Recommend a versatile travel lens for the Canon EOS R50.

Question

Finally pulled the trigger on the R50 for my trip to Tokyo next month and I'm honestly so stoked about how light this thing is compared to my old setup. I've been shooting on a bulky 5D Mark III for over a decade so I know my way around a manual exposure and depth of field, but man, switching to the RF-S system for travel is a whole different ballgame. I'm trying to avoid carrying a massive camera bag since we're gonna be walking like 15 miles a day through Shinjuku and Kyoto.

I've got about $700 left in my gear budget after the body purchase. I was looking at the RF-S 18-150mm because the focal range is insane for a single lens, but I'm slightly worried about that f/6.3 on the long end when we're tucked away in those dim izakayas at night. Then again, if I just grab a 35mm prime I'm gonna be bummed when I cant zoom in on the architecture or mountain views. Is the 18-150 really the gold standard for a one-lens setup here or is there some hidden gem I should look at? Maybe adapting an older EF-S lens is the move? Just need something versatile that wont kill my neck by day three...

TyronNaK · Accepted Answer

Re: "You've already found the winner with the Canon..." - gotta agree that for pure coverage, that 18-150 is hard to beat. But coming from full frame, youre gonna notice the noise more when you try to push the ISO in those dark alleys. I did a similar trip with just a slow zoom once and spent half my time worrying about motion blur because the f/6.3 aperture is basically a pinhole at night. My advice is to play it safe and split your budget. Grab the Canon RF-S 18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM for your daytime walkabouts since it really is the most reliable do-everything glass for the R50. Then, spend about $250 on the Canon RF 28mm f/2.8 STM pancake. It turns the R50 into something that literally fits in a coat pocket. In those tight izakayas, a long zoom is useless anyway because youre sitting two feet from people. The 28mm gives you a wide-ish 45mm equivalent view on that body which is great for food and street shots. Plus, the extra light you get from f/2.8 vs f/6.3 is literally two full stops... thats the difference between a clean shot and a blurry mess. Worth the extra few ounces in your pocket imo. Its a solid middle ground that covers your bases without breaking the bank or your back.

DennisMoiny · Answer

You've already found the winner with the Canon RF-S 18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM. Honestly, coming from a 5D Mark III, you're gonna be shocked at how much range you get for basically zero weight. It covers a 29-240mm full-frame equivalent field of view, which is insane for walking around Kyoto. I love it because the magnification ratio is actually 0.44x at the long end, so you can even do some pseudo-macro shots of food or flowers! I totally get the f/6.3 worry for dim izakayas, but the R50's Digic X processor handles high ISO noise way better than the old sensors you might be used to. Plus, that lens has 4.5 stops of optical IS. You can easily drag the shutter a bit and let the stabilizer do the heavy lifting. If you really feel limited at night, just grab the Canon RF 28mm f/2.8 STM too. Its a tiny pancake lens that weighs almost nothing and gives you that extra stop of light for dinner shots without taking up room in your bag. Whatever you do, dont bother with the Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R and old EF-S glass for this trip... it just adds unnecessary length and weight to the body. Native glass is definitely the move for the R50 system! Let me know if you need any other specs on the AF performance with these!

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Recommend a versatile travel lens for the Canon EOS R50.