topic Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens compatibility with EOS Rebel T5 in EF & RF Lenses

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens compatibility with EOS Rebel T5

amandalee_917 — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 23:38:56 GMT

Hey there! New to the game and checking to see if Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens is compatible with EOS Rebel T5? I got gifted the camera and wanted to get a few lenses I also am getting the 85mm F1.8 Medium Telephoto Portrait Lens. Anyone know if they will work? Thank you so much!

Re: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens compatibility with EOS Rebel T5

normadel — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 23:56:08 GMT

EF and EF-S lenses work on APS-C (crop-sensor) cameras, like the Rebels.

Question is, why are you looking at a 50mm lens and an 85? The 50 will act like an 80 (portrait length) on your camera. The 80 portrait-length lens will act like a 128mm.

What is your immediate goal, other than to "get a few lenses"? What lens(es) do you have now?

Re: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens compatibility with EOS Rebel T5

amandalee_917 — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 00:34:23 GMT

I was getting it to take to work. I work at a grade school and when they want me to take pictures I rather take a shorter lens.

I currently have the ones it came with EF-S 18-55mm IS II and 75-300mm telephoto zoom lens.

Re: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens compatibility with EOS Rebel T5

normadel — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 16:57:24 GMT

The 18-55 is a perfect lens for you. If you find it is not wide enough, your choice is an EF-S 10-18mm 1:4.5-5.6 IS STM (still available new), or an EF-S 10-22 1:3.5-4.5 USM (not available new anymore). Both can be had from used dealers/camera stores with used equipment The 10-22 is the superior lens, but without IS. I own both of them.

Check out B&H Photo Video, MPB.com, UsedPhotoPro.com, KEH.com.

Re: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens compatibility with EOS Rebel T5

ebiggs1 — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 20:54:51 GMT

"The 18-55 is a perfect lens for you. If you find it is not wide enough, your choice is an EF-S 10-18mm 1:4.5-5.6 IS STM ..."

That is the correct answer. Either one of, or both of, the 50mm and worse the 85mm are poor choices for a Rebel like yours. That is why Canon includes the 18-55mm zoom in the kit. There is and has been more Rebel cameras out there with the 18-55mm kit lens than any other camera/lens combo on Earth. It's a great combo. In 2025 prime lenses are last choices unless all the zooms available can't do the job. And you said, "I rather take a shorter lens.", so perhaps in your case a prime might work but you need to look for something in the 30mm focal length range. Even a shorter FL like 22mm would work. Keep in mind if you go with a prime you zoom with your feet instead of the lens.

Re: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens compatibility with EOS Rebel T5

stevet1 — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 14:18:09 GMT

amandalee_917,

Portrait photographers seem to fall into 3 categories - 135mm, 85mm, and 50mm.

135mm will give you head shots. 85mm will give you 3/4 body shots, and 50mm will give a shot of a person in their environment. It just depends on your goal.

If you're taking group shots, like a class picture, perhaps something in a wider angle like a 35mm or 40mm, might be more apprpriiate. If you are indoors, and don't have room to back up, a long telephoto is going to work against you.

If you are in constantly changing situations, where one minute you are taking a head shot, and the next minute you are taking a class picture, you might want to consider a flexible zoom lens rather than a single focal length prime.

Steve Thomas

Re: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens compatibility with EOS Rebel T5

ebiggs1 — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 15:38:17 GMT

“135mm will give you head shots. 85mm will give you 3/4 body shots, and 50mm will give a shot of a person in their environment. It just depends on your goal.”

Of course this would not be true using a Rebel. These choices would be very difficult to live with.

Re: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens compatibility with EOS Rebel T5

stevet1 — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 14:57:56 GMT

amandalee_917,

You might want to look at the Tamron for Canon EF mount version of the 85mm. It has image stabilization. The Canon brand does not.

Steve Thomas

Re: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens compatibility with EOS Rebel T5

ebiggs1 — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 16:23:15 GMT

Even with IS or OS as Sigma calls it, an 85mm lens is a bad choice. Don't do it.

Re: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens compatibility with EOS Rebel T5

normadel — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 17:32:59 GMT

If you just want to collect lenses, more power to you. But, as ebiggs1 and I agree, an 85mm is pointless for you.

Re: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens compatibility with EOS Rebel T5

kvbarkley — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 19:46:52 GMT

You can also get the EFS 18-135 which will cover all your bases.

Re: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens compatibility with EOS Rebel T5

stevet1 — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 20:44:02 GMT

kvbarkkey,

The 18-135 stays on my camera 90% of the time.

Steve Thomas

Re: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens compatibility with EOS Rebel T5

kvbarkley — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 20:49:35 GMT

Me too. I only need to change it for telephoto

Re: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens compatibility with EOS Rebel T5

LeeP — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 20:08:28 GMT

I used to believe in primes, but I disavowed myself of that long ago. For me the 50 isn't nifty. I have an 85 and I hate the 85. Give a zoom. I love my EF 28-135 IS zoom--from 1998--so much that I still use it via an RF converter even today. A zoom allows me to frame effortlessly where primes don't.

Re: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens compatibility with EOS Rebel T5

normadel — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 22:20:22 GMT

Me too! I've had the EF 28-135 IS for years to use with my APS-C bodies. I like it so much that, when I had some cash to play with, I bought a 6D full-frame to use it on. Takes better advantage of the wide-end of the lens.

Re: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens compatibility with EOS Rebel T5

ebiggs1 — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 15:43:20 GMT

"I love my EF 28-135 IS zoom--from 1998"

I totally agree. It doesn't have anything that would be considered the "best" but it is a great lens considering the whole package. I used to call it my "Golden Boy". It just works. My grandson is using mine on my 1Dn Mk II.

Re: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens compatibility with EOS Rebel T5

ebiggs1 — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 15:48:35 GMT

"For me the 50 isn't nifty. I have an 85 and I hate the 85."

A 50mm prime is a difficult FL to live with on a cropper and an 85mm is even worse on a cropper.

Re: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens compatibility with EOS Rebel T5

normadel — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 17:46:57 GMT

There is lots of misunderstanding about what "normal" means for a focal length. And that there's anything particularly "nifty" about a 50 mm lens on a 35mm film camera or a full-frame digital. Besides, a crop-sensor camera wipes out whatever the reasoning is.

The only thing "normal" about 50mm is that it's the diagonal measurement of the full-frame. 80mm is "normal" for a 2-1/4" square film format. For a 4x5 film camera it's 160mm. For an APS-C crop sensor it is only around 28mm.

Then, the traditional idea is that "normal" means the camera sees the same thing as the human eye. This is simply not true. What you see is a function of eye-brain interpretation. Your eye sees a LOT wider field of view than a 50mm lens on a full-frame, or a 28mm lens on an APS-C camera. But your brain kind-of edits out the extremes, so what you mentally recognize/remember is less than what the eye sees in total. Things on the periphery are ignored/do not make as much of an impression in your mind.

In practice, a 28mm lens gives more like what your eye sees, or at least something in the 24-35 range. A 50mm lens leaves out a whole lot. A 28mm lens makes a better "normal" length if you want your shots to approximate your eye-view.

28 is MY daily normal lens focal length if I want a simple prime lens mounted.

Re: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens compatibility with EOS Rebel T5

LeeP — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 19:05:40 GMT

I am NOT a devotee of the "tack sharp / perfect exposure" mindset that says those parameters are absolutely necessary for it to be a "photograph".

Having done this for over four decades, I have always taught composition first, then focus nuances, then exposure in that order. I also have illustrated that students do not need a high-end camera nor a high-end lens to produce good photography. A pro with an R100 will beat a novice with an R1 100% of the time.

As for my ancient EF zoom, it was neither a cheap zoom nor Canon's "best" glass. Because I enjoy it so, and have used it so long, I am not inclined to replace it with an RF alternative.

That said, I have EF lenses that I will never use again that are of zero resale value.

Re: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens compatibility with EOS Rebel T5

LeeP — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 19:09:16 GMT

"For an APS-C crop sensor it is only around 28mm."

Indeed and that is why the R100 with the 28mm "pancake" lens is my go everywhere camera setup.

I am looking forward to the 45mm f1.2 for my R8 to do night photography sometimes with my Oki Mochi light.