Honestly, I am so fed up with my setup right now. I picked up the Canon R7 a few months ago because everyone said the autofocus was a game changer and it really is, but man, I just cannot get a decent shot inside my apartment or when Im out walking my dog in the evening. I keep trying to use the kit lens but the aperture is just useless, its so slow. Every time I get home and look at my files on the computer, Im just greeted by a mess of noise and blur because I have to jack the ISO up so high. It feels like I spent all this money on a body just to have it held back by glass that cant handle anything darker than a sunny afternoon.
I live in Chicago and with winter coming up, the days are getting short, and its just gonna be dark everywhere soon. I want to take portraits of my friends and some street shots at night, but right now I feel like Im fighting the camera instead of using it. It is honestly exhausting just staring at trash photos. I have about $600 saved up for a new lens, maybe a little more if I push it, but I really need something that can actually handle some lower light and give me that nice bokeh everyone else seems to get without trying so hard.
Im trying to decide between picking up one of the RF primes or maybe looking into adapters, but honestly, theres just so much conflicting info online and my head is spinning. Do I go for the RF 35mm or maybe the 50mm? Im worried the 35mm will be too wide for portraits or the 50mm will be too tight on the crop sensor. I have a trip to New York next month and I really need to have this figured out by then, I dont want to bring this camera along if Im just gonna be annoyed by it the whole time. Is there a prime lens that is actually worth the money for the R7 that wont break the bank?
Get the Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM right now! Seriously, do not even hesitate. I was in the exact same boat with my R7 trying to shoot indoors and it was so frustrating. The kit lens is just garbage in low light, but this 35mm completely changed everything for me. It is absolutely amazing! Since the R7 is a crop sensor, the 35mm behaves like a 56mm lens. That is basically the perfect normal focal length! It is wide enough that you wont feel cramped inside your apartment, but still tight enough to get beautiful portraits with amazing bokeh. And the f/1.8 aperture lets in so much light. You can finally drop your ISO and stop worrying about all that digital noise. Plus, the image stabilization on this lens combines with the R7 IBIS and it is absolutely insane. You can take handheld street shots in the middle of the night in New York and they will turn out pin-sharp! It retails for around 499 bucks, so it fits right into your budget with room to spare. The 50mm is just way too tight for walking around and shooting indoors, trust me. Grab the 35mm and you will actually love using your camera again!
