I made rosehip jam and rosehip tea from the dogroses in our drive this Summer. The jam was so-so. I liked the tea. It was an extraordinary hassle to clean the rosehips, though. You have to cut them in half and scoop out the seeds and the little hairs inside. The little hairs inside apparently have one and only one commercial use: as the main ingredient in gag itching powder. No fooling.
If I remember my recipes rightly, one of the advantages of the syrup is that you don't have to clean them out, because you cook them whole and strain them. I think. So there's that.
Why not try some tea and see if you like the flavor? Cut up three or four small hips, scoop out the inside (you don't have to be too conscientious about it), boil for half an hour, strain. I sweetened mine a little. You can reheat the leftover tea in the microwave.