Im picking up a Canon R8 in about two weeks for a couple of paid senior portrait sessions I have booked next month and I am totally stuck on which prime lens to pair it with. My budget is tight, ideally under 600 bucks, so I have been obsessing over the RF 85mm f/2 Macro and the RF 50mm f/1.8.
My logic was that the 85mm gives me that classic compression for portraits, but the f/2 aperture makes it way more expensive than the nifty fifty. Then I saw some people talking about the Viltrox 85mm f/1.8 and honestly now Im even more confused. I need something that is gonna be sharp enough for prints and focus fast enough because these seniors move around a lot. Ive only ever shot with kit lenses so I feel like a total amateur here. Is the extra cost of the native Canon 85mm really worth it compared to the cheaper fifty, or should I just gamble on the Viltrox to save some cash for a new flash? I keep flip flopping and the deadline is stressing me out...
Listen, for paid senior sessions, stay away from third-party glass unless you want focus issues. Get the Canon RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM.
- The 85mm compression is essential for portraits.
- Image stabilization helps a ton.
- Avoid the Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM for pro work, the distortion is just too much for close-ups. Just be careful with that lens autofocus speed, it's not the fastest, but it beats missing the shot entirely.
> Is the extra cost of the native Canon 85mm really worth it Honestly, are you doing mostly headshots or full-body? You should definitely check out the Canon RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM for those portraits!
Just saw this thread and honestly, I remember being in that exact position before my first few gigs. I was so stressed about burning my budget on gear that I almost talked myself out of the job entirely! I ended up just grabbing whatever I could afford at the time and honestly, the client didnt even notice the difference in the gear. They just cared that they looked good in the final prints. Learning to manage the lighting made way more of an impact for me than stressing over the specs of the glass itself. Once I focused on just getting the angles right and making the seniors feel comfortable, the technical stuff kinda fell into place. Dont sweat the gear too much, just make sure you have enough left over for a solid speedlight because thatll change your game way faster than a fancy lens ever will.
