Canon EOS model and lens(es) for rock climbing photography?

Welcome first time poster! You may want to narrow your search down to a Canon T7i/T8i (800D/850D) camera and a 18-135mm lens.

One camera setup I have is a Canon T7i (800D) and a Canon 18-135mm lens. I was using the 18-55mm kit lens with it. The Canon 18-135mm lens is a little more bulky and heavy, but it does allow for a small amount of zooming to get closer. For longer ranges I use my Canon 55-250mm lens and one other heavy telephoto lens.

Here are some recent sample photos taken with the Canon T7i (800D) camera and the Canon 18-135mm lens under cloudy conditions.

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/65084730

I can look for more samples, if you want. Please let me know. I don't have any recent pictures taken in our mountains because of COVID. A lot of the trails were closed. I tried going to the top of Beacon Rock in Washington state one time last November. I was interested in it not for rock climbing, but there's a trail to the top for hikers. I couldn't believe that they closed it (but wasn't too surprised either). I brought a mask and was planning to stay away from people. I knew the trail was narrow, but by being cautious I didn't think it was going to be a concern. Oh, well...someone thought differently.

A good combination to consider is the M50 with the EF-M 15-45mm and the EF-M 55-200mm. This is a small, lightweight combination that will deliver good image quality with an equivalent range of 24-320mm. You can get this combo in a kit on Canon's refurbished web site for $579 plus shipping and taxes when it is in stock. Just check their web page frequently to catch a deal on this kit.

https://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/refurbished-eos-m50-ef-m-15-45mm-f-35-63-55-200mm-f-35-63-is-stm-bundle-black

That's also an excellent selection with the M50 and that lens for her to consider.

Both of you offer other excellent choices to consider with the M50. I haven't used that camera, so I don't know enough about it...but that sounds good.

I haven't used it but its specs are very good for the price point. There is a M50/2 available but it is just a minor firmware update from the M50 and not worth the extra cost. The camera and two lenses I referenced weighs in at two pounds. The camera and kit lens is 1.15 pounds. For another 3.7 ounces one could add the excellent EF-M 22mm f/2 prime lens. It is very small and is basically a pancake style lens.

The one thing the M system has going for it is an equivalent 24-72mm kit lens. It isn't the best but it isn't the worst either. It is very small and lightweight plus its range is extremely useful.

Thank you all so much for the detailed responses! It looks like the Canon M50 deserves a serious look - to be honest, i hadn't been looking at mirrorless at all as i've gotten so used to my 450d, but i've just spent the last day or so going down a rabbit hole of reading about the differences between the two. The light weight is a definite plus in my book, though i'm still reluctant to say goodbye to my optical viewfinder - was this a factor for those of you that made the switch from DSLR to mirrorless, and how did you find it?

climbing_girl wrote:

Thank you all so much for the detailed responses! It looks like the Canon M50 deserves a serious look - to be honest, i hadn't been looking at mirrorless at all as i've gotten so used to my 450d, but i've just spent the last day or so going down a rabbit hole of reading about the differences between the two. The light weight is a definite plus in my book, though i'm still reluctant to say goodbye to my optical viewfinder - was this a factor for those of you that made the switch from DSLR to mirrorless, and how did you find it?

I bought into mirrorless cameras 5-6 years ago with the Canon M3. I was very disappointed with it mostly due to EVF and AF performance severely lacking compared to DLSRs. A lot has changed since then. I bought a Canon R full frame camera last summer to replace a 6D because it seemed that the two things I disliked with the M3 had been mitigated quite a bit.

While I think OVFs still hold an advantage for shooting fast moving subjects, this is about their only remaining advantage now. The EVF can show a large amount of information in the veiwfinder as well as the actual exposure of the shot being taken. One big thing for me is how much better an EVF shoots in very low light conditions. The R will let me keep shooting in light conditions much, much lower than the 6D ever could. The AF ability in today's mirrorless cameras are very capable and is at least the equal in the more expensive DSLR cameras. IMO, the AF of the M50 is overall a good bit better than Rebel and xxD DSLRs. Changing from OVF to EVF takes some getting used to but not all that difficult, IMO.

The only DSLR I use these days is the SL2 mainly because Canon hasn't released an R mount APS-C camera. When/if they do I will stop using it also. Mirrorless is the future of photography. Nearly all of the reasons to choose a DSLR over a mirrorless camera are gone these days. Also, keep in mind that all the lenses you use now can be adapted to the M50.

ThrillaMozilla wrote:

That's easy. Get an SL2 or SL3. Or maybe an M6 Mark II for its irresistable Pre-Shooting.

Small, light, simple, inexpensive in case you drop it, quite durable, and quite excellent. It's really important that it be simple so you don't miss shots for stupid reasons, such as you can't take 10 minutes to figure out the camera. The trio of lenses covers 10-18, 18-55, and 55-250mm, and they're small, light, inexpensive, and quite good (not perfect, but small, light, and good enough for what you need). You need the EF-S 18-55 and 55-250 IS STM I would think, or maybe one big heavy zoom like 18-135 or 18-150 or something. Unfortunately, Canon has discontinued the 10-18 and the 55-250, but they can still be bought.

Not very sophisticated focusing, but flexible powerful focusing tends to be either (1) big, heavy, expensive or (2) complicated -- I think.

The other one to consider is the M6 Mark II. It has all that, but smaller, lighter lenses, and it has an irresistable feature: Raw Burst with Pre-Shooting. That means you can photograph up to 1/2 second before you pressed the shutter fully (great for falls). Reviewers find it easy to use. The bad news: I find it hard to use in all but the simplest modes. Maybe easier after I have spent several days studying it and setting it up.

M50 Mark II is good, and much cheaper than M6 Mark II, but I don't know if it has Pre-Shooting.

Definitely the SL3 and any STM lens. A combo that will last many years.