Solid advice 👍

Building on the earlier suggestion about the 24-105mm, i actually had a pretty frustrating experience with that lens recently. Everyone hyped it up, but on my R5 II, the edges felt weirdly soft at the long end... definitely not as good as expected for an L-series lens. I also tried to make the Canon RF 24-240mm f/4-6.3 IS USM work for a road trip, but unfortunately, the digital corrections needed to fix the vignetting just killed the image quality for me. It felt like i was fighting the gear the whole time. I eventually gave up on the single-lens dream and went with a more DIY approach to keep my kit light but sharp:

• Swapped the heavy zooms for a Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM for most shots
• Used a Canon RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM when i needed reach
• Relied on the R5 II high-res crop mode to basically turn that 85mm into a 135mm in a pinch It sucks that there isnt a perfect one-lens solution that actually holds up to that 45MP sensor. I really wanted to love the all-in-one life, but the trade-offs are just too much if you actually care about corner-to-corner sharpness...

@Reply #6 - good point! I noticed some of those quirks too when I first got into the R system. Honestly tho, if you want that one-lens-to-rule-them-all setup for your R5 II, you really cant go wrong with any of the pro-grade Canon zoom lenses. Ive been a long-time user of their red-ring glass and the performance is just consistently solid across the board. I have been so satisfied with how they handle the high resolution of the Mark II. You basically get what you pay for in terms of build and that peace of mind when youre out shooting in weird weather. Just pick any of those higher-end zooms that fits your focal range and you wont have any complaints. They are super reliable and have worked well for me for years now.

Been there! For my R5, the Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM nails it. Sharp across the zoom range. I've used it since 2020; totally worth the investment.

Be careful; sharpness suffers with all-in-ones. Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 Art + crop might be sharper.

Honestly, all-in-ones are rarely *that* sharp, even pricey ones. Before dropping $3k+ on a Canon RF 24-240mm, consider if a cheaper prime or two would give you better bang for your buck. Just a thought!

Sharpness is key, but consider image stabilization! A heavy zoom on the R5 II *might* stress the mount over time, especially in bumpy conditions. I'd suggest also prioritizing a lens with robust weather sealing. The Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM is decent, but make sure to use a proper lens support if you're doing extended shooting or off-roading. Peace of mind is priceless!