I finally made the jump to mirrorless and grabbed the R7 last month after shooting with my old 5D for like eight years. The autofocus is insane compared to what I'm used to but honestly I'm struggling with the glass. I have the kit lens but I really need a fast prime for this folk festival I'm shooting in Nashville in two weeks. It's mostly outdoor stages but there are some evening sets where the light gets really sketchy and that f/4.5 kit lens just isn't gonna cut it.
I'm used to my 50mm on full frame being my do everything lens but obviously on the R7 that's acting more like an 80mm which feels a bit tight for street and crowd shots. I'm looking for something that gives me that classic field of view but I'm torn between the native RF and using an adapter for my old stuff.
Here is what I'm looking for:
- Budget is around $700 tops, I spent way too much on the body lol
- Fast aperture, f/1.8 or better is a must for those low light sets
- Needs to be relatively light because I'll be walking around all day in the heat
- Good weather sealing would be a dream but I know that's hard at this price point
I was looking at the RF 35mm 1.8 macro because people say it's sharp but does the 35mm on APS-C feel normal enough for general walkaround? Or should I go even wider like the 24mm? Or maybe I just suck it up and use my old EF glass with the adapter but that makes the whole rig feel so front heavy and awkward. I'm really trying to keep the footprint small since that was the whole point of switching to the R7 anyway.
Is the 16mm too wide and distorted for people shots? I've seen some mixed reviews on that one. I just need one solid prime that can stay on the camera for 90% of the day. Does anyone have experience with how these feel on the R7 sensor specifically?
The 35mm is basically the golden ratio for your sensor! Since the R7 has that 1.6x crop, the Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM hits a 56mm equivalent which is your sweet spot. It is super sharp even wide open and the 0.5x magnification is a fun bonus! The IS syncs with your IBIS for amazing stabilization... absolutely insane for handheld night shots!
Building on the earlier suggestion, I went through this exact same panic when I first got my R7 for a festival last year! I was so worried about the crop sensor after years on full frame. I ended up picking up the Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM and oh my god, it is absolutely amazing!! I was shooting way into the evening and the way the one I got handles those low light sets is just pure magic. honestly i was shocked because it was so much more affordable than my old gear but the images are just as crisp. Plus its so light... i barely felt it on my neck even after like eight hours in the sun. I learned that i didnt even miss the wider field of view because it forced me to get way more intimate with the crowd shots! It balances so well on the body too, way better than my clunky adapted glass ever did. It was such a huge relief to find something that performed that well without costing a fortune!
> I'm looking for something that gives me that classic field of view but I'm torn between the native RF and using an adapter for my old stuff. Quick reply while I have a sec before I head out. To add to the point above: after years of testing different bodies, that R7 sensor is seriously dense with pixels, so it really needs high-quality glass to shine. Honestly, just stick with any of the native Canon RF primes and you will be fine. I've tried many adapted setups and they always feel clunky and front-heavy, which ruins the ergonomics of a small mirrorless body. In my experience, you should just get one of the faster Canon RF lenses designed for mirrorless. The autofocus communication is way more reliable for low light tracking than using an adapter. Since you're shooting a festival, you'll want that snappy response. Just go with the native RF glass and you wont regret it... the modern coatings handle stage lights way better than old EF lenses anyway. It is basically gonna make your life easier during those evening sets.
