I just picked up an R50 for my hiking trip to Glacier next week and honestly im already annoyed with the kit lens. It just doesnt get wide enough for the mountains. My budget is super tight, strictly under $350 because the camera already cost a fortune.
I looked at the RF-S 10-18mm but some reviews say its too slow and plasticky, then others say to just adapt an old EF-S 10-18mm instead. But the adapter adds like $100 and a ton of bulk which I dont want while hiking. I'm just getting mixed signals and im running out of time before my flight. Is the native RF-S glass actually better or should I find a used EF lens?
Honestly, i would suggest just grabbing the native Canon RF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM and calling it a day. I went through this exact same dilemma when I first switched to mirrorless for my trail photography and honestly, weight is everything. I tried to save money by using an old EF lens with the Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R, and let me tell you... it was a massive mistake for hiking. That adapter might look small on paper, but it adds enough length to make the R50 feel front-heavy and awkward when its hanging from a neck strap. Here is what I found from using both:
- The RF-S 10-18mm is tiny. Like, fits in a jacket pocket tiny. People complain about it being plasticky but that actually makes it feather-light for those 10-mile uphill climbs in Glacier. Just be careful with the mount and dont go banging it against rocks because it doesnt feel like it would survive a big drop.
- The older Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM is technically a tiny bit faster at the long end, but you wont really notice the difference in daylight. Plus, once you buy the adapter, you are basically at the same price as the new lens anyway, which kinda defeats the purpose of being budget-friendly.
- One warning though: both these lenses have pretty slow apertures. If you are shooting at sunrise or sunset in the mountains, make sure to use a tripod or lean against a tree. The image stabilization is decent, but it cant perform miracles when the light gets low. For a tight budget and a flight next week, just get the native glass. The R50 is meant to be a compact setup, so dont ruin the ergonomics with an adapter.
