Advice for an Hobbyist jumping to Full Frame

Hi

What would your recomandation for a first step in Full Frame for an hobbyist photographer who start with Canon 20 years ago?

I accumulated quite some EF & EF-S lenses (see my profile), so staying with Canon makes sense.

I prefer landscape, portrait, street & trip photography, rarely animals, never sports.

I have the budget to buy the EOS R8 and the RF 24-105 f/4 L IS USM.

But maybe there is better option.

What do you think? Any suggestion?

Your described uses don't sound like you need high speed AF.

What kind of portraits are you shooting? If mostly adults posing for the camera, then any of the Canon mirrorless (even the first generation ones) will do a great job. Then the original EOS R could offer a great deal, since it also provides a 30MP sensor (good for landscape) and could be found for relatively little money.

If you also want to shoot erratically moving subjects, e.g. Toddlers, children, then an R6 (or most probably the new R8) would give more reliable results.

Solinthor wrote:

Hi

What would your recomandation for a first step in Full Frame for an hobbyist photographer who start with Canon 20 years ago?

I accumulated quite some EF & EF-S lenses (see my profile), so staying with Canon makes sense.

I prefer landscape, portrait, street & trip photography, rarely animals, never sports.

I have the budget to buy the EOS R8 and the RF 24-105 f/4 L IS USM.

But maybe there is better option.

What do you think? Any suggestion?

The R8 will be good to go. Going FF means your 16-35 and 70-200 f/4 zooms are keepers. The 40mm as well, though replacing it with a RF 50mm f/1.8 makes some sense too, as the 40mm + EF-RF adapter is at least as big. The other lenses are either not meant for FF (the EF-S ones) or in for replacement (100-300). I would sell those non-keepers and think about getting a (used) EF 100mm L IS and RF 100-400 instead.

Sandor.

Solinthor wrote:

Hi

What would your recomandation for a first step in Full Frame for an hobbyist photographer who start with Canon 20 years ago?

I accumulated quite some EF & EF-S lenses (see my profile), so staying with Canon makes sense.

I prefer landscape, portrait, street & trip photography, rarely animals, never sports.

I have the budget to buy the EOS R8 and the RF 24-105 f/4 L IS USM.

But maybe there is better option.

What do you think? Any suggestion?

The R8 and RF 24-105 f4 kit would be good.  Good modern AF and speed with it.  You can't go wrong with that kit lens as all around use.

The down sides of the R8  versus an R6 is less weather sealing, no IBIS, and no mechanical shutter.   Those items don't matter to many photographers.  For instance, I hate IBIS personally, and don't need it, since I use tripods and monopods a lot.

ZX11 wrote:

Solinthor wrote:

Hi

What would your recomandation for a first step in Full Frame for an hobbyist photographer who start with Canon 20 years ago?

I accumulated quite some EF & EF-S lenses (see my profile), so staying with Canon makes sense.

I prefer landscape, portrait, street & trip photography, rarely animals, never sports.

I have the budget to buy the EOS R8 and the RF 24-105 f/4 L IS USM.

But maybe there is better option.

What do you think? Any suggestion?

The R8 and RF 24-105 f4 kit would be good. Good modern AF and speed with it. You can't go wrong with that kit lens as all around use.  You'll get at least 20 years of high quality use out of the RF 24-105 f4.

The down sides of the R8 versus an R6 is less weather sealing, no IBIS, and no mechanical shutter. Those items don't matter to many photographers. For instance, I hate IBIS personally, and don't need it, since I use tripods and monopods a lot.

Hi

Mostly portrait of family and friends, street photography, family trip, landscape etc ...

I effectively do not need speed, the 16-35 f/4 on my 7D is perfect and I love them.

I change my camera body every 10 years, so I am a little bit reluctant to by used.

Thanks

Hi
I may keep the 7D and some EF-S lenses to give them to by son. But I understand your point.
But I do not know if these lenses have value now, all my EF-S lenses are quite cheap appart the 60mm macro.
Thanks

...and get 2 or 3 of the inexpensive RF prime lenses.

Solinthor wrote:

I have the budget to buy the EOS R8 and the RF 24-105 f/4 L IS USM.

good plan

So if you're really happy with your 7D and only want to try out full frame, I'd suggest to do something completely different:

Buy a cheap used 6D DSLR. By this, you get a good full frame sensor (colors, ISO) and you can try out how your EF lenses behave on full frame (their effective focal length changes, so you see where you're "new" range is lacking). AF performance will probably be mostly enough. Sure, dynamic range is bad, so you'd need to do exposure brackets and stack for HDR landscape.

After a while you'll know if your photography actually benefits from FF. Then you could resell the 6D with little to no loss and buy a (then cheaper) R/R8/6/5, as your "final" camera.

I did it that way, coming from an 80D, then (used) 6D, then R5. I owned the 6D for roughly 9 months. When buying the R5 I exactly knew which lens I was missing on FF.

Sittatunga wrote:

Solinthor wrote:

Hi
I may keep the 7D and some EF-S lenses to give them to by son. But I understand your point.
But I do not know if these lenses have value now, all my EF-S lenses are quite cheap appart the 60mm macro.
Thanks

Remember if you go the 6D route that your EF-S lenses won't physically fit on it - but then they would only give 9Mpx on the R8. More importantly it won't have the focussing versatility of your 7D, never mind the vastly improved focussing of the R8. Save time and just go for the R8 if you really want FF.

ie, yep, get with the program

the RF 24-105L is amazing

the R8 is amazing with -6.5 EV focus aquisition, which is -3.2 EV @ F4 and with your best 24-105 ever made you can focus in full moonlight and with dxo PL6 and deep prime noise redux you can use your F4 L lens in low light up to iso 25, 600 and get useable results with the sharp f4L lens

also R8 gives you the latest FF IQ and in c-raw e-shutter gives you up to10 second bursts with up to ~200 shots with the amazing subject tracking

go for it - you have the money set aside - otherwise you'll continue to spin wheels with dated stuff

The R8 is aimed directly at you and the kind of photography you say you do.  If you do decide on the R8, stay up late the night of April 17, so you can place your order right after midnight on the 18th, which is the announced release date, unless you can find a way to pre order earlier.  (Not sure what time zone, but I think you would want to know that). Canon is only going to produce 11,000 R8s a month to start.  You want to be at the head of the list, or you could end up waiting months for your camera.

I’m sure there  are other people here who can provide more precise advice on how to get at the head of the line, but I can tell you that I ardered my R7 the morning of the day it was released, and waited months before it arrived.

Solinthor wrote:

Hi

What would your recomandation for a first step in Full Frame for an hobbyist photographer who start with Canon 20 years ago?

I accumulated quite some EF & EF-S lenses (see my profile), so staying with Canon makes sense.

I prefer landscape, portrait, street & trip photography, rarely animals, never sports.

I have the budget to buy the EOS R8 and the RF 24-105 f/4 L IS USM.

But maybe there is better option.

I think I would buy exactly that.

What do you think? Any suggestion?

What lens do you use currently for your portraits?

Sittatunga wrote:

danferrin wrote:

The R8 is aimed directly at you and the kind of photography you say you do. If you do decide on the R8, stay up late the night of April 17, so you can place your order right after midnight on the 18th, which is the announced release date, unless you can find a way to pre order earlier.

https://store.canon.co.uk/canon-eos-r8-mirrorless-camera-rf-24-50mm-f4-5-6-3-is-stm-lens/5803C018/ are already taking pre-orders with an expected shipping date of 30/04/2023, so check your local availability now, if you're in a hurry. I think the 24-50mm is well worth the £200 premium over the bare body price, it's just about to be released so you'll find plenty of buyers if you find you don't like it. But the 24-105mm well be a bigger and better lens.

(Not sure what time zone, but I think you would want to know that). Canon is only going to produce 11,000 R8s a month to start. You want to be at the head of the list, or you could end up waiting months for your camera.

I’m sure there are other people here who can provide more precise advice on how to get at the head of the line, but I can tell you that I ardered my R7 the morning of the day it was released, and waited months before it arrived.

Most of the recent mirrorless releases from Canon have been much more readily available in kits than body only.  I don’t think I would ever use the 24-50mm lens, but if I was on a hurry to get the camera, I’d probably spend the extra $200.  People who had ordered kits quite a bit later than I ordered my R7 body only were receiving their cameras a month ahead of me.

MasterWayne wrote:

So if you're really happy with your 7D and only want to try out full frame, I'd suggest to do something completely different:

Buy a cheap used 6D DSLR.

The OP said a few posts up that there was little interest in buying used - because it needs to last 10 years.

A 6D ii is still available new (and is better than 6D anyway), but there may also be the desire to go mirrorless ?

By this, you get a good full frame sensor (colors, ISO) and you can try out how your EF lenses behave on full frame (their effective focal length changes, so you see where you're "new" range is lacking). AF performance will probably be mostly enough. Sure, dynamic range is bad, so you'd need to do exposure brackets and stack for HDR landscape.

After a while you'll know if your photography actually benefits from FF. Then you could resell the 6D with little to no loss and buy a (then cheaper) R/R8/6/5, as your "final" camera.

The downside of this might be that most of the OP's lenses won't fit a FF DSLR, so the interim option may involve a lens as well.

I did it that way, coming from an 80D, then (used) 6D, then R5. I owned the 6D for roughly 9 months. When buying the R5 I exactly knew which lens I was missing on FF.

Andy01 wrote:

MasterWayne wrote:

So if you're really happy with your 7D and only want to try out full frame, I'd suggest to do something completely different:

Buy a cheap used 6D DSLR.

The OP said a few posts up that there was little interest in buying used - because it needs to last 10 years.

A 6D ii is still available new (and is better than 6D anyway), but there may also be the desire to go mirrorless ?

By this, you get a good full frame sensor (colors, ISO) and you can try out how your EF lenses behave on full frame (their effective focal length changes, so you see where you're "new" range is lacking). AF performance will probably be mostly enough. Sure, dynamic range is bad, so you'd need to do exposure brackets and stack for HDR landscape.

After a while you'll know if your photography actually benefits from FF. Then you could resell the 6D with little to no loss and buy a (then cheaper) R/R8/6/5, as your "final" camera.

The downside of this might be that most of the OP's lenses won't fit a FF DSLR, so the interim option may involve a lens as well.

I did it that way, coming from an 80D, then (used) 6D, then R5. I owned the 6D for roughly 9 months. When buying the R5 I exactly knew which lens I was missing on FF.

Yes, sure, I read the desire to buy new.

My point goes into the direction if FF *generally* is even the right way to go, since there are also nice RF-s cameras. Sure, the Ef-s lenses could be used on FF RF. I regularly use my Ef-s 55-250 STM on my R5. But the R5 gives ~17MP in crop, whereas the R6/8 only gives 7-8. Therefore, from my perspective, they don't make sense on these RF FF bodies.

So having a used 6D let's the OP experience their existing EF lenses on FF, to find out what's missing lens-wise and if their photography actually benefits from FF. Virtually without losing any money.

I don't consider the 6D (or 6D II) a great "final" pick today. Image quality is nice, but AF is not on modern level.