Im honestly about to throw my kit lens out the window. Tried shooting some portraits of my sister yesterday and the results were just so flat and muddy, like nothing was popping at all. I know I cant afford the fancy 56mm f/1.2 right now since my budget is stuck around 300 bucks max, but I need something better than this basic zoom before her graduation ceremony next month. I just want that nice blurry background look without breaking the bank. Is there even a decent lens for Fuji that wont cost me an entire paycheck, or am I just stuck with this garbage glass forever?
Ditch the kit lens asap, honestly. If you want that background blur without spending a fortune, you gotta look at the Viltrox 56mm f/1.4 AF XF. It is honestly a steal for the price. It gives you that compressed look you want for portraits and the f/1.4 aperture creates some really creamy bokeh that a kit lens just cant touch. Another solid pick if you dont mind manual focus is the 7Artisans 55mm f/1.4 II. It is super cheap and sharp enough for graduation shots if you take your time. Youll save a ton of cash compared to the Fuji glass. Just remember that at f/1.4, the depth of field is paper thin, so stick to hitting the eyes precisely. Good luck with the graduation shoot, you'll see a huge difference.
To add to the point above: have you considered your shooting distance yet? If you really want that background separation, the Fujifilm XC 50-230mm f/4.5-6.7 OIS II is actually surprisingly sharp if you zoom all the way in.
- it gives you way more compression
- super cheap on the used market
- great for graduation distance Just be careful with shutter speeds since it lacks a fast aperture. Are you shooting indoors or outside for the ceremony?
Honestly, check out the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary. I had issues with sharpness on my old zoom, but this one is way better for the money:
- insane low light performance
- super creamy bokeh
- sharp enough for any graduation print
^ This. Honestly, the price gouging for basic glass these days is such a scam. It drives me crazy how companies just expect us to settle for muddy, overpriced plastic. Just ridiculous.
+1
