01/05/2026 9:31 pm
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Ugh why is glass for the RF mount so freaking expensive honestly its making me regret switching from my old DSLR. I have a trip to New York in two weeks and only about 300 dollars left in my gear budget so I gotta make a choice fast. Im stuck between the RF 50mm 1.8 and the 16mm 2.8 and I just cant decide. The 50mm seems better for people but I feel like I wont fit any buildings in the shot while the 16mm feels like it might be too much distortion for street photos. I saw the 35mm too but that pushes the budget way too far. Is the 50mm actually usable as a daily driver or am I gonna be miserable?
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01/05/2026 9:31 pm
The RF ecosystem pricing is honestly such a letdown lately. I switched and realized pretty quick that Canon really priced out the average hobbyist with their glass. For New York, youre gonna feel super cramped with just the Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM. Its a decent lens for the money, but shooting skyscrapers? Forget it. Unfortunately, the Canon RF 16mm f/2.8 STM is also a bit of a bummer since the distortion is pretty messy and the corners arent as good as expected. If you only have 300 bucks:
- Grab a used Canon EF-EOS R Mount Adapter
- Look for a used Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM pancake
- Or stick with the Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM and zoom with your feet The 50mm is a much better daily driver, but those RF prices just make everything a struggle.
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01/05/2026 10:05 pm
I went through this exact struggle when I first moved to mirrorless. I tried doing a city trip with only the Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM and it was kind of a nightmare for architecture. I spent half my time backing up into traffic just to fit a building in the frame. The Canon RF 16mm f/2.8 STM is great for skyscrapers but the barrel distortion is heavy and the vignetting is pretty noticeable without heavy software correction. Check out the Canon RF 28mm f/2.8 STM instead. It sits right at 299 dollars and is way more versatile for street photos than the 50mm. Its a tiny pancake lens so your setup stays low-profile while walking around NY. I found that 28mm is the sweet spot where you get the scale of the city without everyone looking like they are in a funhouse mirror.
