Ive been shooting with my trusty Canon Rebel T6 for a few years now mostly for landscape and travel stuff but lately my friends keep asking me to take their portraits. My kit lens just isnt cutting it anymore for that nice blurry background. Im looking for something decent without breaking the bank since I need it by next month for a family shoot in Chicago.
- Budget: around $150 to $300 max
- Use case: outdoor and indoor portraiture
- Preference: great bokeh and sharp focus on the eyes
Should I just grab the classic nifty fifty or is there something better for crop sensors like the T6...
Since youre shooting on a crop sensor body like the T6, the field of view is gonna be tighter than full frame. If you want a cheaper alternative that gives you a bit more breathing room indoors, look at the Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM. Its wider, super sharp, and cheap as chips, tho the bokeh wont be quite as dramatic as a longer focal length. That said, if background separation is your main goal and you have enough space to back up, the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM is still technically the best value per dollar for optical sharpness and aperture size in that price bracket. Just watch your shutter speed indoors since the T6 doesnt have in-body image stabilization and your crop factor means camera shake gets magnified. Quick tip for your Chicago shoot: stick to around f/2 or f/2.8 on the nifty fifty rather than wide open at f/1.8. Youll get way more keepers where both eyes are actually in sharp focus instead of just one eyelash.
> "skip the kit lens for portraits right now if you want that creamy background blur" Spot on. Been thinking about your question and honestly, had issues with the classic 50mm indoors on crop sensors because it's just too tight. To add to the point above: if you need something versatile for both indoor and outdoor family shots without breaking the bank, try the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM for outdoors, but if you're cramped inside grab a Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM if you can stretch the budget slightly, or stick to a cheap 35mm. Good luck in Chicago!
Honestly, skip the kit lens for portraits right now if you want that creamy background blur. In my experience shooting on crop sensors for years, the classic fifty millimeter is a solid budget choice, but keep in mind that crop factor turns it into an 80mm equivalent. Indoor spaces can get super cramped real fast.
- watch out for tight indoor spaces with longer focal lengths
- dont shoot too wide open right away or youll miss the eyes completely
- avoid cheap knockoff adapters that mess with autofocus speed I tried many budget setups over the years, and a slightly wider prime might save you during that Chicago family shoot if you end up indoors. Just take your time with the focus and you'll do great.