Hi ,My name is Phyllis, I am an amature photgrapher . A grandmother of 4. I love to take pictures of my grandchildren and family and friends. Im looking for a potrait lens to take pictures of mostly my grandchildren and family members. I made a little studio that I have back drops and props. I have a cannon EOS 70 D that came with a kit lens efs 18-135 with image stabilizer lense. Im looking for something that I can get close ups and of the back drops also. A lense that is fast because its hard to keep a 2 year stiill even for a few seconds ( LOL ). If any one has any suggestions for me I would appreciate the information. I have looked on line but there is so many. 50mm 80 mm etc. If any one could give advise . Thanks so much. Phyllis
I have a really nice 80 mm f1.8 sum from Canon that is really nice. It has a really ice bokeh.
That should be usm. Auto correct changed it to sum
There's really nothing wrong with the lens you have. It's not the best choice for portraits and it wouldn't be my choice but it may certainly be used to shoot portraits. I have both the 18-135 and 18-200 lenses and they are both good fairly inexpensive all purpose zoom lenses. A really good lens for portraiture could cost more than your 70D is worth. My go to lens for portraits is the EF 85 f/1.2L prime lens, the original version. They cost on average around $800 to $1000. The EF 85 f/1.2L II costs roughly $2000 new but can be found for around $1800. Good used ones go for around $1100 to around $1600. This is expensive but it is probably the best prime lens for portraiture. Another option is EF 85 f/1.8 lens. It's smaller and lighter than the f/1.2 and a whole lot less expensive and it does a really good job on portraits. Not as good as the f/1.2L but it is more than good enough.
Look at purchasing a Canon 85 1.8. Definitely a good bang for the buck. Periodically you will see refurbished for $270.00. The sweet spot for that lens is F2.2 for shallow DOF. In the studio I shoot at F8 and it's tack sharp and focuses quickly. The lens is very light and remains a favorite. You do not need to spend a lot of money on a lens to make great shots.
The 85 F1.2L remains legendary but in many ways I would pick the 85 1.4L for it's considerably faster focusing speed and image stabilization. That is of course if you have money burning in your pocket. The best priced L lens is the 135F2 but that's a little long for studio work. That lens can be shot wide open and remains sharp perfectly suited for outdoor portraiture on a full frame. It's definitely one of Canon's hidden gems and the MTF charts support that claim despite being an aged design.
Your lens should work just fine. The 70-200 2.8 is a faster lens and what I use to take portraits of my 5 kids and 3 grandkids. Bounce a flash off the wall or ceiling and you are good to go.
Thanks I will have to check that one out.
Thank you for the information, I will take a look at them
Thank you for the information, I will have to do some research on it
Thank you for the information, I will look at that one. Thanks
Please get use to using "Quote reply" when replying to a specific response. This way we can tell who the reply is directed at.
I would go with Haydon and the 85 f/1.8 as a great lens. Very sharp and fast focusing. The 50 f/1.4 is also in the same price range and would be another good choice on a full frame or crop body.
Get a DOF app and play with it to see how the focal length, aperture and distance to subject effect DOF. I usually shoot indoor portraits at f/5.6 to f/7.1 to get a decent DOF. DOF can be very small with wide aperture settings...
Chris T
Loc: from England across the pond to New England
pablake wrote:
Hi ,My name is Phyllis, I am an amature photgrapher . A grandmother of 4. I love to take pictures of my grandchildren and family and friends. Im looking for a potrait lens to take pictures of mostly my grandchildren and family members. I made a little studio that I have back drops and props. I have a cannon EOS 70 D that came with a kit lens efs 18-135 with image stabilizer lense. Im looking for something that I can get close ups and of the back drops also. A lense that is fast because its hard to keep a 2 year stiill even for a few seconds ( LOL ). If any one has any suggestions for me I would appreciate the information. I have looked on line but there is so many. 50mm 80 mm etc. If any one could give advise . Thanks so much. Phyllis
Hi ,My name is Phyllis, I am an amature photgraphe... (
show quote)
Phyllis … the 85mm f1.8 is an amazingly good lens, and it won't burn a hole in your pocket, either.
For a zoom - which is superb, for portraiture - take a look at the EF-S 15-85 IS USM - around $600-700 …
It even has a macro mode - good to around 14-15" …
miked46
Loc: Winter Springs, Florida
USE THE NIFTY-50, THE CANON 50mm, f/1.8 is an excellent portrait lens for this camera.
DenAG wrote:
That should be usm. Auto correct changed it to sum
And I understand that it's really, really, really nice. LOL
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