Ive been shooting with my R10 for a solid year now, mostly landscapes, but lately Ive been getting into portrait work for some local gigs in Seattle. The kit lens just isnt cutting it for that creamy bokeh I need and honestly its driving me crazy trying to get decent subject separation. My budget is pretty tight, around 300 bucks, and I need something by next month for a senior shoot. I looked at the RF 50mm f/1.8 but the crop factor on the R10 makes it feel a bit tight in smaller rooms. Are there any hidden gems or decent third-party options that dont suck for this mount?
The crop factor definitely makes the 50mm feel cramped indoors. For those senior shoots, you really need something wider. Ive found these two to be solid choices for the RF-S mount that wont break the bank:
- Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM
- Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary The Sigma is super versatile for tight spaces. Honestly, it changed everything for my workflow. Just watch for sales since the price can fluctuate.
TL;DR: Grab a Viltrox 23mm or 33mm f/1.4 if you can find one used, honestly they are lifesavers on the R10. Adding my two cents here, the RF glass is great but getting wide enough on a crop sensor for tight rooms without spending a fortune is a nightmare. I would suggest looking at Viltrox 33mm f/1.4 AF STM or the 23mm version. Be careful with buying third-party stuff though, make sure you update the firmware via the USB port on the lens mount or you might deal with some weird autofocus bugs. They arent native RF-S, so you gotta be patient with firmware updates. Its a bit of a gamble, but for the price, the subject separation is way better than that kit lens could ever dream of.
Been thinking about your question. I actually went through the same struggle when I started shooting portraits on crop sensors. I ended up hunting down an older adapted prime because the native options felt like a compromise. Honestly, manual focus glass can be tricky but the rendering is way better than those cheap modern plastic lenses. Learning to nail focus without electronics taught me so much about composition and subject placement. Definitely worth looking into if you have the patience.