What is the best budget portrait lens for the Canon 90D because I'm honestly about to throw my current kit lens out the window. I've been using the 18-135mm that came with it and I'm just so fed up with how flat and soft everything looks.
I have my niece's birthday party coming up next month here in Chicago and I really want some nice shots with that blurry background but this lens just isnt doing it. My budget is super tight, like $250 max if I can swing it. I heard about the nifty fifty but people say it might be weird on a crop body? I just need something that actually looks professional for once...
In my experience, the nifty fifty isnt weird at all on a crop sensor... it actually becomes an 80mm equivalent which is basically the gold standard for headshots. Ive used this combo many times over the years.
- Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM is unbeatable for under 200 bucks.
- Grab a cheap lens hood to help with contrast. The sharpness jump from that 18-135mm is gonna blow your mind, honestly.
Just a heads up, avoid those ultra-cheap manual lenses. They look great on paper, but you will struggle to hit focus on kids at a party without the 90Ds native autofocus. Also, remember that shooting wide open at f/1.8 on an APS-C sensor results in a super thin depth of field. You might actually need to stop down to f/2.8 just to keep both eyes sharp when kids are moving around.
