The Canon EF 50mm 1.8, affectionately called the "nifty fifty," has been a staple in my photography kit for years. Its promise of affordability and the dreamy bokeh it produces is what first drew me to it. But despite all the praise, I've had a love-hate relationship with this lens. On my Canon 6D Mark II, the autofocus was notoriously unreliable. Missed shots, blurred subjects—it felt like the lens was constantly working against me, and after one particularly frustrating session, I was ready to throw it away for good.
That all changed when I decided to try it on my new Canon R100 mirrorless camera, using the Canon EF-to-RF adapter. I didn't expect much, but the results have been nothing short of fantastic. The first photo I took with this setup was a stunning aerial view of a coastal city. The bright white dome of the Bahá'í Temple stood out against a backdrop of red-roofed houses and the sparkling harbor beyond. The sharpness and clarity were worlds apart from what I had been used to. Every detail, from the manicured gardens in the foreground to the distant industrial ships, was rendered with precision. It felt like I was seeing the full potential of the lens for the first time.
Then I turned my camera to something more intimate—a succulent arrangement in a decorative pot. The sharpness of the green aloe leaves, the soft fuzz on the cactus, and the way the warm terracotta tones in the background subtly highlighted the textures of the plants were all captured perfectly. It was a simple shot, but the level of detail made it feel like a small triumph.
The real test, though, came when I started photographing people. In one image, a man stood in front of a stone wall, holding a camera. The autofocus hit its mark without hesitation. His expression, his tattoo, the light playing off his face—all of it was rendered in perfect detail. This was the kind of focus accuracy I could never rely on before. Another shot of a man, deep in concentration as he photographed a scene, further confirmed my renewed confidence in the "nifty fifty." The textures of his pink shirt, the weathered stone railing, and even the subtle details of his Nikon camera strap were all captured with crisp clarity.
What a difference a camera can make. After years of frustration and nearly giving up on this lens, I’ve rediscovered its magic, all thanks to the R100 and the EF-to-RF adapter. The combination has completely transformed my experience with the "nifty fifty." Shots that used to be unreliable are now sharp, detailed, and beautifully composed. I’m no longer thinking about tossing it in the trash—instead, I’m excited to see what else I can capture with it.
