So I finally picked up a Canon R50 last month because I wanted something better than my phone for family trips and just messing around, but man, the lens thing is confusing. I have the kit lens which is fine I guess, but I feel like Im not getting that blurry background look everyone loves? I dont really know the terminology but I want to take better portraits of my dog and maybe some street stuff when we go to Chicago next month. My budget is pretty tight, like maybe 300 bucks max, because I spent all my savings on the camera body. I looked at some stuff online but there are so many letters and numbers I dont get. Should I be looking for those adapter things so I can use older lenses? Or are there newer ones that arent super expensive? I saw something called a prime lens or something like that which sounded cheap but I have no idea if it fits my camera. It feels like I need a degree just to buy a piece of glass, haha. Im just worried about buying the wrong thing and wasting my money. Does anyone have a suggestion for someone totally new to this?
> I want to take better portraits of my dog and maybe some street stuff I totally get the confusion, honestly. When I first started, I thought the kit lens was broken because my photos looked so flat. Youre looking for what we call bokeh, that blurry background effect, and a prime lens is definitely the way to go. Since you have a tight budget, be careful with those adapters. They can get finicky and sometimes the autofocus isnt great. I would suggest picking up the Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM. It is usually right around your budget and made specifically for your mount. It will make your dog photos look professional instantly. Just make sure to step back a bit because it is not a zoom lens, so you have to move your feet to frame the shot!
Building on the earlier suggestion, honestly, dont overthink the adapter thing too much. I bought a cheap mount adapter a while back so I could use old glass on my R50, and ngl, it was kinda hit or miss. The autofocus was super laggy and drove me crazy with my dog. It just wasnt as good as expected for street stuff since you need that snap focus. If you want the best bang for your buck without the headache, skip the adapter and just get a native lens. Here is what actually worked for me:
- Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM
- This is basically the holy grail for budget shooters. It gives you that creamy background blur you want for portraits.
- Canon RF-S 16mm f/2.8 STM
- This one is perfect for walking around Chicago. Its tiny, cheap, and wide enough for street photography. Honestly, the Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM is your best friend here. It fits perfectly on your R50, no adapters needed, and it makes your photos look pro instantly. I had issues with some third-party manual focus lenses before, but sticking to the native stuff for the R-series is way less of a nightmare. Just watch out for the focus ring on those STM lenses, its electronic so it feels a bit weird at first, but for the price, you really cant complain. Save the cash and grab one of these instead of messing with vintage gear.
Same setup here, love it
