Camera & Lenses Recommendations
The camera that we provide during the Intermediate I & II Workshops is a Canon R50 camera, which can handle almost every type of photography, and is made for content creators, travelers, beginners and intermediate level users. We highly recommend you to get one if you want a light and all-purpose camera for everyday usage, traveling, vlogging and more.
However, you might need something a little fancier after attending our Beginners' & Intermediate Workshops.
Please see our camera recommendations below, and we recommend mirrorless instead of DSLRs as the mirrorless technology is now sophisticated enough to become the trend.
We also lean towards Canon cameras.
Points to note:
- Detailed explanations of APSC and Full Frame cameras are part of the Intermediate II syllabus, but in short:
- APSC cameras have smaller sensor size than the full frame ones, thus they are lighter.
- APSC cameras have "extension effects" on the lenses where as full frame cameras produce "uncropped" images that are true to the focal length of the lenses.
- Full frame cameras, having bigger sensors, are capable of capturing higher quality photos.
Canon Cameras
| Camera Body | APSC/ Full Frame | Kit Lens | Price (body) | Price (kit) | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canon R5 | Full Frame | - | $3400 | - | Professional |
| Canon R6 | Full Frame | - | $2300 | - | Professional |
| Canon R8 | Full Frame | RF 24-50mm F4.5-6.3 | $1500 | $1600 | Entry level full frame camera |
| Canon R7 | APSC | RF-S 18-150mm F3.5-6.3 | $1500 | $1900 | Intermediate |
| Canon R10 | APSC | RF-S 18-45mm F4.5-6.3 | $800 | $1000 | Beginner/ Intermediate |
| RF-S 18-150mm F3.5-6.3 | $1400 | ||||
| Canon R50 | APSC | RF-S 18-45mm F4.5-6.3 | $680 | $750 | Beginner/ Intermediate |
| AND RF-S 55-210mm F5-7.1 | $1030 | Beginner/ Intermediate |
Canon Mirrorless cameras that we DON'T RECOMMEND:
- R100 (not tap-screen)
- EOS R (old technology)
- EOS RP (old technology)
Canon Lenses: RF & RF-S
The following table summarizes the Canon lenses that can be used on Canon mirrorless cameras. Those lenses are called the "RF" or "RF-S" lenses.
- RF lenses: For Canon full frame mirrorless bodies but can also be used on APSC bodies with a cropped field of view.
- RF-S lenses: For Canon APSC mirrorless bodies but can also be used on full frame bodies with a "cropped" field of view.
| Full Frame Body | APSC Body | |
|---|---|---|
| RF lenses | Recommended | Adaptable |
| RF-S lenses | Adaptable | Recommended |
Canon RF Lenses Recommendations
| Lens | Portrait | Landscape | Street | Food | Macro | Travel | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RF50mm F1.2 | Yes (Half body) | Yes | Yes | $2100 | |||
| RF85mm F1.2 | Yes (All types) | Yes | $2800 | ||||
| RF100mm F2.8L | Yes | $1200 | |||||
| RF14-35mm F4 | Yes (Full body & Dramatic) | Yes | Yes | Yes | $1500 | ||
| RF15-35mm F2.8 | Yes (Full body & Dramatic) | Yes | Yes | Yes | $2000 | ||
| RF16mm F2.8 | Yes | $280 | |||||
| RF24-240 F4-6.3 | Yes (All types) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | $900 | |
| RF24-105 F4 | Yes (All types) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | $1300 | |
| RF24-105 F2.8 | Yes (All types) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | $2400 | |
| RF24-105 F4-7.1 | Yes (All types) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | $400 | |
| RF28-70mm F2 | Yes (All types) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | $3100 | |
| RF35mm F1.8 | Yes | $500 | |||||
| RF70-200mm F2.8 | Yes (All types) | Yes | $2600 | ||||
| RF70-200mm F4 | Yes (All types) | Yes | $1600 | ||||
| RF50mm F1.8 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | $180 |
Canon RF-S Lens Recommendations
| Lens | Portrait | Landscape | Street | Food | Macro | Travel | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RF-S 18-45mm F4.5-6.3 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | $300 | |
| RF-S 18-150mm F3.5-6.3 | Yes (All types) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | $500 | |
| RF-S 55-210mm F5-7.1 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Coming soon |
Other Brands:
Sony
APSC mirrorless cameras: a6600
Full Frame mirrorless cameras: a7 IV/ a7R IV / a7 III / a7R III
Nikon
APSC mirrorless cameras: Z50, Z Fc (vintage looking)
Full Frame mirrorless cameras: Z6 or Z7
Questions?
- What are EF, EF-S, RF, RF-S, EF-M Lenses?
- Which goes to which camera?
- Do I need an adaptor?
2. Why go mirrorless?
3. For Advanced Level Students: How to do Backbutton Focusing on Canon R5 mirrorless camera?