topic Re: Should I get a telephoto lens or just stick with the kit lens for now? in Gear Guide

Should I get a telephoto lens or just stick with the kit lens for now?

barry66 — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 14:03:29 GMT

im very new to cameras in general. i just got this r50 and im not sure if i want to get a telephoto just yet because of its prices

should i just experiment with kit lens or just go buy a 75-300 rf lens
or should i just buy a different lens (not expensive)

Re: Need help : Canon r50

SignifDigits — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 14:00:16 GMT

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your purchase. Decisions like this depend upon what your hopes and aspirations are to a great degree. You certainly have all that you need with your kit lens (whatever that might be, though it might be helpful if you shared what lens or lenses that you have) to learn a great deal about photography.

My recommendation would be to have fun, first and foremost. There is a lot of information to learn - the features of your camera, technical and compositional basics of photography, and what you enjoy (and don't) about photography. You can do that with what you have in your hands. My opinion is to start with your kit lens and then find out what you are finding frustrating about your experience. Most of my frustrations are related to my skill or impatience or not thinking well, not my lens.

There are certainly some things that it's difficult or impossible to do well with a kit lens. When you find your lens, and not your skill, patience or thinking are hindering your photography, then you should consider another lens. Perhaps start saving now to ensure that you get the best lens for your budget, though.

If you bought the camera to try to get closeups of relatives playing sports then you might get disappointed pretty quickly. Once that happens and you have a budget in mind the folks on this site are wonderful about making recommendations.

Please let us know how things progress and what you decide and how we can help. Again, thanks for joining the community.

Re: Should I get a telephoto lens or just stick with the kit lens for now?

kvbarkley — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 14:20:53 GMT

How many shots do you look at and say, "I wish I was closer!"

For example, my wife was using my 70-300 to take pictures of birds at the bird bath. The birds were a little too small in the image to correctly identify them, so I brought out my 150-600 and that worked fine.

I do not recommend the 75-300, since it does not have IS and your R50 does not have in camera stabilization. You might want the RF-S 18-150 which will get you a lot more reach than the kit lens, but still be a good walking around lens.

Re: Should I get a telephoto lens or just stick with the kit lens for now?

ebiggs1 — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 15:33:15 GMT

"...should i just experiment with kit lens ..."

Baby steps. I will guarantee if you rush out and buy a lens or any new gear without a plan or knowledge you will buy the wrong thing. First thing there is no such lens made that does "everything". Your first task is to decide where your interest in photography lies. What do you like to shoot? If you got the standard kit lens with your camera you got a real nice general photography zoom lens if you didn't you need to buy that lens first. The logical next step is to get a tele zoom and/or perhaps a more WA zoom. That's where your main most interest goal will tell you which one, or perhaps both.

Just to further this discussion and where your next step really should be is free. Yes, you should d/l DPP4 from Canon. It is a very capable post editor and will effect your photography far more than any lens you can buy. Watch the plethora of tutorials on the ole inner web and learn how to use DPP4.

Re: Should I get a telephoto lens or just stick with the kit lens for now?

SignifDigits — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 15:50:53 GMT

Ture, but I sometimes even say "I wish I was closer" shooting my RF 200-800mm at 800mm using an APS-C sensor. I didn't mean to rule out buying a longer lens in saying "Decisions like this depend upon what your hopes and aspirations are to a great degree." If the OPs goal is to learn the skills of photography (composition, proper exposure via aperture and shutter) and the many features (focus and exposure bracketing, autofocus settings, intervalometer) of the camera, they can defer, and save money towards better glass by focusing on that for now.

If their initial aim is to take photos of birds in trees, or capture sports action at distance certainly they should prioritize getting a longer lens.

So until the OP really provides more information about what they want and need I was thinking that deferring the cost-value of Canon 18-150 vs Sigma 16-300 vs Canon RF 24-240 vs RF 100-400 vs RF 70-200, 100-500, etc. etc. might be better to wait.

But you are certainly correct that probably all of have wanted more lens pretty early on. For me that was out of my price range when I started, and my feet were my zoom. I still sometimes force myself to just use a prime lens, if nothing else just to remind me to be thankful for great zoom lens technology and how inexpensive and light great sharp prime lenses are.

Re: Should I get a telephoto lens or just stick with the kit lens for now?

TomRamsey — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 18:25:29 GMT

I am here to agree with all of the other responses, use the camera first and learn all about it, then research the lens. And definitely when you are ready, get a stabilized lens, camera movement is "magnified" by telephoto lenses, and your camera is not stabilized.

Re: Should I get a telephoto lens or just stick with the kit lens for now?

March411 — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 23:42:57 GMT

Some real good advice in this thread! I would also suggest getting out and shooting with what you currently own. Doing this will give you the ability to learn your gear and how it operates with being distracted or overwhelmed. Become somewhat proficient with this gear, find out what types of photography you enjoy and then you will know what additional lenses to buy.

The other benefit, you'll have some time to stash some cash in the event you want to go big 😀

Re: Should I get a telephoto lens or just stick with the kit lens for now?

ebiggs1 — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 15:52:43 GMT

This is going to sound redundant but still the first step should be d/l DPP4 and learn it. It will occupy your time, long enough, while you save enough money to buy the next "best" lens. Again nothing you can do to improve your photos will impact them as much as DPP4 and knowing how to use it. And it is free for the asking. Thanx Canon!

All the great images you see and love go through post editing. They mostly use Photoshop but PS is not free. DPP4 is!

Re: Should I get a telephoto lens or just stick with the kit lens for now?

March411 — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 16:02:24 GMT

And I would add to ebiggs post, DDP4 beyond allowing post production editing is excellent for reviewing your images to check your focus points. When I find images that are soft and I review the image in DPP4 with focus points enabled I find that I missed my target.

It's also excellent for reviewing and culling images. I do own PS but often DPP4 is the first software used when starting post production. It can be a little clunky and slow depending on the quality of you computer but it's an excellent tool.