R50 or R8

It has been a while since my DSLR days (30D to date the time frame). I have a Panasonic FZ300 because of it size and f2.8 through its full zoom range.  I shoot mostly at zoos, aquariums and SeaWorld.  So, the zoom the FZ300 combined with the Low f-stop allowed me to blur passed the mesh of the enclosure at the zoos to get some satisfying headshots of the animals.  The other locations, the zoom allowed me to get some nice shots of a Momma and her baby.  My dislikes of the camera are.  The autofocus has a tendency to focus on objects other than the subject, the autofocus can be slow so I miss shots and the exposure has a tendency to not have a balanced exposure like the 30D shooting the same scene.  Also, the manual focus is not the easiest to use.  Sometimes I miss the split prism.  So, what it looks like is either the R50 or R8 will solve these short comings of my LUMIX.  My only concern is the lens choice.  Will the 100-400 with an f-stop of 8 at 400 be good enough to blur the mesh of the enclosure and still give me a nice head shot of the animal, or will the depth of field be too great?  Will the R8 give me a better overall exposure over the smaller sensor of the R50?  I know that for $1,000 or less I can get say the 600 F11 lens, but that takes away the portability of the smaller camera.  Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Kurt D wrote:

It has been a while since my DSLR days (30D to date the time frame). I have a Panasonic FZ300 because of it size and f2.8 through its full zoom range. I shoot mostly at zoos, aquariums and SeaWorld. So, the zoom the FZ300 combined with the Low f-stop allowed me to blur passed the mesh of the enclosure at the zoos to get some satisfying headshots of the animals. The other locations, the zoom allowed me to get some nice shots of a Momma and her baby. My dislikes of the camera are. The autofocus has a tendency to focus on objects other than the subject, the autofocus can be slow so I miss shots and the exposure has a tendency to not have a balanced exposure like the 30D shooting the same scene. Also, the manual focus is not the easiest to use. Sometimes I miss the split prism. So, what it looks like is either the R50 or R8 will solve these short comings of my LUMIX. My only concern is the lens choice. Will the 100-400 with an f-stop of 8 at 400 be good enough to blur the mesh of the enclosure and still give me a nice head shot of the animal, or will the depth of field be too great? Will the R8 give me a better overall exposure over the smaller sensor of the R50? I know that for $1,000 or less I can get say the 600 F11 lens, but that takes away the portability of the smaller camera. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

So I would skip the R50 - the R10 is a far better camera if you want APS-C for in most markets very similar costs.   Less than $12US difference in UK right now with current R10 offer at a couple of Canon authorised dealers.

I'd also consider if you want full frame a mint used with warranty from dealer R6 mark 1 as well as the R8.

RF 100-400 f/8 is a nice lens and will give shallow enough depth of field normally at f/8 for most tastes.

If you can fill your frame at 400mm with a full frame sensor, I'd go for the 
R6.  If not - or if you want to spend less, the R10 is a cracking little camera, almost as good as the R7.

Kurt D wrote:

Will the 100-400 with an f-stop of 8 at 400 be good enough to blur the mesh of the enclosure and still give me a nice head shot of the animal, or will the depth of field be too great?

Even though Panasonic FZ300 has constant f2.8, it has 1/2.3 inch sensor. I think you have to consider the crop factor in order to compare the depth of field between the two.

Crop=reach

FF=low light and wide angle

Based off your zoo talk, neither. R10+18-150. Why? Kit lens on it is perfect for that sort of thing. Add a 24mm f/1.8 IS STM. Done.

The R50 doesn’t come with a 18-150 in the kit. You could do the 18-45 and 55-210, and 24.

R8 is a low light monster. But, that 100-400 although a cracking lens, is big. Keep in mind.

As I said, crop? Reach. FF? Low light and wide angle.

Enjoy!

I in your shoes? R10 18-150 kit. Add a 24. Call it a day.

MikeJ9116 wrote:

For the use case you describe I recommend the R10 and then adapt the EF-S 55-250mm STM lens to it. It is an excellent lens and one I have used on a SL2 for many years. Even with the adapter this camera and lens combo will be very small and lightweight. Also, this combination gives you great AF ability and a lens with an aperture of f/4.0-5.6. The RF zooms are not very bright or have a thin depth of field in many shooting situations. Especially on an APS-C camera.

+1 for EF-S 55-250. STM

jwilliams wrote:

KevinRA wrote:

MikeJ9116 wrote:

For the use case you describe I recommend the R10 and then adapt the EF-S 55-250mm STM lens to it. It is an excellent lens and one I have used on a SL2 for many years. Even with the adapter this camera and lens combo will be very small and lightweight. Also, this combination gives you great AF ability and a lens with an aperture of f/4.0-5.6. The RF zooms are not very bright or have a thin depth of field in many shooting situations. Especially on an APS-C camera.

+1 for EF-S 55-250. STM

+2

+3

"It has been a while since my DSLR days (30D to date the time frame). I have a Panasonic FZ300 because of it size and f2.8 through its full zoom range."

You are not going to have enough reach with 250mm max reach.  IMO you should reconsider the RF 100-400 before purchasing another lens.   Use LensRentals to try out what suits your shooting style and range(s).

kopper

MikeJ9116 wrote:

Kurt D wrote:

Thank you all for your input. I have ordered the EOS R10 with a AD-E1 and EF-EOS R adapters. I have an EF 28-135 3.8-5.6 that I will use for a few months until I order the EF-S 55-250 as several people agreed I should get. The AD-E1 is for my Speedlite 580EX II. Looking forward to this new camera. Again, thank you for all of your help.

Keep watching Canon's refurbished website for lenses. Last December they had the EF-S 55-250mm on sale for $99. Periodically, they go on sale. I have bought a large number of lenses and cameras from Canon's refurbished website and every one of these items were in new, unused condition and functioned as new. Check the link below daily and you will eventually be able to buy this lens at a good price.

https://www.usa.canon.com/shop/p/ef-s-55-250mm-f-4-5-6-is-stm?color=Black&type=New

Here's the link to the refurb version. I've bought several refurb bodies from Canon and each time they were indistinguishable from new.

https://www.usa.canon.com/shop/p/refurbished-ef-s-55-250mm-f-4-5-6-is-stm

kopper wrote:

"It has been a while since my DSLR days (30D to date the time frame). I have a Panasonic FZ300 because of it size and f2.8 through its full zoom range."

You are not going to have enough reach with 250mm max reach. IMO you should reconsider the RF 100-400 before purchasing another lens. Use LensRentals to try out what suits your shooting style and range(s).

kopper

Second the RF 100-400.  Super light for the range.  Great stabilization.  Minimum focus distance of 3 feet making it very versatile to hike with.  0.41x magnification for wild flower close ups.  And it goes to 400.