Ive been shooting with my 90D for about two years now and honestly, I love the sensor but I feel like my current glass is holding me back. I have the kit lens and the nifty fifty, but for the portrait sessions Ive been booking lately (mostly outdoor senior photos and some family stuff here in Seattle), the 50mm feels just a bit too tight on the crop sensor and sometimes the bokeh isnt as creamy as I want. I finally saved up about 800 bucks and really want to step up my game for this spring season.
Im looking for something that is sharp wide open and has decent weather sealing since, you know, Washington rain is a thing. Ideally:
- Needs to be an EF or EF-S mount since I dont want to deal with adapters yet
- Focal length around 35mm or maybe a 85mm prime?
- Budget is definitely under 800 USD
- Needs fast autofocus for when these kids wont stop moving
Im leaning towards the Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 because everyone raves about it, but is it actually good for portraits or is it just more of a general zoom? Maybe the Canon 85mm f/1.8 is better? My head is spinning a bit looking at all the reviews...
The Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM Art is sharp but heavy. For portraits, definitely grab the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM instead, it is perfect for that crop sensor.
Honestly the 18-35 is a beast but it struggles with focus calibration on the 90D, which is super frustrating for paid shoots. If you want creamy bokeh and sharp results, I had issues with that zoom's consistency. Try these instead:
- Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS USM for that wider portrait look
- Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art for way better bokeh than the nifty fifty The 35mm has amazing image stabilization which helps in grey Seattle weather too.
> the 50mm feels just a bit too tight on the crop sensor and sometimes the bokeh isnt as creamy as I want I totally get that. I used to struggle with the same thing until I picked up the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM. It creates such soft backgrounds and makes portraits look legit. Honestly, for the price, it just works perfectly. If you want a bit more room, grab the Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS USM too. Both are super reliable.
Been using this for years, no complaints
Oh man, I am literally in the exact same boat as you right now. I have been fighting with my 90D gear setup for over a year trying to get that perfect portrait look, and honestly, it is driving me insane.
- Spent way too much time obsessing over pixel peeping
- Wasted so many hours reading conflicting forum threads
- Still cant decide on a single reliable piece of glass I feel your pain on the Seattle weather too; I just want something that wont let me down mid-shoot. Its frustrating that such a capable camera body feels like it has no perfect match for my portrait work yet. If you figure this out, please let me know because I am just as lost as you are.