Which portrait lens is best for the Canon EOS R8?

Question

I'm honestly starting to lose sleep over this. I just bought the Canon R8 because I finally wanted to move up to full frame for my sisters wedding this September but now I am completely paralyzed by lens choices. I have been googling for days and every time I think I have a winner I find a review that says something bad about it and I second guess everything.

I did a bunch of research and most people point towards the RF 85mm f2 IS STM because its affordable and has good reviews but then I saw a thread where people were complaining that the autofocus is way too slow for moving subjects like people walking down an aisle and that the motor is noisy. Then I looked at the RF 50mm 1.8 because its cheap but I feel like that focal length isnt portrait enough for the look I want? Like maybe it wont blur the background enough if the backyard setting is a bit messy and I want that creamy look to hide the fence and stuff.

Here is what I am dealing with:

Budget: I really cant go over $1000 because the camera already ate most of my savings.

Timeline: I need to have it and practice with it before the end of August.

Use case: Mostly outdoor portraits and some candid shots during the ceremony.

Weight: The R8 is so light I am worried about putting a massive heavy lens on it and it feeling super unbalanced in my hands all day.

I saw some people talking about adapting old EF lenses too like the 85mm 1.4 but then I have to buy an adapter and I dont know if that messes with the eye tracking? The eye tracking on the R8 is supposed to be amazing and I dont want to break it by using old glass. Is the 85mm f2 actually good enough for a wedding or am I gonna regret not saving up for something better? Or should I be looking at a zoom like the 24-105 f4? I just want those really blurry backgrounds and I feel like I'm gonna pick the wrong thing and ruin the photos...

Jamesnip · Accepted Answer

I've spent a fair amount of time analyzing the focus drive speed and communication protocols on the R-series bodies. From a technical perspective, the eye-tracking is sensor-based, so using the Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R wont degrade your accuracy. I actually found my old EF glass hit focus more reliably on the R8 than it did on native DSLRs because the system eliminates the back-focus issues common with mirrors. The Canon RF 85mm f2 Macro IS STM uses a gear-type STM motor. While it is slower than a Nano USM, it is still sufficient for a subject walking at a normal pace down a wedding aisle. The motor noise is a factor, but in a typical ceremony environment, it is basically negligible. For hiding a messy background, the 85mm focal length offers much better compression and subject isolation than the Canon RF 50mm f1.8 STM. The 50mm is fine for wider shots, but it wont give you that creamy look as effectively when shooting outdoors. If you want the best possible optics within your budget, a used Canon EF 85mm f1.4L IS USM combined with the adapter is the technical winner. It provides a significant boost in background blur and light gathering compared to the f/2 version. However, it is quite heavy and will make the R8 feel front-heavy. If weight is the primary concern, the Canon RF 85mm f2 Macro IS STM is the more balanced choice. It is a decent option that hits the $500-600 mark, leaving you room in the budget for a flash or extra batteries.

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Which portrait lens is best for the Canon EOS R8?