honestly im so fed up with the kit lens that came with my R10. Its that tiny 18-45mm thing and its just... ugh. I tried taking photos of my sisters graduation party indoors last weekend and everything came out so grainy and blurry because the aperture is basically useless as soon as the sun goes down. I felt so bad showing her the pictures because they just look like garbage compared to what I thought this camera could do. I really want that nice blurry background look too but this lens just cant pull it off no matter how much I zoom in. I bought this camera for a trip to Chicago next month and I really dont want to be stuck with this kit lens the whole time. Im looking for something way faster and sharper but I spent most of my savings on the body so my budget is pretty tight like maybe $250 or $300 max if I stretch it. I mostly do street stuff and some portraits of friends. What are the best budget prime lenses for the R10 that wont break the bank but will actually give me some decent low light performance? Is the 50mm 1.8 the only real option or is there something wider that isnt gonna cost a fortune...
Are you strictly looking for brand new gear, or would you be open to buying used to stay under that $300 mark? It makes a massive difference in what you can actually get for the R10. If you want a solid all-rounder for Chicago that handles low light way better than the kit lens, the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary for Canon RF is probably the best bang for your buck right now. It's fast enough for those nighttime street shots and gives you way more background blur than an f/2.8 lens will. Quick tip tho, if you're still getting blurry shots even with a fast lens, check your shutter speed. Sometimes the camera tries to compensate for low light by slowing the shutter way down, which causes that motion blur. Try to keep it above 1/125 for people. It's a learning curve but a faster prime lens definitely helps.
^ This. Also, if you need more room for those Chicago shots, look at these. Both beat the kit lens for low light.
- Canon RF 16mm f/2.8 STM: Its super wide and very affordable. Great for street stuff.
- Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM: Look for this used to stay under $300. The stabilization is a lifesaver for night shots. Either one will help with the grain. Let me know if you need anything else!
Honestly the Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM is your best bet for that bokeh, but since the R10 has a 1.6x crop factor, it actually acts like an 80mm. Might be a bit tight for Chicago streets. I would suggest looking at the Canon RF 28mm f/2.8 STM too. It is super tiny and way faster than your kit lens at f/2.8, plus it stays within that 300 dollar limit.
Just getting caught up on this. I went through the exact same thing years ago when I took a kit lens on a trip to Seattle. Every evening shot was a grainy, blurry mess and I felt like a total failure as a photographer. Swapping to a prime lens literally saved my hobby because it actually let me shoot after dinner without a tripod. For your Chicago trip on an R10, I would look at these two based on my experience:
- Canon RF 28mm f/2.8 STM: This is the one I use most for street stuff. It is tiny enough that the R10 feels like a point and shoot. It stays sharp and the f/2.8 is way more capable in low light than your kit lens. It fits perfectly in your budget too.
- Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM: You can usually find this for under 200 bucks. It gives you that creamy background you are looking for. It is amazing for portraits, tho it might feel a bit tight for narrow streets since it acts like an 80mm on your camera. Either one will be a massive upgrade. The build quality on these is decent enough for the price point and they just work without any fuss. If you want the blurry backgrounds specifically, the 50mm is the winner, but the 28mm is a better all-rounder for city walking.
Wait really?? Thats actually super helpful. I always thought it was the other way around.
🙌
Huh interesting. I had no idea. The more you know I guess 🤷
