Canon's 3 Cheapest RF Prime Lenses: 35mm f1.8 Macro IS vs 50mm f1.8 vs 85mm f2 Macro IS STM Lenses

[@christianroboto4374]

Disagree with you on the 85 lens being “unusable”. I have it on a EOS R and use it no problem for video. Product and interview videos are more than doable with this lens.

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

That’s a fair point, I may not have mentioned it in this video as specifically, but in the full review of the 85, I did say that with something where both the camera and subject are stationary: of course, you could use it. But to be fair, that’s because the focus isn’t changing and autofocus doesn’t need to do anything. Is product videography what you mostly shoot? Or what kind of video and/or photo do you typically shoot?

[@cyrus5553]

Using the rp with rf 50 mm 1.8 and 24-105 f4 Usm L. The 24-105 L is my travel and video lens and the 50 for portraits. After watching all your videos will add the 35 mm for street photography and tight low light video shots… cheers! Ps hope to eventually add the 15-35 L for video next year and 85 mm. 🤞🏽

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

That’s a great setup!

[@NaliniVasconcelos]

Excelent review, with what we need on it. Thank you

[@ChrisT1125]

Just ordered the 85 f/2 to be my 3rd non L prime for my RP. My hobby is street photography so this trio should be fine (I hope).

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

I think it’s an amazing trio for photo, especially at the price! Which camera are you pairing them with?

[@ChrisT1125]

@@JustinMyersPhoto the RP. The L lenses are reserved for my R6 and client work 🤓

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

@@ChrisT1125 awesome, the RP with those lenses is a nice, compact setup. So what kind of stuff do you shoot for your client work?

[@ChrisT1125]

@@JustinMyersPhoto portraits and some people hire me for candids at events they are having.

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

@@ChrisT1125 got it, cool! So, what lenses are you using with the R6?

[@riccardotosatto3264]

one of my new fav channels!

[@rp5764]

Justin Myers me too, new fan but love your videos, really helps way im thinking about next purchase(s)!

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Great comparison. I'm looking forward to Canon making an RF 50/1.4 with IS and two rings. I guess I'll be waiting a long time! But the 50/1.8 doesn't seem good enough to me. except to own as the smallest RF lens available today, a fun toy at a low price point. I have an old EF 50/1.4 in case I ever feel the need. Though old and imperfect it has amazing bokeh.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@noahs.1275 good call. After I wrote that comment, in April I bought the 50/1.8. It's really good, but for portraits I'm still only using the 85/2. Maybe I'm not getting enough bokeh from the 50. But I'm really enjoying using it for discrete photography and surprise shots. Really nice to have such high quality from such a small, light lens.

[@vitaminb4869]

@@noahs.1275 Right on. People don't value things that they get for cheap. Put a high price tag on something, and OMG, it's the best thing ever!! No wonder women go crazy for diamonds.

[@Umayedo]

​@@vitaminb4869right😂

[@NerdAffiliated]

Great review! Think the 35 is next for me.

[@thetrojanhorse.1320]

Outstanding review as always 🤘🏻

[@marcelomachado9703]

Hey, thanks for this video. Can i suggest another video? A comparison between RF 85mm f/2 Macro against EF 85mm f/1.2 L with adaptar on a mirrorless camera? Here in Brazil, an used 85mm EF 1.2L has a price similar to a brand new RF 85mm f/2. Thanks!

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

If you are able to get the EF 85mm f1.2L for the same price as the RF 85mm f2, I would say there’s not much competition there. Go for the L lens. I guess there are a few reasons to go with the RF f2 instead: if you are wanting something to use for macro; if you are looking for a lighter kit; if you need lens IS (mainly for photography).

[@marcelomachado9703]

Thanks man! I really appreciate it!!

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

@@marcelomachado9703 no problem! What do you typically shoot/what do you plan to use it for?

[@marcelomachado9703]

​ @Justin Myers Children photoshoots (not newborn, but kids at around 3 to 5 years old) and classic car photoshoots. I plan to use macro function to give more attention to car details.

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

@@marcelomachado9703 gotcha. Well if you can, I definitely suggest renting both lenses and seeing which you like best in real world usage

[@GearReviewDepot]

I'm thinking of buying the Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM Lens for my Canon EOS RP. My question is the lens has a f/1.8 which will give me a nice shallow depth of field... but what about the maximum depth of field? I take pictures and videos of outdoor products (product reviews) and many times in the video I want to show the beautiful surroundings so I don't want the shallow depth, I want to take in everything behind me or the product. Why don't they list what the maximum depth of field is for any particular lens?

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

So, what you’re referring to is actually the aperture, which definitely affects the depth of field. But the aperture on this range goes from f/1.8 to f/22. It will be more than enough to close down the aperture and get a deep depth of field. Speaking of which, the reason I point out the difference in aperture and depth of field, is because there are a lot of other factors involved in depth of field than just aperture (focal length, distance from subject, etc). But in any case, you won’t have any trouble getting surrounding details in focus with this lens if you want to stop down the aperture

[@GearReviewDepot]

@@JustinMyersPhoto Thank you so much for taking the time to reply and reply as thoroughly as you did. HUGE help. Explains exactly what I wanted to know. Much respect.

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

@@GearReviewDepot happy to help!

[@james0706g]

Hello Master Justin: Please help and give me some advice, The camera I am currently using is Canon EOS R10, The kit lens used with it is (RF-S18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM) My main subject matter is toy photography. The secondary shooting content is street photography or portrait photos. Now I want to buy new lenses, after watching your video, Want to compare between Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM and RF85mm F2 Macro IS STM After making a choice, I would like to ask you to give me some advice on which lens is more suitable for me? Thank you.🙏🙏🙏

[@KevinNordstrom]

I wonder how these compare to Sigmas f1.4 trio lenses.

[@Lucidexplore]

Is the 35mm good for interview and documentary style videos?

[@beachboy0505]

Excellent video 📹

[@emmadadmultimedia713]

Great review bro 😎...keep it up👍🏽

[@emmadadmultimedia713]

@@JustinMyersPhoto I already have the 35mm in my Amazon’s cart 😎...waiting to order

[@emmadadmultimedia713]

@@JustinMyersPhoto I have the EOS R with the 24-105 f4L lens already.

[@PHILGOODOK1]

Hello and thank you for this video. Which one do you think has the best image rendering: RF 50mm or RF 35mm ? Another question: Which one has the best rendering image: RF 35 or EF 35 f2 is usm + Adapter ring ? It's to mount these lenses on my Canon RP ! Thank you in advance for your answers, Sincerely, Philgood ...

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

I personally like the image from the 35mm better than the 50mm. The colors on the 50mm come through more vibrantly, but that’s a quick adjustment in post. I don’t think I’ve ever actually used the EF 35mm f2, so I can’t really make an image quality comparison

[@PHILGOODOK1]

@@JustinMyersPhoto Hello and thank you very much for your response. Indeed, I could note that with the RF 50mm the colors are more vivid. and, to do some Portraits with this lens I had to go into the menus to lower the level of sharpness a little because it was too sharp and too smooth in Jpeg. I was able to compare it with the 40mm f2.8 stm, and here I have a hard time telling the difference. on the other hand, I also compared it with my EF 35mm is usm, and there I noticed a difference in image rendering (I have the impression that for portraits, with the EF 35mm the images are less flat ?!), but not being a professional i find it hard to say if either of these three lenses is really better except for the build quality the EF 35mm is better finished and has a metal body. .. Not easy to make a choice in all of this. Sincerely, Philgood ...

[@LinhNguyen-im4uu]

I already have the 35 and 85, but am not sure about the 50... I guess I just really want Canon to refresh the 50 f/1.4 for the RF mount. I had the EF version and while it worked well, the image was extremely soft and riddled with CA wide open. The optical formula is too old at this point so an update would be nice.

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

Ya, I actually prefer the optical formula of the EF and the RF versions of the 50mm f1.8 STM to the 50mm f1.4

[@NerdAffiliated]

Shout out to the White Tiger Zord!

[@lenny7828]

I´m always missing the 16mm f2.8 in these reviews. Even cheaper than the 35 & 85

[@wayne2411]

I have the 35 and 50mm. Still debating on getting the 85mm.

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

Cool. What kind of photography and/or video do you typically shoot?

[@josecruz-kk1mg]

@@JustinMyersPhoto portrait

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

@@josecruz-kk1mg awesome, I definitely like the 85mm for portraits if it’s on a full frame camera, but the 35mm and 50mm are great for portraits too

[@Thatguy1306n]

Which one of these are best for video and group shots?

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

Well, like I said in the video, the 85mm doesn’t do well in video. The 50mm would be fine for handheld video if you have a camera body with IBIS. The 35mm has IS, great image quality and does really well in video. It’s also the widest of these options, which would be helpful for group shoots

[@opwanncanopie]

Do you think the 85mm video af will improve with firmware / already has been improved with the new firmware?

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

I certainly hope so. It seems like it could be, but I’m not currently aware of any noticeable improvements that have been made to the video AF performance in that lens

[@markshirley01]

Justin can you use crop mode with the 35mm to get 52mm - is that a useable work practice.

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

You can, but you will lose a lot of resolution since you are only using a small portion of the sensor. The same as if you took the full frame image and then cropped in that much in post. I think it results in about an 11 MP image

[@joshuagharis9017]

Do you think it's better to bite the cost for the 100mm rf macro?

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

It really depends on your needs and preferences. If you are a dedicated macro shooter, or that is an important part of your professional work, I definitely think a dedicated macro lens is a good investment. If you just need a few detail shots here and there, but primarily shoot portraits or something else, it might not be necessary. If you’re a hobby shooter who just wants to get the occasional detail shot, these options will most likely be fine. So, what kind of photography and/or video do you typically shoot?

[@ryzenbiel4145]

Nice Comparison .. for budget set up interesting vlog.. . i still pick 50mm 1.8 in Overall... hehe. ..

[@ryzenbiel4145]

@@JustinMyersPhoto yeah

[@billlee270]

I just switched from Sony to Canon EOS R. The sharpness of these cheaper lenses is amazing.

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

Awesome, ya they are great for the price point!

[@Jessewatt]

As 35mm has wider front diameter than 50mm does that mean the light transmission is better ? Even though they have same aperture but should wider front be better for low light ?

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

No, the filter diameter at the front doesn’t affect light transmission in that way. The aperture is the final say of how much light passes on and goes to the sensor

[@Jessewatt]

@@JustinMyersPhoto Oh , Thank you🙂

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

@@Jessewatt no problem!

[@BAYWATOFFICIAL]

perfect lens for me as a budget😍

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

That’s great! What kind of photography and/or video do you shoot?

[@BAYWATOFFICIAL]

@@JustinMyersPhoto portrait fashion and video bts

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

@@BAYWATOFFICIAL awesome! So, which camera are you using at the moment?

[@mohamedlove47]

Plz need video for eos r with 50 mm 1.8 rf. Test video.. Only us digital ibs in camera

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

I did a video with the RF 50mm f1.8 and the RP, as well as a review of the EF 50mm f1.8 that used the R for the video clips

[@mohamedlove47]

@@JustinMyersPhoto link video

[@maityanjan4127]

Have canon 80d want to use canonrf 1.8 so want to know can i use directly or need adapter pl help me.

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

It is not possible to use RF lenses with the 80D, they will only work on Canon full frame mirrorless cameras (R, RP, R6, R5). But don’t worry, the RF 50mm f1.8 is almost exactly the same as the EF 50mm f1.8 STM, which is cheaper and does work with the 80D. I have a video comparing the two lenses if you interested in learning more. Have you tried or looked into the EF 50mm f1.8 STM?

[@maityanjan4127]

@@JustinMyersPhoto yes sir want to Lerner more. &also usk rf 1.8 canby for 80d&

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

@@maityanjan4127 well any RF lens will not work on the 80D, but there are a lot of EF and EF-S lens options. Any EF or EF-S lens will fit the 80D

[@maityanjan4127]

@@JustinMyersPhoto thanks

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

@@maityanjan4127 no problem, hope it helps! Are you still looking for a new lens for the 80D?

[@joeygwood]

I didn't know the 85mm is unusable in video mode. That's disappointing. I was hoping it could be a good lens for b-roll. The RF system is really lacking.

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

It is disappointing. There are certainly options for the RF mount, but it would have been great to have one at this price! What are you currently shooting with?

[@joeygwood]

@@JustinMyersPhoto I actually have a Canon 90D. My main lenses are the Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 and the Canon 17-55mm f/2.8, but I also have a 10-18mm and a 50mm f/1.8 that get some occasional use. I'm planning on switching to the RF system at some point, but I'm waiting for more native lenses. I really want Sigma to come out with some RF mount lenses.

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

@@joeygwood gotcha. I will say the RF L lenses are amazing, but they are definitely pricier. But honestly, I would probably suggest start with investing in a couple good EF mount lenses while you still have the 90D and adapt them when you switch over. The EF lenses, even Sigma lenses, work great on RF cameras

[@joeygwood]

@@JustinMyersPhoto I've thought about that, but I know that I'll eventually want the RF versions, so I'm on the fence about taking that mid step with EF glass. It will probably be cheaper in the long run to just wait and save up for the RF glass that I want, and hopefully by then there will be more to choose from.

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

@@joeygwood fair enough. That will just take extra patience to not buy the RF mount camera until you can also buy nice RF glass haha! But like you said, will save money in the long run if you will want the RF lenses anyway. So what kind of photo and/or video do you typically shoot?

[@clairejaggers1820]

I want the 35 and 85 for sure, don't really care much for the 50

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

Fair enough. What kind of photography and/or video do you typically shoot?

[@clairejaggers1820]

@@JustinMyersPhoto mostly portraits, occasionally weddings. Very little video.

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

@@clairejaggers1820 okay very cool. Which camera are you planning to pair them with?

[@clairejaggers1820]

@@JustinMyersPhoto the canon eos r. Certainty far from the newest thing out, but I'm a bargain shopper.

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

@@clairejaggers1820 great camera, I still use it as well

[@professorsharp1]

That’s a lot of “millimeters” I’ve heard

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

👏👏 good listening skills

[@thefactory2133]

The 16 mm

[@vickymaan4043]

👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

Are you using or looking into getting any of these lessons?