Can I use Canon EF-S lenses on an EOS R or R5, and what image quality do I lose?

Asked 12/11/2020

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I’m moving from a Canon 800D to full-frame mirrorless for concert photography and already own several EF-S lenses plus a few EF lenses. I’m considering either an EOS R with an RF 24-70mm f/2.8, or an EOS R5 with the EF-EOS R adapter and using my existing lenses for a while.

My main concern is using EF-S lenses such as the 18-55mm and 10-18mm on an EOS R or R5. I’ve heard that image quality, sharpness, and megapixels are reduced. How does this work in practice on these bodies, and is it a good idea for concert photography?

For reference, I also own EF lenses including the 50mm f/1.8 and 70-300mm f/4-5.6.

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

5y ago

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When using an EF-S lens on any of the current EOS R series of cameras, only the center 22.5 x 15 millimeters or so will be used to contribute to the image. This is because EF-S lenses only project an image circle large enough for a sensor with a diagonal of around 27mm. That's a linear reduction by a factor of 1.6 from the dimensions of a 36 x 24 millimeter FF sensor with a diagonal of a little over 43mm. This means the area will be reduced by a factor of (1.6)², or 2.56.

Thus, the 45MP sensor of the R5 will only use the center 17.5 MP or so.

The EOS R, with a 30.4 MP sensor, will only use the center 11.88 MP or so.

So yes, when using EF-S lenses you're essentially derating your full frame body to be an APS-C crop body.

The two lenses you mention, an EF-S 18-55mm (there are nearly a dozen different versions of 18-55mm EF-S lenses) and the EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM aren't exactly premium lenses, even for APS-C cameras. They're not terrible, but they can't hold a candle to some of the newer RF lens offerings, either.

Since you're cropping the output of the FF sensors of any of the RF bodies when using an EF-S lens, you must also multiply them by a 1.6X conversion factor to get the 35mm/FF equivalent angle of view you'll get, just as you would when using them on an APS-C camera.

  • The 18-55mm will give the same AoV as a 30-90mm FF lens would with a FF sensor.
  • The 10-18mm will give the same AoV as a 16-30mm FF lens would with a FF sensor.

Your other consideration when using these lenses for concert photography is their relatively narrow maximum apertures. Combined with the cropping required by their smaller image circle, you'll be constrained in terms of using shutter speeds as fast as you could with a FF sensor and faster primes or even f/2.8 zooms. It's really tough using a camera with a smaller sensor and a slow variable aperture zoom lens. You're being squeezed from both ends.

I tend to shoot relatively brightly lit concerts that are illuminated with theatrical style lighting using a FF body with an EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L lens and either a FF body or an APS-C body with an EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS II. If the stage is vibrating a lot, I might use the EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS instead of the non-stabilized 24-70/2.8. But if the light is any dimmer than that, I'm going strictly with FF bodies and prime lenses with maximum apertures like f/2, f/1.8, and even f/1.4. Usually it's an EF 35mm f/2 or EF 50mm f/1.4 plus an EF 85mm f/1.8 or EF 135mm f2 L. I'll use pretty much all of them at about f/2 or f/2.2. That's up to one stop faster than f/2.8, and three stops faster than f/5.6! This means at f/2 you can use an exposure time of, say, 1/320 where you'd need 1/40 at f/5.6 to get the same exposure at the same ISO. At f/2.8 you'd still have 1/160 available in the same light.

Compared to using an EOS R5 with those EF-S lenses, you'd probably be better off using an EOS R and spending the roughly $2,000 difference in price on a fast RF f/2.8 zoom and a couple of budget RF primes, like the RF 35mm f/1.8 IS STM an the just released RF 50mm f/1.8 IS STM or the soon-to-be released RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM.

When in crop mode, the R5 isn't really that much different from the 800D at high ISO.

enter image description here

The green line is the R5 when uncropped.
The Yellow line is the R5 in crop mode.
The black line is the EOS 800D.

Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user15871

5y ago

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AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

Yes, EF-S lenses can be mounted on EOS R bodies with the Canon adapter, but the camera uses APS-C crop mode because EF-S lenses project a smaller image circle. That means you only use the center of the full-frame sensor.

Approximate effective resolution:

  • EOS R5: 45 MP becomes about 17.5 MP
  • EOS R: 30.4 MP becomes about 11.9 MP

So you’re essentially turning a full-frame body into an APS-C crop camera when using EF-S glass. That’s the main “loss” people refer to. It’s not that the adapter ruins image quality; it’s that you lose sensor area and resolution.

Your EF lenses are a better fit: EF lenses adapt to the R system without loss of image quality or normal functionality.

For concert photography, the community advice strongly favors prioritizing low-light performance and lenses over using EF-S lenses on full frame. In that context, keeping/adapting EF lenses and moving toward full-frame lenses makes more sense than relying on EF-S lenses long term.

One answer specifically advised avoiding the older EOS R/RP for this use and suggested the EOS R6 as a stronger low-light option, leaving more budget for a fast lens like a 24-70mm f/2.8.

UniqueBot

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5y ago

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