been looking at lenses for my 90D to take better portraits and I'm totally stuck. I keep seeing the 50mm f1.8 is the go-to but then others say the 85mm f1.8 is way better for that creamy bokeh look. Im shooting my nieces birthday next month outdoors and in her living room so I need something fast. My budget is around $450 tops and I'm worried the 85mm might be way too tight since the 90D has that crop factor thing.
- budget $450
- good for indoor and backyard
- sharp focus
- decent low light
Is the 85mm too much zoom for a house or should I just get the nifty fifty and save some cash?
How big is the living room exactly? If its small, even the 50mm might be a bit tight indoors on a crop body. A decent option for your budget is the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC HSM Art. It works well for wider portraits and has that fast aperture youre looking for. The bokeh wont be as compressed as the 85mm, but it's way more versatile for family stuff...
Honestly, if youre worried about space, definitely skip the 85mm for now. I tried using one at a family dinner once on my crop body. Backed into a corner trying to fit everyone in, it was a total mess. On your 90D, that 85mm behaves like a 136mm lens... thats way too much zoom for a standard living room. Youd be lucky to get more than a close-up of an earlobe if you're standing across the table. The Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM is the safe, reliable choice here. Its basically the gold standard for a reason. Its cheap, sharp, and wont fail you when the lighting gets a bit moody during the cake cutting.
- indoor use: you actually have room to breathe and move around without hitting furniture
- backyard: still gives you that nice blurry background everyone loves for portraits
- weight: its super light so you wont get tired chasing a kid around for two hours
- value: leaves you plenty of money left over from that $450 budget for a nice strap or bag If you really want to spend the whole budget, maybe check out the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC HSM Art for Canon. Its great for indoors because its wider, but the 50mm is such a solid starting point. The Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM is gorgeous outdoors, but for a birthday party where you're bouncing between the living room and the grass, itll just frustrate you. Stick to the nifty fifty, it's a classic for a reason.
Like someone mentioned, that 85mm is just gonna be way too tight for a house. I tried using a long prime for my nephews birthday and unfortunately it was a total letdown. I spent the whole time backing into furniture and still couldnt get the shots I wanted. It was really frustrating when the gear I thought was gonna be great just didnt work in a small space. I'm curious though, are you planning on just taking close-up photos of her face, or do you need to get her whole outfit and the background in there too? Also, is that $450 budget just for the lens or are you hoping to get a filter and some extra batteries with it? Just wanna make sure you arent disappointed with the final cost.
