sorry if this is a super basic question but im completely lost. my uncle just gave me his old r6 mark iii for my birthday and i wanna take pretty pictures of my friends around town mostly outdoor stuff. there are like a million lenses out there and my head hurts trying to figure it out. what are actually the best portrait lenses for this camera that wont totally break a college kid budget...
First off, that is an amazing birthday gift, but be careful with those expensive lenses since gear can get heavy and fragile when you are walking around town. For a college budget, I would suggest picking up the Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM. It is very reliable, incredibly affordable, and takes gorgeous portrait shots without risking a huge investment while you are still learning the ropes.
Adding my two cents here cause I totally get being overwhelmed by glass choices. If you want something that gives you that gorgeous blurry background without spending crazy money, you gotta check out the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art lens paired with an adapter, or honestly even better for your wallet is grabbing the Canon RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM. That 85mm focal length is just magic for portraits because it compresses the face naturally and melts the background away completely. Plus you get built-in stabilization which helps a ton when the sun starts going down and you are shooting handheld. Seriously, walking around town with that setup is an absolute blast and your friends are gonna love how the pics turn out!
This is exactly what I needed to hear. Youre a lifesaver honestly.
Man, I wish I had someone to steer me in the right direction when I first started out. I actually spent a ton of cash on a fancy prime back in the day, but the build quality was just frustrating. Unfortunately, the autofocus had issues with hunting constantly and I missed so many candid shots of my friends because the motor was super sluggish. It really killed the vibe. Since you are just starting, focus on these things instead of the specs:
- Look for something weather sealed so you dont worry about a little drizzle
- Stick to native glass if you want reliability
- Prioritize light weight over massive apertures Honestly, just go with any prime from Canon. You really cant go wrong with their glass for color rendition. Dont get bogged down in the gear anxiety... just get out there and shoot until you figure out what focal length feels like second nature to you.
^ This. Also, seeing everyone debate all these amazing options brings back so many memories of when I first started shooting outdoor portraits with my Canon EOS R6. People talked about RF glass like it was magic, but honestly, starting cheap taught me way more about composition than any expensive lens ever could! Quick tip for your R6 Mark III walks around town: master natural light before messing with flash, and always shoot in aperture priority when youre running around with friends so you dont miss the moment. Since folks above covered both the ultra-budget Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM and the mid-range Canon RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM, you really cant go wrong with either depending on how tight you want your framing. Have a blast out there!