The EOS R50 V is Canon’s first ever V-series camera with interchangeable lenses, so it pays to pick the right ones. V stands for ‘Video first’, so while the camera can shoot stills, it’s really geared towards video capture and content creation. Indeed, my colleague referred to it as a ‘baby Cinema EOS’ in his Canon EOS R50 V review.
It’s easy to get carried away when checking out Canon’s range of high-performance RF lenses, but I think it pays to buy zoom and prime lenses that are relatively price-matched to the EOS R50 V itself. It’s a very budget-friendly camera so it doesn’t make financial sense to blow a small fortune on companion lenses.
There’s also the ‘small’ matter of the camera being very compact and lightweight, so it’s only natural to choose similarly lightweight lenses that feel well-balanced on the body.
With content creation in mind I’ve chosen some versatile, high-performance yet reasonably priced standard, wide-angle and telephoto zoom lenses. I’ve also added some relatively fast primes, which are actually full-frame-compatible but deliver very useful ‘effective’ focal lengths on this APS-C format camera.
Some of the lenses I’ve selected don’t feature optical stabilization, but the EOS R50 V does feature Movie Digital IS, which is more ideal for handheld video capture, albeit with a slight crop.
Matthew Richards is a photographer and journalist who has spent years using and reviewing all manner of photo gear. He is Digital Camera World's principal lens reviewer – and has tested more primes and zooms than most people have had hot dinners! His expertise with equipment doesn’t end there, though. He is also an encyclopedia when it comes to all manner of cameras, camera holsters and bags, flashguns, tripods and heads, printers, papers and inks, and just about anything imaging-related. In an earlier life he was a broadcast engineer at the BBC, as well as a former editor of PC Guide.
The Quick List
Although compact and affordable, I love the relatively fast and constant f/2.8 aperture rating of this Sigma standard zoom. Read more below…
For vlogging, sweeping landscapes and cityscapes, and for architectural interiors, this is my favorite RF-S lens. Read more below…
Action, sports and wildlife scenarios are just the start of this telephoto zoom's remit, when I need to cover the distance. Read more below…
Although full-frame compatible, this ultra-compact lens is ideal for run-and-gun shooting, and for following the action. Read more below…
Although technically a wide-angle, full-frame lens, this one gives a natural perspective for APS-C, equiavalent to roughtly 50mm. Read more below…
On the R50 V, this lens is ideal for portraiture, with a wide aperture to isolate subjects using a tight depth of field. Read more below…
The best lenses for the Canon EOS R50 V
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Best standard zoom for the R50 V
Like many photographers and content creators nowadays, I like lenses that enable a fairly tight depth of field for isolating the main subject within a scene. The main attraction of this Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN is its constant f/2.8 aperture, which is a lot 'faster' than most APS-C format standard zooms. It therefore puts a tighter depth of field on the agenda.
Despite its faster aperture rating, the Sigma is smaller and more lightweight than I’d expect, and it has strong build quality that includes weather-resistance.
The autofocus system is super-fast and virtually silent, and I was impressed by the quality of the images. It's very much like a 'trinity' standard zoom, downsized from full-frame to APS-C format, and very good value at the price.
Read more: Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN | C review
Features ★★★★☆ | The fast and constant f/2.8 aperture is the killer feature but the lens is built to be compact and lightweight so there aren’t many extras. |
Design ★★★★★ | Although small and light, the lens feels sturdy and well built. It feels right at home on slimline Sony bodies. |
Performance ★★★★☆ | There’s a good mix of sharpness and smooth bokeh, although edge-sharpness could be better at long zoom settings when shooting wide-open. |
Value ★★★★★ | It’s the kind of lens that you could happily use as your ‘go to’ for everyday shooting, making it great value at the price. |
Best wide-angle zoom for the R50 V
Vlogging and generally presenting to camera are the staple diet for many video shooters and content creators. The expansive viewing angle and short minimum focus distance of the RF-S 10-18mm lens makes it absolutely ideal for this.
It's particularly perfect if you want to get in front of the camera and set the scene by including the backdrop. The lens is also ideal for the EOS R50 V in being an affordable option that's also more than capable of shooting interiors, landscapes and buildings.
The 10-18mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM delivers sharp, high-contrast photos. Like many modern lenses, it exhibits heavy native distortion, but this is taken care of with automatic in-camera correction.
Read more: Canon RF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM review
Features ★★★★★ | The big feature of this lens is its big maximum viewing angle on APS-C cameras, but there’s also fast STM autofocus and optical stabilization. |
Design ★★★★☆ | The lens packs its generous viewing angles into a really compact and lightweight package, but it lacks weather-seals. |
Performance ★★★★☆ | Image quality is impressive but as with many modern lenses, it relies heavily on automatic in-camera corrections. |
Value ★★★★☆ | It’s good value for an ultra-wide-angle zoom lens but you’ll need to buy the hood separately. |
Best telephoto zoom for the R50 V
Telephoto zoom and prime lenses are somewhat notorious for being big, heavy and expensive. Hefty lenses can literally be a pain for long periods of handheld shooting, if you're into action, sports and wildlife photography and videography.
This lens takes a load off, by being compact, lightweight and affordable. Although relatively small, the lens delivers the powerful equivalent of an 88-336mm zoom range in full-frame terms. That’s no mean feat for a lens that weighs in at just 270g / 9.5oz and fits in the palm of your hand.
It has fast autofocus and highly effective optical stabilization, the only real downsides being that it has a fairly ‘slow’ aperture rating and pretty basic handling. All in all, it's a very good trade-off as far as I'm concerned.
Read more: Canon RF-S 55-210mm f/5-7.1 IS STM review
Features ★★★★☆ | Generous telephoto reach is the main feature of this zoom lens, backed up by fast autofocus and 4.5-stop optical stabilization. |
Design ★★★★☆ | It’s refreshingly compact and lightweight for a telephoto zoom although the long-end aperture is quite small and there are no control switches. |
Performance ★★★★☆ | Image quality is very pleasing, the autofocus system is able to track moving subjects and the stabilization ensures a good hit rate. |
Value ★★★★☆ | It’s typically keenly priced for a Canon RF-S lens but, as usual, the hood is sold separately. |
Best wide-angle prime for the R50 V
I first discovered this lens for shooting with full-frame Canon R-system cameras and instantly fell in love with it. It offers an ultra-wide angle of view at a really low price, and is small enough to pop in a pocket.
It also works tremendously well on the smaller-format EOS R50 V, on which it gives an 'effective' focal length of 25.6mm in full-frame terms. The upshot is that you get a more expansive viewing angle than when using the Sigma 18-50mm in this guide, and the difference is very noticeable. What's also nice is that you get the same relatively fast f/2.8 aperture.
Despite its pocket-sized build, this lens delivers impressive image quality and boasts a speedy, unerringly accurate autofocus system. Sharpness drops off a bit at the edges and corners with a full-frame camera, but the R50 V takes that out of the equation with its smaller image sensor.
Read more: Canon RF 16mm f/2.8 STM review
Features ★★★★☆ | Ultra-wide on full-frame bodies and still usefully wide for APS-C, complete with stepping motor autofocus and switchable focus/control ring. |
Design ★★★★★ | I’m amazed that Canon has packed such ultra-wide-angle potential and swift f/2.8 aperture into such a compact and lightweight lens. |
Performance ★★★★☆ | Image quality is very good indeed, although there’s a massive reliance on auto-correction for barrel distortion. |
Value ★★★★★ | The price of this lens makes it standout value for any EOS R-system camera. |
Best standard prime for the R50 V
Whoever says that prime lenses aren't versatile has never used this RF 35mm. It's another full-frame compatible lens that works massively well on APS-C format cameras, this time giving a 56mm 'effective' focal length. That's very close to the entirely natural perspective of a 'nifty fifty' lens on a full-frame camera.
The attraction doesn't end there. This lens combines a fast f/1.8 aperture rating with optical image stabilization, which is really useful on a camera like the EOS R50 V that lacks IBIS. Next up, you also get a 0.5x macro capability for extreme close-ups.
It's a fairly up-market, full-frame compatible lens but I've seen some great deals on it, so it pays to shop around. Either way, you're getting a lot for your money in terms of versatility, great image quality and superb all-round performance.
Read more: Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM review
Features ★★★★★ | Useful features include optical stabilization, a fast f/1.8 aperture rating and even a 0.5x macro facility. |
Design ★★★★☆ | Compact but sturdily built, the design is perfect for walkabout photography, although the lens lacks weather-seals. |
Performance ★★★★★ | Image quality is lovely, while autofocus is fast and assured and stabilization works well. |
Value ★★★★☆ | This lens is reasonably priced but, as usual, you’ll have to buy the hood as an ‘optional extra’. |
Best portrait prime for the R50 V
This lens is designed as a 'standard prime' with a natural viewing perspective for full-frame cameras. Mount it on an APS-C body like the EOS R50 V and it's instantly transformed into a great little portrait lens.
The 1.6x crop factor or 'focal length multiplier' gives it an effective focal length of 80mm, which is very close to the 85mm that's often viewed as perfect for portraiture. Combine that with the lens' fast f/1.8 aperture, for isolating the subject within a scene by blurring the background with a tight depth of field, and you're onto a winner.
The Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM is quite simply an essential lens for every camera bag; small and light enough to go anywhere, fast enough to shoot in low light and snap into focus in a heartbeat, and silent and smooth enough to be used for video work.
Read more: Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM review
Features ★★★★☆ | The feature set is pretty basic but includes STM autofocus and a switchable focus/control ring. |
Design ★★★★☆ | I love the compact and lightweight yet robust build of this lens but it lacks any weather-seals. |
Performance ★★★★☆ | It’s not up to the standard of Canon’s top L-series lenses but punches well above its weight for image quality. |
Value ★★★★★ | The bargain basement price of this lens makes it a no-brainer for both full-frame and APS-C format EOS R-system cameras. |
Lab data and comparisons
The graphs below show the comparative performance of the lenses in this guide, based on our in-house lab tests. Sharpness is very good overall but the full-frame compatible 35mm and 50mm prime lenses are the best performers in this respect, while the RF-S 55-210mm zoom is the least impressive. The distortion figures flatter some of the zoom lenses, as the scores are averaged out across the entire zoom range.
Scores for sharpness and color fringing are averaged from data taken across the entire image frame, from the center to the edges and corners, throughout the aperture range. For zoom lenses, the scores are also averaged from data measured at all marked focal lengths, and the same applies to distortion.
Bear in mind that these average values don't fully reflect specific areas of performance. For example, a zoom lens might have noticeable barrel distortion at its shortest focal length, which is less obvious when everything is averaged out. For more detailed graphs of each lens's performance, take a look at the graphs published in our full standalone reviews.
How to choose the best lens for the Canon EOS R50 V
Do all Canon lenses fit the EOS R50 V?
The R50 V uses the Canon RF mount, which means it works with all RF and RF-S lenses. RF-S lenses are tailored for use with APS-C Canon cameras such as the R50; they are typically small and light, which makes them a good physical match for the R50. RF lenses tend to be larger and heavier than RF-S lenses.
The R50 can also use Canon's older EF and EF-S lenses for DLSRs, but you have to buy a Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R to fit the lenses. Some EF and EF-S mounting lenses made by third-party, independent lens manufacurers don't work via a mount adaptor, so it pays to check first.
The R50 V can’t use EF-M lenses, which are made for the Canon EOS M series of cameras, as there's no available adaptor.
How do I know which lens to get for my R50 V?
The reason there are so many types of lens in the first place is that different scenes demand different lens designs, particularly when it comes to focal length and aperture rating.
Usually, you will decide what you want to photograph, then get a lens with the focal length that suits the situation. For example, to shoot landscapes you will need a wide-angle lens, while for sports and wildlife you will need a telephoto.
You can watch this video that explains focal length: it helps you work out what kind of lenses you need for different genres of photography.
How we test lenses
The lens experts in our testing lab run a range of tests under controlled conditions, using the Imatest Master testing suite. Photos of test charts are taken across the range of apertures and zooms (where available), then analyzed for sharpness, distortion and chromatic aberrations.
We use Imatest SFR (spatial frequency response) charts and analysis software to plot lens resolution at the centre of the image frame, corners and mid-point distances, across the range of aperture settings and, with zoom lenses, at four different focal lengths.
There's more to it than just the technical side, though! Beyond the lab, our reviewers test lenses in real-world environments – and sometimes on professional shoots! We work with lenses both indoors and outdoors, in studio conditions and in natural light, with as many different subjects as is possible (or appropriate – there's no point testing a landscape lens' ability to shoot a portrait!).
We take into account everything from handling and ease of use to speed of autofocus and the overall quality of the images produced.
Find out more about how we test and review on Digital Camera World
