What is the best lens for Canon EOS Rebel T6? Sorry if this is a totally dumb question but Im so stressed out right now because my sisters wedding is in like three weeks and she asked me to take some photos during the reception in Ohio since she couldnt afford a real pro photographer and my current kit lens is just not cutting it at all inside dark rooms. I literally know nothing about photography terms like f-stops or focal lengths and my brain hurts looking at all the options online. My absolute max budget is around 200 bucks because Im super broke right now. I just want something that will make the pictures look clear and not blurry when people are dancing. Should I get a fifty millimeter prime lens or something else? Please help me out before I totally ruin her wedding pictures...
First off, take a deep breath. You are in a tough spot with a tight budget, but indoor wedding receptions are notoriously difficult even for experienced shooters with expensive gear. Unfortunately, your current kit lens just lets in way too little light for dark rooms, which is why your indoor shots are coming out blurry when people move. To fix this without spending a fortune, you really only have one reliable path within your price limit. You should look into the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM. It usually costs around 125 dollars, which leaves you a tiny bit of wiggle room from your 200 dollar max budget. I had issues with indoor lighting when I first started out, and switching to this specific lens made a massive difference because that wide f/1.8 aperture lets in tons of light. Now, there is a catch you need to know about. Because it is a prime lens, you cannot zoom in or out with it. You will literally have to use your feet to move closer or step back to frame your shots. Also, on your Rebel T6, a fifty millimeter focal length is going to feel pretty tight indoors, meaning you will need some physical space to get full-body shots of people dancing. It is not as versatile as a zoom lens, but for the price, nothing else will freeze motion in a dark room this well. Just put your camera in Tv mode, set your shutter speed to at least 1/160 or 1/200 to stop the dancing blur, and let the camera handle the rest.
Regarding what #1 said about first off, take a deep breath, they are totally right about dark rooms being brutal on cheap gear. In my experience shooting weddings over the years, the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM is your absolute best bet here for around 125 bucks. That wide aperture lets in tons of light so you wont get as much motion blur when people are dancing. Just watch out for crop factor on your Rebel T6 cause it makes things look zoomed in!
> my current kit lens is just not cutting it at all inside dark rooms Omg I have this exact same issue with my camera... been dealing with it for like two months now trying to shoot indoors and still nothing works. Honestly it's so frustrating because every forum just throws a bunch of confusing numbers at you instead of actually helping when youre totally broke. Are you guys even managing to get any usable shots at all right now or is every single picture coming out blurry like mine? I feel your pain so much.