Ugh, my sisters wedding is in exactly three weeks and I am officially panicking about my gear. I have been using the kit lens on my Sony a7iii but the bokeh just isnt cutting it for these portraits. My budget is pretty tight at around 600 bucks tops. Im stuck between getting the Sony FE 85mm f/1.8 or maybe the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN if I can find a deal on a used one... or even the 50mm f/1.8 just to save some cash. Do you guys think the extra cost for the Sigma is worth the stress on my bank account right now, or will the Sony 85mm be enough?
Honestly, take a deep breath. You dont need to break the bank to get those creamy backgrounds you are after. If I were in your shoes, I would grab the Sony FE 85mm f/1.8 and call it a day. I have used that lens for countless shoots and the performance is just ridiculous for the price. The bokeh is soft, the autofocus is snappy enough for a wedding, and honestly, saving that extra cash for a good battery or a memory card upgrade is a much smarter move. Dont get me wrong, the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art is a beast, but finding a good used one under 600 bucks is super risky this close to the wedding date. If it shows up with back focus issues or hidden damage, you are gonna be in a nightmare scenario. Also, avoid the Sony FE 50mm f/1.8 if you can. It gets the job done, but the focus motor is super loud and slow, which will drive you crazy during a ceremony. Just stick with the 85mm 1.8, practice your angles, and make sure to shoot wide open. Youll get those professional results without the stress.
Building on the earlier suggestion, I went through this exact phase a few years back. The Sony FE 85mm f/1.8 is honestly a workhorse for the price. I once shot a whole outdoor wedding with just that and the results were super clean.
- Dont overspend on the Sigma if you are stressed about cash.
- Look for used deals on the 85mm 1.8 instead.
- Save that leftover money for a nice Godox V860III TTL Flash to fix your lighting.
Look, I have been shooting portraits for over a decade, and I have lugged around everything from heavy primes to compact glass. When I started out, I obsessed over aperture specs like f/1.4 vs f/1.8, but over the years I have learned that the subject separation is usually more about focal length and compression than that extra fraction of light. I have tried many lenses, including the Sony FE 85mm f/1.8 and the much heavier Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art. While the Sigma is technically superior in terms of pure optical sharpness and corner-to-corner clarity, the Sony is remarkably consistent. For wedding portraits, you really want something that stays glued to your subject's eye, and the weight difference matters when you are running around for six hours. I once shot an entire engagement session with the Sony prime and never felt limited by the f/1.8 aperture. Tbh, if you are sweating your budget, dont force the Sigma. You get way more value investing that extra cash into a good Godox V1 Flash or maybe a sturdy Peak Design Slide Camera Strap so you dont drop the camera in the middle of the ceremony. Your clients wont be pixel peeping at 400 percent to check for aberrations, they just want to see themselves look great. Get the lens that lets you focus on the moment, not your bank balance.
Re: "Just catching up on this thread and man..." Honestly, you are totally overthinking this! Forget the Sigma for now. If you want that pro look without going broke before the big day, the Sony FE 85mm f/1.8 is genuinely all you need. The speed and bokeh are fantastic, and it is so lightweight you wont get tired carrying it around all day. Since you have a bit of room in that 600 budget, grab these instead of overspending on glass:
- SanDisk Extreme Pro 128GB SDXC UHS-I for extra storage so you never panic about space
- Wasabi Power Sony NP-FZ100 battery two-pack to keep that camera rolling through the reception You are gonna kill it at the wedding! Just focus on the moments and stop worrying about gear specs. Youve got this!
Just catching up on this thread and man, I totally feel your pain. The stress of having a deadline like a wedding looming over you while your gear just isnt giving you the look you want is the worst feeling ever. I remember being in that exact spot, sweating bullets over whether my shots would actually look professional or just like a bunch of snapshots. Its honestly such a stressful nightmare when you know the gear is holding you back from that dreamy portrait look. Since you are already under a massive time crunch, honestly forget the hunt for a used Sigma. Just grab the Sony FE 85mm f/1.8 new. It is an absolute beast for the price and the autofocus reliability is stellar, which you are gonna need when things get hectic during the ceremony. Use whatever cash you have left to grab a SanDisk Extreme Pro 128GB SDXC UHS-I card so you dont have to worry about running out of space during the reception. Seriously, dont overcomplicate it! Youre gonna do great.