I just picked up a used 90D because I wanted to get back into photography before my sisters wedding next month in Vermont and I realized I only have the kit lens. I really want that blurry background look without spending a fortune so I'm lookin at prime lenses under 200 bucks. My logic was to grab the EF 50mm f/1.8 STM because its so cheap and everyone says its a must have but then I remembered the 90D has a crop sensor so that 50mm is actually gonna act more like an 80mm which feels way too zoomed in for indoor shots at the reception.
So then I started lookin at the EF-S 24mm f/2.8 pancake lens. Its super tiny and would be great for carrying around but f/2.8 isnt that fast compared to the 1.8 on the fifty. I keep going back and forth between the two. One part of me wants the 50mm for those nice portraits but I'm worried I'll be backing into walls just to get people in the frame. Does the 24mm still give a decent blur or should I maybe save up a bit more for the 35mm f/2? I'm kinda stuck here...
Honestly, you're right about the 50mm being tight indoors. On a crop body like the 90D, it really is a dedicated portrait lens. If you're at a reception table, you're gonna be backing up into the next table just to get a head-and-shoulders shot. That said, if you want that blurry background for under $200, the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM is basically impossible to beat. At f/1.8, the bokeh is way more noticeable than what you'll get from the Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM. The 24mm is a decent walk-around lens and I love how tiny it is, but for a wedding where you want those artistic shots, f/2.8 on a wide-angle lens doesn't give much background separation unless you're inches away from the subject. I've shot with both on crop sensors for years. If you strictly have to choose one for that specific look, get the 50mm and just accept you'll be moving your feet a lot. Tbh, check the used market... you can often find a used Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM for like 90 bucks and a used Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM for about the same. If you shop around on sites like MPB or even local listings, you could actually grab both for under your $200 limit. Having the 24mm for the wider room shots and the 50mm for the portraits is the best strategy. If you really can't swing both, the 50mm delivers the pro look you're chasing way better than the pancake lens ever will.
