildest urge to pack a concessionary nifty-fifty f1.8 as a wider aperture back-up that doesn't add much to a shoulder-bag or backpack, or perhaps the 35mm macro RF. But the 28-70 STM's real appeal is its' diminutive size whilst crucially retaining a decently wide f2.8 max' aperture throughout the range and crucially decent resolution and performance too. I've tested back-to-back with its' f2 RF exotic cousin, and although the f2 does have a greater 'prime' quality, it would be MAD to think of that as a potential travel lens, and in every other sense any consessions the STM make to the f2 are totally acceptable for that portability. The STM is so circumspect it draws little attention whereas 'normal' 24-70s and even the 24-105mm f4's can feel a bit too obvious in size and red-ring'ness, and altho I know you 'can' achieve decent out-of-focus blur at the long end and wide open with 24-105's, none of the ones I ever owned and tried satisfied my need for speed and sharpness in anything but brilliant light. Anyway, interesting episode and 35mm is awesome for sure though I'd personally lean more to the RF 35mm macro as a companion for size and close-up versatility :) Only time will show whether the 28-70 STM renders the search complete... with your continued own lens explorations I'm sure I'll be tempted with something else in due course... the ego loves the novel!
Excellent travel shots James. I have the new 50 1.4 RF L coming this week and I’m getting excited to have a fast 50 L that is light for travel. I’m thinking the 24-105 f4 with the 50 1.4 RF on my next Mexican trip might make a great combo. I was tempted to get the 35 but I feel 35 and 50 are so close in focal length that I only need one of them. If an 85 1.4 L comes out I may jump all over that.
Great video, James! Just out of curiosity counted the most used focal lengths in my last trip. Within the ~28-75mm range I had on APS-C with the Sigma 18-50 f2.8, I used 28mm eq. most often, and the rest of shots were spread in the 35-50mm eq. for a full frame camera, and very rarely used anything above 50mm eq. For landscape shots would have even wanted 16-24mm on occasion. So, if environmental portraits with shallow DoF are not critical priority, another very light setup would be to use the Canon R8 + 28mm f2.8 pancake, since you can quickly jump between true 28mm FF & 42mm APS-C crops, and do software crop in the intermediate range.
Lovely environmental photos with a (lovely) model who beautifully fits in to those environments. Question: How did you choose the aperture for each shot? I have been watching the UA-cam reviews of the 35/1.4. Were the loose noisy elements a distraction? How did it feel physically to use the lens? I shoot the R6 II with the RF 24-105/4.0. From a fan, thanks.
Thank you for the kind words! There are a range of factors that determine what aperture I might go with for a shot. When travelling I don’t often shoot faster than f2. I’m usually shooting environmental portraits so I don’t like too much background separation, I like to capture the surroundings. For shots with no person in, I’ll often use f2.8-f4 just to maximise details captured. The loose elements actually didn’t bother me at all, I didn’t notice it once to be honest. Thank you for watching!
That is why I bought Fuji X100, thinking that 35mm is a great focal length for travel. But, I get so much better results with RF 50/1.2 that I carry it with me more often.
Travel lens: Sigma 16mm f/1.4. Camera: Canon M6 mark II. It shoots nice wide at f/8 for travel. You can shoot bokeh shots too. I just got a Canon 22mm f/2 pancake to put on an EOS-M camera to do some street shots. I like to use cheaper cameras that work when I travel.
That Sigma 16mm was glued to my LUMIX GH5 when I owned it. Amazing little lens. I’ve always wanted to try the Canon 22mm also - looks like a great lens to pair with the M6.
Great video! I have loved my Nikon Z6ii with the 24-120 f/4, but recently started only taking either the 40 f/2, super light and small, or my APC 1.5 crop with 26 f/2.8, a 39mm equivalent. You have challenged me to try out my 35 f/1.8. I'll take that challenge!
Thank you Kenny! I’m real jealous of the Nikon 40mm F2. Really hope we see one on RF soon. Seems like a great travel lens and I love the 40mm FOV. Let me know how you get on with the 35!
@JamesReader I sorta forgot, but remembering my early film days with my Nikon FTn. 1974 - 1980. It stayed with me all the time with a 35 f/2 on it, loaded with Tri-X. You're right. It did most everything except sports and portraits. I still have the 35 f/2. I'm now inspired even more by your video.
wow what a coincidence that your go to model was also in Santorini! I also feel that 35mm captures what we see as well as our peripheral vision really well.
Planning to get my first Canon r10 this holidays with the purpose to do portrait, travel and some landscape and low lights pictures. Would you recommend the prime rf 35mm 1.8 over the 50mm as a first lens? Thanks in advance
Thanks for the review. I love my 24-105 f4, but I'm planning a trip to Rome soon and want a low aperture prime for those dark church interiors and night shots. And I'm torn between the 24 and 35 1.4
What do you think about the strong vignetting of the lens? Yes, it is corrected in LR, but it is very strong and can lead to a lot of noise in the corners. Can you tell me the type of rucksack you had with you?
It hasn’t bothered me yet but if I shot low light photo/video it would probably be a concern. The backpack is called “Gomatic/Nomatic Luma backpack”. Hope that helps!
Great as always. The RF 35 1.8 is currently on sale $100 off in Canada for the holidays and I'm considering it, especially for the near macro abilities. For $499 cdn (about $399 us) , it's a steal! I had the Sigma Art 35 1.4 and 85 1.4 for a while and was always wanted the 50 since it was sort of the best of both worlds. I sold all my gear during covid, then got the 50 1.4 when I got the R6 II and really like it for everything. It's just not great for closeups. I really like the shot at 6:45 !!! Almost looks like she's standing on the engine of an airplane at first glance. I do prefer the colours and lighting of the iPhone sunset shot. I love the warmer tones and the way the light reflected off the water (sun was higher in sky?) What a beautiful location! I'm so jealous of Europeans that can travel from country to country in such a short distance. I think Wales to Greece is closer than going from my city to the north part of my same province. LOL
Thanks so much DRIS! The 35 1.8 is a great deal and was my go to prime for travel for a long time. I was never once unhappy with the results. Loved the small size and weight.
Recreating the phone shot is tough haha. Usually there's a good reason to have reached for it in the moment whether it's the only option, or maybe a better focal length than what's on the camera. Been mixing in some more phone shots lately, most compact 24mm I've got 😂 crazy how crowded it was looking, glad you found some peaceful time!
It really is! I used it a lot this trip and honestly it’s made me regret not using it more in the past. Do you edit your phone shots right on your phone too?
@@JamesReader I still drag em all the way into LRC but would love to try out an ipad mini/pencil workflow someday for trips when the laptop stays behind.
Your dynamic range looks much better using your R5, with more recovered from the shadows. Also, the colours looked artificial in the iphone shot. I use the same set up when travelling, albeit the Sony Aiv and the Samyang 35mm f1.4 II. It works well for most scenarios, so in agreement with you.
Use to be a dedicated 50mm shooter, but now the 35mm - for all the reasons you mentioned. It’s also gives you more breathing room to take photos of kids!
@ RF 35 1.8! fantastic quality/weight ratio. i think the only reason the 1.4 doesn’t tempt me is because 1.8 is already so good (for shots of my family)
I’ve got the RF 24-105 f/4L and am thinking of adding either the 24mm f/1.4 or 35mm f/1.4 to my travel kit for low light and indoor shoot. Which one would you personally go for?
I haven’t used the 24mm 1.4 quite yet, I have only good things to say about the 35. I would think it’s probably the slightly more versatile option of the two
I am waiting on a Voigtlander 35 1.4 or 1.2 Nokton in RF but would take a 35 f2 L that should be half size of this one. I know get the 1.8 but not a fan of stm.
@@JamesReader Me too, I got to play around with an R1 and the 35 1.4 (which I own) and its an amazing camera and paired with these new VCM lenses is a photographer and videographers dream
I am CONSIDERING trading my 28-70 F2 for this lens. Before I went mirrorless, I used to use a Sigma 35 art, Canon 85mm 1.8 and a Canon nifty 50mm 1.8. The sigma was my bread and butter for a lot of portrait work... I LOVE my 28-70 but the weight is just a bitttttttt much. Do you still have the 28-70 in your arsenal James and if so, give me one good reason I should probably hold on to it and just save to get the 35mm separately ? haha
I would hang onto it! the 35mm will be a great addition alongside the zoom, it'll be great for super low light scenarios and environmental portraits. Then the zoom has you covered for everything else
@@JamesReader Hi James, I really enjoyed the video and great photos. Could you please do a video after your latest trip on how you did with the 28-70 MM F2.8 and compare it to this video of your using the 35mm F1.4? I'd be interested in hearing which lens you think is better for travel. Tx. Ken
I'm more of a zoom guy, 24-70+70-200 or 24-70+100-500 but I always take the 35mm 1.8. It's small, light, and if I don't want take out heavy gear for an evening or afternoon, it's a great lens.
Thanks. Images look great. Waiting to see if the price settles on the 35mm f1.4 before I buy one but I expect that to be my new travel standard. I tried to make the Rf 24-105L work and it's just not for me. The 28 f2.8 is a little wide for how I see plus the iPhone is quite good at wider aspect photos. If Canon gives us a similar 85 f1.4 that would make a nice companion lens. The 85 f2 takes great photos but it's a little clunky to operate.
Yeah hopefully we see a price reduction soon! The 35 1.8 is pretty damn good too though. A more compact 85mm 1.4 has gotta be the next move for Canon I think. Got my fingers crossed 🤞
@@JamesReader The 35 1.8 is a great lens. That was the first RF lens I purchased. My only concern is that it seems a bit delicate and I wonder how well it would hold up to daily use as a single lens solution. I also still have the EF 35 f2 which is a fine lens but a little large with an adaptor fitted. Not sure how many 35's I've owned over the years. Thanks again. I always enjoy the content. Cold and rainy here in Philadelphia today so warm and sunny is a pleasant diversion.
@@dayeah765caoni3 I'd find the lack of stabilization to be limiting for a travel combo. I like the 28 but it's wider than I compose for standard scenes and not wide enough for how I'd compose wide shots. If that makes any sense. Personally I'm pretty happy with my iPhone. I recently did a photo submission for a local organization I support and 2 out of the 4 photos were taken with my phone. Of course, the best received photo was one of the iPhone photos. Zero negative feedback about it lacking in image quality.
@ It is but only if you pixel peep at 200%. I have both and trying to figure out if the f1.4 is actually worth it. It’s nice for good bokeh but for travel, you want to show the background I feel. Haha
Absolutely! Up until owning this lens the 1.8 was my go to for travel for years. Still arguably the better option for the reasons you stated, it’s pretty rare I shoot below f2 when travelling. I’m actually probably gonna take that on my next trip.
I travel with a Nikon Df and 24-120f4 and it's a monster to lug about. I think a 35mm f1.8 or f2 is my ideal. I spent 20+ years as a press photographer and 80% of my pictures were taken with 20, a 35 and a 105. Great video and subbed.
@@JamesReader Hi James - that's a good question! I think probably the 85, as a lot of the press/PR/unit stills (TV and movie) work I did (certainly in the 80's/90's) was (as they say): "tight, bright and upright" ;-) I still love the 20mm, as long as you keep in level!
So frustrated with Canon over L lenses. Just as with Leica over the Q43 and Voigtlander with RF manual options. Why can’t somebody make a smaller 1.4, sharp, native, photo, 35? Hate to get what I want would be a 17k proposition. M11P with a 35 lux- and actual small kit that I can also shoot portraits on. Dear Canon, quit making Sony customers!!
The phones can make the better photos in these scenarios because they're always automatically bracketing the photos, not the easiest thing to do with a mirrorless 😔😔
I always travel with my R8 paired to a RF 35 1.8. I love how compact that set is, fits in a tiny bag and always ready! Love your videos, informative and a unique perspective 👍
That’s an absolutely killer travel setup! The R8 is hands down the best travel camera Canon have made yet. Love the 35mm 1.8 too
@@JamesReader Well ... I do have the 28 but now I'm wondering whether I should add the 35 to my kit :-). Chris Frost seems to like it too....
what I like about your videos is that you're straight to the point, easily one of my favourite channels 🙏
Thank you so much Carl. I really appreciate that
James the unique way you create content it’s just amazing … keep it up 👍 your points of view are also very original. Greetings from Canada 🇨🇦
Thank you so much Jorge!
The Nikon 24-120mm f/4 stays glued to my camera when I travel. What a great lens. It's only slightly bigger than your setup in this video.
That looks like an awesome lens, which Nikon camera do you use? I’m dying to try the ZF
@@JamesReader Z7. Cheap on the used market!
I appreciate the info in this one. Really helped me understand more in depth the true differences of the 35mm and 50mm and may want both.
Thank you for watching Andrew!
I’ve made countless trips (in last 20 years or so of being a photographer) with only a 35mm lens. It’s the best there is, for me. Bodies and lenses have obviously changed every now and then, my current combo is the best one I’ve ever had - and it is exactly this R6mkII + RF 35/1.4L combo. Size, IQ, AF speed, build quality and weather resistance, everything about it is just a joy.
I just love the way you framed every shots. You have the eye for perfection.
That really means a lot, thank you so much!
Ahhh... another great video with the nice atmosphere, beautiful stills and... a trip to memory lane, we were there in 2009. Thanks for this moment!
I totally agree, James, 35mm is a great focal length for travel. In my teens (1970s) I bought the Pentor Super TL SLR with a 50mm f/1.8 Pentacon as kit lens. A few years later I bought the Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon "Zebra" 35mm f/2.8 for it and it was always screwed on, as most of my photography was travel. So do I agree? Of course! 35mm is the versatility king of primes.
I was in Santorini too, in 2009, with a Canon 40D and its kit lens, the 17-85 mm f/4-5.6. Kit lenses are often zooms these days. And without paying attention to what I was doing, I was zooming in slightly to the 22 - 26 mm range, which is about 35mm FF equivalent FOV. Coincidence?
Today, for street and travel, I'm using the RF 28 mm f/2.8 a lot, because it is so good. On the R8 it is especially good. My R7 works very well with it too. The equivalent FOV is 45mm and the detail in the images are really good. I did Berlin with the R7 / 28 and found the images were great but too tight. I did Lisbon with the R8 / 28 and that was much better. I like the 28 for travel. I have other lenses for portrait :-).
Finally, the iPhone shot... Apple does it with pure tech (bracketing etc...) and the results for that kind of shot are very good indeed. In your video, the comparison isn't totally fair as there is some time between them and it looks to me the iPhone had the better timing, with the sun shimmering on the water. But the R6 II one gives away its higher class when you watch the clouds.
Thank you as always Philippe! I have found myself that when using zoom lenses I’m usually taking shots between 30-40mm subconsciously which is why I seem to feel quite comfortable with just a 35mm prime. A 28mm prime is definitely as good and the RF 28mm is so sharp that you see very little detail loss when cropping to 35mm anyway if you need too. You’re right about the iPhone shot. Unfortunately the day where I only had the phone the lighting conditions were just much better, which even the best camera can’t overcome
Great video! What bag are you wearing in the video? It looks awesome!
Thank you! It's the Gomatic/Nomatic Luma backpack
@@JamesReader What a turn-around time :-). Thanks a lot!!
Many thanks for the atmospheric video. Super cool photos! The 35mm is on my list and will be in my camera bag next year.
Thank you so much!
Always informative, always inspiring...
Thank you so much Warren
On a recent trip abroad, I used the RF 35 mm f1.4 L on a R5 Mk2 body. I did bring the 24-105 mm f4 lens as well, but never used it. The 35 mm f1.4 was great for low-light photography (indoors).
Totally agree John! Where was your trip? Sometimes the 35mm just works, and you need nothing else!
The RF 14-35 f4 is incredible for this type of travel... gives you close ups, extreme wide shots and the magical 35mm experience.
I frequently travel with the 24-105 f4. Despite the aperture limitations, it has never failed in capturing the shot. It is sharp and versatile
That lens is really hard to beat for travel. Whenever I’m packing for a trip I’m generally choosing between the 24-105 or a 35 prime
Favourite environmental portrait is at 2 mins 37 is just awesome 🙌 Beautiful... Ομορφος!!
Thank you so much Henry!
Thanks James for another amazing and informative video. Yes sometimes it is annoying when your phone shots are “better” than the expensive camera equipment! Putting that aside I am flipping between the 35 and 50 1.4, as I already have 24-70 f2.8. If you were to choose one, which one you would go for and why? Thanks
What a great video with your 35mm. Thank you for the video.
Thank you so much!
High key my favourite gear reviewer out there 🔥 you’ve sold me on the 35mm 1.4-definitely the next lens that I’ll be going for
Thank you man! That really means a lot
I've got the RF "budget primes" in 16, 24, 35, and 50 and I love them for video and for indoors or low-light, but for this sort of work I'd really have my 24-105 F4. The 28-70 F2.8 you recently reviewed might actually be a perfect travel lens.
i think it is to heavy for that purpose
28-70 F/2 *
@@lyubendikov there’s a new 28-70 2.8
@@enzoguimaraescost There’s a new 28-70 2.8 that is lighter than the 2.0
I agree. 24-105 f/4 is great, the 28-70 brighter and sharper, but missing a bit of range in my opinion. You are missing the 28mm f/2.8 pancake. This is a terrific lens.
Beautiful compositions and toning. Great job!
Thank you so much!
35mm is my favorite most versatile focal length. Great photos and great video
Thank you so much!
Fantastic series of images, all of them are awesome! How versatile is a 35mm prime lenses in good hands!
Thank you so much!
The search for the perfect walk around / travel lens is a perpetual one.
I just nabbed the RF 28-70 f2.8 STM and it comes pretty close, with just the mildest urge to pack a concessionary nifty-fifty f1.8 as a wider aperture back-up that doesn't add much to a shoulder-bag or backpack, or perhaps the 35mm macro RF.
But the 28-70 STM's real appeal is its' diminutive size whilst crucially retaining a decently wide f2.8 max' aperture throughout the range and crucially decent resolution and performance too.
I've tested back-to-back with its' f2 RF exotic cousin, and although the f2 does have a greater 'prime' quality, it would be MAD to think of that as a potential travel lens, and in every other sense any consessions the STM make to the f2 are totally acceptable for that portability.
The STM is so circumspect it draws little attention whereas 'normal' 24-70s and even the 24-105mm f4's can feel a bit too obvious in size and red-ring'ness, and altho I know you 'can' achieve decent out-of-focus blur at the long end and wide open with 24-105's, none of the ones I ever owned and tried satisfied my need for speed and sharpness in anything but brilliant light.
Anyway, interesting episode and 35mm is awesome for sure though I'd personally lean more to the RF 35mm macro as a companion for size and close-up versatility :)
Only time will show whether the 28-70 STM renders the search complete... with your continued own lens explorations I'm sure I'll be tempted with something else in due course... the ego loves the novel!
Excellent travel shots James. I have the new 50 1.4 RF L coming this week and I’m getting excited to have a fast 50 L that is light for travel. I’m thinking the 24-105 f4 with the 50 1.4 RF on my next Mexican trip might make a great combo. I was tempted to get the 35 but I feel 35 and 50 are so close in focal length that I only need one of them. If an 85 1.4 L comes out I may jump all over that.
Thank you Jared! I'm looking forward to hearing what you think about the new 50. It looks great. Sounds like a great combo with the 24-105 too
Great video, James!
Just out of curiosity counted the most used focal lengths in my last trip. Within the ~28-75mm range I had on APS-C with the Sigma 18-50 f2.8, I used 28mm eq. most often, and the rest of shots were spread in the 35-50mm eq. for a full frame camera, and very rarely used anything above 50mm eq. For landscape shots would have even wanted 16-24mm on occasion. So, if environmental portraits with shallow DoF are not critical priority, another very light setup would be to use the Canon R8 + 28mm f2.8 pancake, since you can quickly jump between true 28mm FF & 42mm APS-C crops, and do software crop in the intermediate range.
Thank you! Absolutely, the R8 + 28mm is one of the best travel setups on canon. Super sharp lens too
Lovely environmental photos with a (lovely) model who beautifully fits in to those environments. Question: How did you choose the aperture for each shot? I have been watching the UA-cam reviews of the 35/1.4. Were the loose noisy elements a distraction? How did it feel physically to use the lens? I shoot the R6 II with the RF 24-105/4.0. From a fan, thanks.
Thank you for the kind words! There are a range of factors that determine what aperture I might go with for a shot. When travelling I don’t often shoot faster than f2. I’m usually shooting environmental portraits so I don’t like too much background separation, I like to capture the surroundings. For shots with no person in, I’ll often use f2.8-f4 just to maximise details captured. The loose elements actually didn’t bother me at all, I didn’t notice it once to be honest. Thank you for watching!
That is why I bought Fuji X100, thinking that 35mm is a great focal length for travel. But, I get so much better results with RF 50/1.2 that I carry it with me more often.
The photos are very beautiful! I liked how you recorded POV, what did you use?
Thank you so much! I used the Insta 360 GO 3S. Awesome for POVs when travelling
Love the colors and your grading ( if that's the right term ). Do you have any videos on your workflow in PS or whatever you are using?
Travel lens: Sigma 16mm f/1.4. Camera: Canon M6 mark II. It shoots nice wide at f/8 for travel. You can shoot bokeh shots too. I just got a Canon 22mm f/2 pancake to put on an EOS-M camera to do some street shots. I like to use cheaper cameras that work when I travel.
That Sigma 16mm was glued to my LUMIX GH5 when I owned it. Amazing little lens. I’ve always wanted to try the Canon 22mm also - looks like a great lens to pair with the M6.
Great video! I have loved my Nikon Z6ii with the 24-120 f/4, but recently started only taking either the 40 f/2, super light and small, or my APC 1.5 crop with 26 f/2.8, a 39mm equivalent. You have challenged me to try out my 35 f/1.8. I'll take that challenge!
Thank you Kenny! I’m real jealous of the Nikon 40mm F2. Really hope we see one on RF soon. Seems like a great travel lens and I love the 40mm FOV. Let me know how you get on with the 35!
@JamesReader I sorta forgot, but remembering my early film days with my Nikon FTn. 1974 - 1980. It stayed with me all the time with a 35 f/2 on it, loaded with Tri-X. You're right. It did most everything except sports and portraits. I still have the 35 f/2. I'm now inspired even more by your video.
wow what a coincidence that your go to model was also in Santorini! I also feel that 35mm captures what we see as well as our peripheral vision really well.
Great video
Thank you Robert!
Planning to get my first Canon r10 this holidays with the purpose to do portrait, travel and some landscape and low lights pictures. Would you recommend the prime rf 35mm 1.8 over the 50mm as a first lens? Thanks in advance
Thanks for the review. I love my 24-105 f4, but I'm planning a trip to Rome soon and want a low aperture prime for those dark church interiors and night shots. And I'm torn between the 24 and 35 1.4
Fantastic pictures! I wonder - do you never use a lens hood in that bright sunlight?
Thank you! I very rarely use them when travelling but I absolutely should, especially with this particular lens.
Yes. That is why I am packing a whole bunch of lenses
RF24-105mm f/2.8L all day everyday~
That's a beast of a lens!
@ gets every shot needed in any situation and works out my arms. 😳 especially when paired with C400
Love those portraits ❤
Thank you ❤️
What do you think about the strong vignetting of the lens? Yes, it is corrected in LR, but it is very strong and can lead to a lot of noise in the corners.
Can you tell me the type of rucksack you had with you?
It hasn’t bothered me yet but if I shot low light photo/video it would probably be a concern. The backpack is called “Gomatic/Nomatic Luma backpack”. Hope that helps!
Great as always. The RF 35 1.8 is currently on sale $100 off in Canada for the holidays and I'm considering it, especially for the near macro abilities. For $499 cdn (about $399 us) , it's a steal!
I had the Sigma Art 35 1.4 and 85 1.4 for a while and was always wanted the 50 since it was sort of the best of both worlds. I sold all my gear during covid, then got the 50 1.4 when I got the R6 II and really like it for everything. It's just not great for closeups.
I really like the shot at 6:45 !!! Almost looks like she's standing on the engine of an airplane at first glance.
I do prefer the colours and lighting of the iPhone sunset shot. I love the warmer tones and the way the light reflected off the water (sun was higher in sky?)
What a beautiful location! I'm so jealous of Europeans that can travel from country to country in such a short distance. I think Wales to Greece is closer than going from my city to the north part of my same province. LOL
Thanks so much DRIS! The 35 1.8 is a great deal and was my go to prime for travel for a long time. I was never once unhappy with the results. Loved the small size and weight.
Recreating the phone shot is tough haha. Usually there's a good reason to have reached for it in the moment whether it's the only option, or maybe a better focal length than what's on the camera. Been mixing in some more phone shots lately, most compact 24mm I've got 😂 crazy how crowded it was looking, glad you found some peaceful time!
It really is! I used it a lot this trip and honestly it’s made me regret not using it more in the past. Do you edit your phone shots right on your phone too?
@@JamesReader I still drag em all the way into LRC but would love to try out an ipad mini/pencil workflow someday for trips when the laptop stays behind.
Your dynamic range looks much better using your R5, with more recovered from the shadows. Also, the colours looked artificial in the iphone shot. I use the same set up when travelling, albeit the Sony Aiv and the Samyang 35mm f1.4 II. It works well for most scenarios, so in agreement with you.
Thank you David! The Sony 35mm 1.4 looks great. Sharp and lightweight.
Use to be a dedicated 50mm shooter, but now the 35mm - for all the reasons you mentioned. It’s also gives you more breathing room to take photos of kids!
Great point! Which 35mm lens are you using?
@ RF 35 1.8! fantastic quality/weight ratio. i think the only reason the 1.4 doesn’t tempt me is because 1.8 is already so good (for shots of my family)
I’ve got the RF 24-105 f/4L and am thinking of adding either the 24mm f/1.4 or 35mm f/1.4 to my travel kit for low light and indoor shoot. Which one would you personally go for?
I haven’t used the 24mm 1.4 quite yet, I have only good things to say about the 35. I would think it’s probably the slightly more versatile option of the two
Still love the EF 35 1.4 ii on my 5d, 6d, and R6.
Yeah the EF version is still incredible.
I am waiting on a Voigtlander 35 1.4 or 1.2 Nokton in RF but would take a 35 f2 L that should be half size of this one. I know get the 1.8 but not a fan of stm.
Another great video thanks James! How do you think the 35 1.4 and 1.8 compare?
They compare really well! I think the RF 35 1.8 punches way above its weight. I compared them a few videos ago
@ Cool thanks for the info! Checking your comparison video :)
Excellent ! Will you be reviewing the 50mm 1.4 soon?
Hoping to get my hands on one soon!
@@JamesReader Me too, I got to play around with an R1 and the 35 1.4 (which I own) and its an amazing camera and paired with these new VCM lenses is a photographer and videographers dream
I am CONSIDERING trading my 28-70 F2 for this lens. Before I went mirrorless, I used to use a Sigma 35 art, Canon 85mm 1.8 and a Canon nifty 50mm 1.8. The sigma was my bread and butter for a lot of portrait work... I LOVE my 28-70 but the weight is just a bitttttttt much. Do you still have the 28-70 in your arsenal James and if so, give me one good reason I should probably hold on to it and just save to get the 35mm separately ? haha
I would hang onto it! the 35mm will be a great addition alongside the zoom, it'll be great for super low light scenarios and environmental portraits. Then the zoom has you covered for everything else
@ thank you James! Love the channel and the content! 🫡💪🏾
Did you sell your RF28-70mm F2.8?
Still got it! It’s coming on a trip with me next week
@@JamesReader Hi James, I really enjoyed the video and great photos. Could you please do a video after your latest trip on how you did with the 28-70 MM F2.8 and compare it to this video of your using the 35mm F1.4? I'd be interested in hearing which lens you think is better for travel. Tx. Ken
mine is the RF24-105mm f/4 and RF100-400mm f/5.6-8...
Great setup. What do you think of the 100-400? I haven’t had chance to try that lens yet
😂 great work. I still like to pick the 1.8 version, save some weight
I'm more of a zoom guy, 24-70+70-200 or 24-70+100-500 but I always take the 35mm 1.8. It's small, light, and if I don't want take out heavy gear for an evening or afternoon, it's a great lens.
Absolutely can’t go wrong with the 1.8 version. It’s amazing.
Thanks. Images look great. Waiting to see if the price settles on the 35mm f1.4 before I buy one but I expect that to be my new travel standard. I tried to make the Rf 24-105L work and it's just not for me. The 28 f2.8 is a little wide for how I see plus the iPhone is quite good at wider aspect photos. If Canon gives us a similar 85 f1.4 that would make a nice companion lens. The 85 f2 takes great photos but it's a little clunky to operate.
Yeah hopefully we see a price reduction soon! The 35 1.8 is pretty damn good too though. A more compact 85mm 1.4 has gotta be the next move for Canon I think. Got my fingers crossed 🤞
R8+ 28MM pancake eats iphone for breakfast
@@JamesReader The 35 1.8 is a great lens. That was the first RF lens I purchased. My only concern is that it seems a bit delicate and I wonder how well it would hold up to daily use as a single lens solution. I also still have the EF 35 f2 which is a fine lens but a little large with an adaptor fitted. Not sure how many 35's I've owned over the years. Thanks again. I always enjoy the content. Cold and rainy here in Philadelphia today so warm and sunny is a pleasant diversion.
@@dayeah765caoni3youtubers don't know how to use Lightroom and go for hype all the time
@@dayeah765caoni3 I'd find the lack of stabilization to be limiting for a travel combo. I like the 28 but it's wider than I compose for standard scenes and not wide enough for how I'd compose wide shots. If that makes any sense.
Personally I'm pretty happy with my iPhone. I recently did a photo submission for a local organization I support and 2 out of the 4 photos were taken with my phone. Of course, the best received photo was one of the iPhone photos. Zero negative feedback about it lacking in image quality.
good frame processing without acidity and all these fashionable presets))
Thanks so much!
compositions 👌
Thank you ❤️
Most of your shots are at f2 or above. Wouldn’t the rf 35 f1.8 be a better travel companion ?
Yes, i think 35f1.8 will be good enough, but a 1.4 lens is on another level
@ It is but only if you pixel peep at 200%. I have both and trying to figure out if the f1.4 is actually worth it. It’s nice for good bokeh but for travel, you want to show the background I feel. Haha
Absolutely! Up until owning this lens the 1.8 was my go to for travel for years. Still arguably the better option for the reasons you stated, it’s pretty rare I shoot below f2 when travelling. I’m actually probably gonna take that on my next trip.
The phone shots are fake. Think of it that way....
Personally for outdoors I much prefer a compact zoom even if it a canon silver zoom lens non l glass
Yeah zooms are super handy for outdoors. I recently used the 24-105 kit lens (non L) and was really impressed
As a teen I only shot a 35 on full frame. I miss that lens even after moving to mirrorless.
Which 35mm lens did you use?
@ Canon’s 35/2 IS USM. People shat on that lens when it launched back in 2012, but I hear it’s a steal on the used market now.
...no 35mm blows... I always carry a 20 1.8 & 50 1.2 on dual stacks
Wow nice! A 20mm prime sounds challenging
First 🎉
i saw most of your shot is taken at f2/4, i guess even rf 35f1.8 is enough
Absolutely! The 35 1.8 is amazing for travel.
RF 35 F/1.2 or bust
I own this lens, but I could never recommend it. Go with the EF Mark II version. It’s better corrected and renders better.
The EF MKII is definitely a better buy than ever. Amazing lens.
If I had to use a single prime for events 35mm
Agreed!
I travel with a Nikon Df and 24-120f4 and it's a monster to lug about. I think a 35mm f1.8 or f2 is my ideal.
I spent 20+ years as a press photographer and 80% of my pictures were taken with 20, a 35 and a 105. Great video and subbed.
Thank you Tim! Out of the three, which would you say was your most used lens in your press photo days?
@@JamesReader Hi James - that's a good question! I think probably the 85, as a lot of the press/PR/unit stills (TV and movie) work I did (certainly in the 80's/90's) was (as they say): "tight, bright and upright" ;-)
I still love the 20mm, as long as you keep in level!
I don’t care for low apertures. I like zooming
I get that! What’s your go to zoom?
So frustrated with Canon over L lenses. Just as with Leica over the Q43 and Voigtlander with RF manual options. Why can’t somebody make a smaller 1.4, sharp, native, photo, 35? Hate to get what I want would be a 17k proposition. M11P with a 35 lux- and actual small kit that I can also shoot portraits on. Dear Canon, quit making Sony customers!!
Do you know how to use Lightroom?
The phones can make the better photos in these scenarios because they're always automatically bracketing the photos, not the easiest thing to do with a mirrorless 😔😔
Very true!
Santorini is soo overated
Sorry man..any lens do a god job there..
That’s true!