so i finally got my first real camera it is a sony a6100 and i am so stoked to use it for my sisters wedding in portland next month!! but right now i only have the flat kit lens it came with and people keep telling me i need a prime lens if i want that blurry background look for portraits. i have no idea what im doing honestly lol. so i was thinking maybe a 35mm or a 50mm because those seem to be the ones everyone talks about on youtube but then i saw a 16mm one and got super confused. my logic was that a bigger number means it sees more of the room? but then i read somewhere it actually zooms in more which is the opposite of what i thought. i have about 400 dollars saved up and i really want something that makes people look good but also lets me take some cool shots of the coast while im out there. is a 50mm too much zoom for indoors? i dont want to have to stand in the hallway just to get my friends in the frame haha. sorry if this is such a basic question i just dont want to waste my money on the wrong thing since i spent so much on the camera itself... what do you guys think is the best first one to get?
> is a 50mm too much zoom? Totally! I once struggled at a wedding. Try Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary for Sony E for scenery or Viltrox 23mm f/1.4 AF for Sony E for groups. Both are amazing!
To add to the point above: you definitely gotta keep the 1.5x crop factor in mind with that a6100. A 50mm lens is basically gonna behave like a 75mm, which means you will be backing up quite a bit indoors. Its a bit tight but the results are worth it. I have been super satisfied with these picks for a tighter budget:
- Sony E 50mm f/1.8 OSS: I am really happy with this for portraits. It has built-in stabilization which is a lifesaver since your camera body doesnt have it. The blur is buttery smooth and it works well for that wedding vibe.
- Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary for Sony E: This is the one for your coastal trip. It is super wide so you get those big landscape views, but the f/1.4 aperture is massive for letting in light. No complaints about the build quality either, it feels pro. Honestly, for 400 bucks you could probably snag both used if you look around... just a thought.
Congrats on the a6100! Higher numbers definitely zoom in more, so 50mm is pretty tight indoors. These are some solid picks for your budget:
- Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary for Sony E is super sharp and the aperture gets you that blurry background easily.
- Sony E 35mm f/1.8 OSS includes stabilization which is decent for handheld shots. The 30mm is probably the best first prime for you tho.
