So I finally bit the bullet and upgraded to the EOS R8 after shooting on an old Rebel T6i for ages. I thought the transition would be seamless since I know the basics of the exposure triangle and all that, but moving to full frame has actually been a bit of a trip. I’m currently stuck with that 24-50mm kit lens and while it’s tiny and light, the f/6.3 on the long end is absolutely killing me. I’m trying to do some street photography around Chicago at night and the noise levels are just getting out of hand because I have to crank the ISO so high.

I have a pretty tight budget right now, maybe $400 max because the R8 body basically cleaned out my savings account. I need a prime lens that can actually handle low light and give me that shallow depth of field I see everyone else getting with these full frame sensors. I’m used to the 50mm on my crop sensor acting like an 85mm, so I’m a little confused on what focal length I should actually be looking for now that there’s no crop factor to worry about. I don’t want something that feels too zoomed in for walking around downtown, but I also don’t want a wide angle that distorts everything.

• RF 50mm f1.8: It’s the cheapest but does it feel cheap on a nice body like the R8?
• RF 35mm f1.8: I heard it has image stabilization which would be great since the R8 doesn’t have IBIS, but it’s pushing my budget.
• RF 28mm f2.8: Love how small it is but is f2.8 enough for night shots?

I’m really just looking for that one do it all prime that wont break the bank but will show me why I spent all this money to move up from my old DSLR. Does the 50mm make sense for a first prime on full frame or should I really be looking at something wider like the 35mm or even the 28mm pancake?