I'm considering purchasing the new Canon R7 mirrorless camera, but I'm unsure about its lens compatibility. I have a few EF and EF-S lenses from my previous Canon DSLR, and I'm wondering if they will work with the R7.
From what I understand, the R7 has an RF mount, which is different from the EF and EF-S mounts. Does this mean I'll need to buy new RF lenses, or is there a way to use my existing lenses with an adapter?
If an adapter is required, will there be any limitations or performance issues when using adapted lenses? I'm particularly curious about autofocus speed and accuracy.
Lastly, are there any specific RF lenses you'd recommend for the R7 that would cover a wide range of focal lengths for both photography and video?
Any insights or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated!
Regarding what #1 said about "The Canon R7 is indeed part of Canon's..."
- I totally agree that adapting is the way to go to keep costs down. It lets you keep using what you already own without a massive upfront investment. I would suggest being careful with a couple of things tho:
- third-party adapters are often cheaper but might lack the weather sealing of the official ones
- older lenses sometimes make a bit more noise during video autofocus than the newer RF motors Be careful dont overspend on native glass right away until you see how your current kit performs. Most of the time, the results are actually better than they were on the original DSLR... just keep an eye on that balance like the previous poster mentioned.
The Canon R7 is indeed part of Canon's mirrorless camera lineup and uses the RF mount, which is different from the EF and EF-S mounts used by Canon's DSLR cameras. However, you can still use your existing EF and EF-S lenses with the R7 by using an adapter.
Canon offers several adapters that allow you to mount EF and EF-S lenses on RF-mount cameras:
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Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R: This is a simple adapter that allows you to use EF and EF-S lenses on RF-mount cameras without any loss of functionality.
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Canon Control Ring Mount Adapter EF-EOS R: This adapter adds a customizable control ring to the adapter, which can be assigned to control various camera settings like aperture, ISO, or exposure compensation.
When using adapted EF or EF-S lenses on the R7, you should experience minimal performance issues. Autofocus speed and accuracy should be similar to using those lenses on a native EF or EF-S mount camera. However, some older or third-party lenses may not perform as well as more recent Canon lenses.
As for native RF lenses to consider for the R7, here are a few options that cover a wide range of focal lengths:
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RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM: A versatile zoom lens that covers a wide focal range, suitable for various types of photography and video.
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RF 35mm f/1.8 IS Macro STM: A compact, lightweight prime lens with macro capabilities, perfect for street photography, portraits, and close-up shots.
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RF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM: A telephoto zoom lens that's great for sports, wildlife, and portrait photography.
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RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM: An ultra-wide-angle zoom lens ideal for landscapes, architecture, and interior photography.
These are just a few examples of the growing lineup of RF lenses available for the Canon R7. As the RF-mount system continues to develop, more lenses will become available to suit different needs and preferences.
Been thinking about your question for a few hours now since I went through the exact same transition with my setup. Honestly, my experience with the adapter wasn't as seamless as I had hoped it would be. I tried using my older zoom lenses with the standard mount adapter on the Canon EOS R7, but I ran into some technical hurdles:
- The balance felt off because the adapter adds extra length, making the whole kit front-heavy.
- Autofocus was okay, but I definitely noticed some hunting in low light that wasn't there on my DSLR.
- Burst rates were unfortunately capped on some of my older glass, which really limited the potential of the high speed sensor. Basically, while it functions well enough to get you by, the performance hit on those older motors was a bit of a disappointment for me. It worked, but it didn't feel like the upgrade I was looking for until I moved away from the adapted stuff.
Noted!
Like someone mentioned, adapting is a smart way to keep costs down, but I'd be really cautious about which glass you're actually planning to use. Before I dive in with more advice tho, what specific lenses do you have in your bag right now? Are we talking Canon EF-S lenses or some older third-party ones? I'm asking because I had a bit of a nightmare once trying to DIY a setup with some older glass I found. I thought I was being clever, but the autofocus was constantly hunting and it ended up draining my battery way faster than normal. It was basically unusable for video and super frustrating when I was out in the field. I would suggest being really careful because some older lenses just wont play nice with the newer tech in the R7, and you might deal with weird glitches or even the camera freezing up. Just wouldnt want you to get the camera then realize half your gear doesn't really work...
Saved for later, ty!
Helpful thread 👍
