honestly i am so over the kit lens on my 90D it is driving me crazy everything just looks so flat and soft. I have my sisters wedding in like three weeks and I am freaking out because I tried to do some engagement shots and they were just... bad. No blurry background at all and the autofocus kept hunting even in decent light. I need something sharp that actually gives me that nice bokeh for portraits but I only have about 600 bucks left in my gear budget for the year. I was looking at the 85mm but since the 90D is a crop sensor is that gonna be too zoomed in for indoor shots? What are you guys actually using for portraits that wont break the bank?
You should definitely be careful about your focal length choices. The 1.6x crop factor on your sensor means you need much more physical distance to frame a subject compared to full-frame cameras. How large is the actual wedding venue? I would suggest looking at the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM since it gives you a more manageable field of view while still providing great bokeh. TL;DR: Check venue size first; 50mm is safer.
Just saw this thread and honestly it brings back some bad memories. Years were spent trying to find the perfect budget setup for events on a crop body and there were some pretty rough failures along the way. I once bought the Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM thinking it would be my secret weapon, but it was such a letdown. Wide open at f/1.4, everything looked like it had a layer of vaseline on it and the focus motor actually died on me during a reception. It was not as good as expected at all for the price. The real struggle youre gonna face with that 90D is the math. If you go with an 85mm, youre looking at like 136mm equivalent. I tried that at a small indoor venue once and I was literally backing into the cake just to get a waist-up shot... ngl, it was embarrassing. Unfortunately, 600 bucks puts you in a weird spot where youre just out of reach for the really elite glass. I tried the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC HSM Art for a while too, but issues with it missing focus constantly on my old body made it hard to use. Its frustrating when youre trying to capture a quick moment and the lens is just hunting. If I were doing it over, Id probably look at a used Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM Art. Its heavy as a brick, but at least it doesnt give you that flat look youre hating right now.
I totally get the frustration with kit lenses, they just dont have the glass quality for that creamy look. You mentioned the 85mm, and yeah, honestly be careful with that on a 90D. I remember trying to shoot a rehearsal dinner in a cramped bistro with an Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM and I literally had my back against the wall just to get a headshot. On your crop sensor, that 85mm acts like a 136mm lens... which is great for outdoor headshots but a nightmare if youre stuck in a small room at a wedding. For a 600 buck budget, you can actually get some pro-level sharpness if you shop around used. Here are a few I would suggest looking into:
- Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM is a classic, though the AF motor can be a bit fragile.
- Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC HSM Art for Canon EF-S gives you a wider view for full-body shots indoors.
- Tamron SP 45mm f/1.8 Di VC USD for Canon EF is super sharp and has stabilization which helps if you get the shakes during the ceremony. If I were in your shoes, I would probably hunt for a used Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art for Canon EF. It is heavy as a brick but the image quality blows everything else away. Just make sure to test the focus accuracy before the big day, sometimes those older Sigma lenses need a little calibration on the 90D body to be perfect. Use that leftover cash to get a decent flash too, cuz you are gonna need it for the reception.
man i feel your pain so much with this. i went through the exact same thing a few years back with my 90d right before a huge family reunion. honestly the stress of having a big event looming while fighting with gear that just wont cooperate is the worst feeling in the world. it actually reminds me of this time i was supposed to shoot my best friends engagement photos. i had this whole plan in my head, but the lighting at the park was super tricky and my gear just kept letting me down. i spent like forty minutes just trying to get the autofocus to lock on while they stood there looking more and more awkward... it was so embarrassing. we ended up with like three usable shots and i felt like such a failure. i spent the whole drive home just staring at the back of the camera wondering why i even bother sometimes. gear reliability is everything when people are counting on you, and when it fails, it really just ruins the whole experience. anyway i totally get where you are coming from with the anxiety of the wedding coming up. it is a lot of pressure.
