RF vs EF 50mm f/1.2 Lens Comparison: Is the RF Worth the Upgrade?
Are you considering upgrading your DSLR to a mirrorless camera but unsure if you need to swap your EF lenses for RF? Are RF lenses better than EF lenses, or are EF lenses just as good?
In this photography video, I will delve into the differences and similarities between EF and RF lenses, providing you with a comprehensive review of user experience and even a side-by-side portrait comparison in both natural daylight and low lighting conditions.
If you've been asking yourself questions like "Are RF lenses better than EF lenses?" or "Should I buy EF or RF lenses?", stay tuned as we explore the RF vs EF 50mm f/1.2 Lens and uncover what truly sets these two lens types apart. Let's dive in and uncover the secrets of what makes EF and RF lenses unique.
Price Difference
One of the main reasons photographers are reluctant to upgrade from DSLR to mirrorless is the significant price jump between EF and RF lenses.
But do you actually need to upgrade? Or can you get the same result with a mount adapter?
50mm EF Lens (for DSLR) Cost:
New from Canon: $1,400
EF to RF mount adaptor: ~$100 used, or $200 new from Canon
50mm RF Lens (for mirrorless) Cost:
Total Price Difference between the RF and EF lens (on KEH): $1,140
Is it worth the $1,000 price difference?
Technical differences
Closest focusing distance:
EF: 1.48 feet on the RF, 1.31 feet
Lens construction:
EF: 8 elements in 6 groups RF: 15 elements in 9 groups
Similarities:
Both are weather-resistant designs; both go from f/1.2 to f/16 and DO NOT have image stabilization.
Full specifications
For the complete list of specifications, click on each listing, and you’ll see a table with details.
My Personal Experience
I’ve used a mix of EF and RF lenses on mirrorless Canon cameras over the years of making tutorials. The camera that I used for these comparison photos was the Canon R. However, in the past, I have mainly used the Canon R5.
Unedited RAW examples & edited
Here are some side-by-side comparison shots. I am showing unedited RAW examples as well as edited examples of the same images so you can see the final result that a client would.
First are in low light with a few artificial lights coming from streetlights. Then, I have the subject in the fall leaves in natural, overcast light. The camera settings are listed with each image. The camera that I used for these photos was the Canon R.
Should you buy RF lenses?
Who should buy the RF, and who should skip it?
If you already own EF lenses, stick to those. As you save up money, you can purchase your most used focal-length lens down the road.
I believe that wedding photographers and family photographers would benefit the most from RF lenses.
If you are using a crop sensor camera & will need to buy new lenses anyway, go with RF. Use what you have. An option would be to sell or exchange your EF lenses on KEH.
If you have the money, go for it.
The user experience is better, but I don’t believe the result yields the price difference.
Let’s zoom in on the detail
The focus point was on her eye in both of these photos
Let’s zoom into her eye even further. This is the same image, just zoomed in further. The 50mm EF lens looks much softer and out-of-focus compared to the RF lens. However, the eye focus point was on her eye and I ran it thru AI detection to ensure it was in focus.
VIDEO TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Welcome to the 50mm f/1.2 lens comparison
0:10 Thank you KEH Camera
0:27 What's the difference between a RF and EF lens?
0:57 If I upgrade to mirrorless, do I need to switch to RF lenses?
1:17 Price difference between 50mm f/1.2 RF vs EF
2:12 Technical differences
2:44 Specs
3:22 Techincal similarities
3:43 User experience intro
4:29 Side-by-side image examples
7:13 Jessica Whitaker review
7:48 Where to buy RF lenses used
9:18 Is it worth the cost difference?
10:23 Who the RF lenses would benefit
11:06 Buying RF lenses cheaper
13:04 Don't buy RF lenses
13:23 Free Photography Nice Facebook Group
14:16 Photography podcast
14:24 Subscribe for more free tutorials