EOS R50. Is it good for a beginner camera?

[Kocerlan]

Hello all,

I am a beginner looking to get into photography. I am looking into a Canon EOS r50 or a r10 but I am unsure on which one to get. My end goal is to take wildlife pictures and pictures of the sunset or nature in general and also use this camera for general purposes. I am considering on getting the EOS R50 RF-S18-45mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM Lens Kit to learn more about how to use a camera and the different settings. And then eventually I will buy the ef-eos r mount adapter and canon ef-s 55-250mm f/4-5.6 is ii for a beginner long range lens. This way I have both a general purpose lens and a good long range lens. I have done some research and this seems to be the friendliest approach for a beginner such as my self. Would this be a good kit to begin with and a good lens to go with in the future? Or does anyone have any other recommendations on what to start with that would be budget friendly and help me learn how to take good pictures?

At a local store the same camera kit is available for the r10 for about $150 more than the r50 and I am curious on if it would be worth going with the r10 instead of the r50. From my knowledge, the r10 has a lot more advanced features but is more advanced and may be difficult for me to learn with. Any recommendations would be great and I would love to hear everyone's feedback on what to do!

[shadowsports · Accepted solution]

Greetings ,

Either body is great for a beginner.  The R10 has some additional features and controls the R50 lacks.  The fundamentals of photography can be learned with either body and I wouldn't let the additional capabilities of the R10 influence your decision. The R10 It's a little larger than the R50 so if you're ultimately looking for a smaller and lighter body, then the R50 might be worth consideration.  

The biggest differentiators between the two is that the R10 is a little bit larger, has a joystick, shoots 4k60 with a small crop and supports slightly higher frame rates.

When using longer lenses, having a little larger body can make it a little easier to balance and manage.  When shooting wildlife, a higher frame rate capability might be viewed as an advantage.  The R50 only shoots 4K30 video with a 1-hour recording limit.  Whereas the R10 will shoot 4k60 with a slight crop with a 2-hour maximum recording limit.  

The EVF on both cameras is identical.  The LCD on both cameras is 3 in, with the R50 having a slight advantage in resolution.  1.62 vs 1.04 Pixel density.  Hope this helps in your decision-making process.  Let us know if you have any other questions 😉

[Kocerlan]

Thank you for your reply, as it was very informational!

I am only interested in taking photos mainly so would it be worth it for the joystick?

Also, what do you think of the lenses that I have picked out. Do you think these are good for what I want to do or are there other options that you would recommend?

[March411]

Kocerlan, how's it going? Welcome to the community.

The R50 is a nice camera, I own one. If you have large hands the body may disappear, it's a small body. Since you said you were a beginner and mentioned that the R10 has some deeper features and that might slow your learning curve I would suggest that you go with makes you feel the most comfortable. The R50 will give your some excellent images.

The EF S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 is ii, while it is a nice lens may be a bit challenging for wildlife. You will have to be close to the subject to grab decent detail. If you budget allows you may want to take a look at the RF100-400mm. On the R50 which is an APS-C sensor it would give you an effective range of 160-640mm which would greatly improve your range. This and the kit lens you mentioned will cover the subject matter you said you are interested in and the two combined will give you decent range.

RF100-400mm F5.6-8 IS USM $750 

Here's a grab I made with the R50 in my yard doing some macro, the lens is the RF100mm Macro but you can achieve the same results with the RF100-400mm

[Kocerlan]

I ended up going with the R10. I went to a local store just to feel both of the cameras in my hands and I enjoyed the larger body of the R10 much more than the R50. I plan to use this camera for a while so I figured for the extra price it would be worth it in the long run. Thank you for your suggestions!

[March411]

Congrats on the new body, you'll get a lot out of it. New gear is the best!

Did it come with or did you pick up a lens?

[shadowsports]

We're both glad to hear it.  👍

Make sure you download the product manual for your camera. 

Support and downloads

https://www.usa.canon.com/shop/p/eos-r10

Product manual.  Both PDF and online are available.

https://cam.start.canon/en/C006/

Also suggest you upgrade to the latest firmware currently v1.7.0.

My colleague Marc March411 just wrote excellent article to help with the process. So please check it out.

https://community.usa.canon.com/t5/March411-s-KB/Updating-firmware-on-your-R-series-body-and-lenses/...

Also a great article on camera password requirements introduced with the v1.7.0.  Steps to bypass you can turn your camera on and use it immediately.

https://community.usa.canon.com/t5/March411-s-KB/Password-requirements-disable/ta-p/584322

And finally, Canon offers digital photo professional software post processing / editing software for your images.  Its 100% FREE.  This should be in every photographer's toolbox.

https://community.usa.canon.com/t5/March411-s-KB/Canon-Digital-Photo-Professional-DDP4/ta-p/584618

[Kocerlan]

I bought the kit so it came with the RF-18-45mm lens. I believe this will be a good lens to learn about photography and will help me get started. In the future, I believe I have decided to go with the 100-400mm lens. This seems to be a great entry zoom lens to get me started in the nature photography that I want to do eventually!

[shadowsports]

Great. Yes, the kit lens will get you going.  Then the RF 100-400 (full frame lens) can be used on your APS-C body.  it'll be a really nice starter lens for wildlife, hiking, etc.  

[March411]

That is a nice lens to jump off with and get your feet underneath you. Glad you found something that's good for you. If you end up with the RF100-400mm at some point, your camera being an APS-C  will give you an effective 160-640mm field of view. That will be great range and at an affordable price.

Don't hesitate to come back if we can assist you and I hope you will come back and show us some of your images.

Enjoy!