honestly im just so frustrated with this kit lens that came with my R50 like it is fine for travel i guess but for portraits it is just garbage. i try to take photos of my kids and the background is just... there. everything is in focus and it looks so flat and boring. my logic was that i could just zoom in to 45mm and get some blur but at f6.3 it literally does nothing and i feel like i wasted my money on this body if i cant get that pro look.
so i was thinking about the RF 50mm 1.8 because everyone talks about it being the best cheap option but then i started reading about the crop factor and now im just confused. if it acts like an 80mm is that going to be way too tight for indoor shots? i live in a pretty small apartment here in Seattle and i dont want to be pinned against the wall just to get a headshot. i have about 280 dollars saved up and i really need to find something before my best friends engagement party next month. i looked at a few things:
- the rf 50mm f1.8
- the rf 16mm which seems way too wide for faces
- adapting old ef glass but the adapter is expensive
the 35mm 1.8 is way over what i can spend right now and it feels like canon just doesnt have many options for us crop sensor users without spending a fortune. then someone told me to get an adapter for old EF lenses but the adapter is like a hundred bucks alone which eats up half my budget before i even buy a lens and it makes the whole setup look so bulky. it just feels like a trap.
is there any hidden gem i am missing that wont break the bank? i heard some third party brands might be coming out with stuff but i need it soon and i dont know if i can wait. should i just suck it up and get the 50mm and hope for the best even if the field of view is super narrow? i just want my photos to actually look like they were taken with a real camera and not just an iphone...
Coming back to this... I remember when I first moved to a crop body. I tried using a 50mm for my sisters birthday in a tiny kitchen and honestly I was practically standing in the hallway trying to get a group shot. It gets tight fast in small apartments. Since you mentioned that $280 budget, there are a couple of routes that might feel less like a trap:
- The Canon RF 28mm f2.8 STM is super tiny and gives you a much more usable field of view indoors, though the background blur isnt quite as creamy as the 1.8.
- You dont actually have to buy the official Canon adapter. I use the Meike EF-EOS R Mount Adapter which is usually way cheaper and works perfectly with old glass.
- Pairing a cheaper adapter with a used Canon EF 50mm f1.8 STM would leave you with enough cash left over for a decent SD card or a bag. Quick clarification though, are you planning on taking mostly tight headshots of the couple or are you gonna be responsible for the big group shots too? That really changes which focal length makes sense for you.
- Just get the Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM.
- I used it in a tiny Seattle apartment; I stood in the kitchen to shoot portraits, but the blur looks way more professional.
