What lens should I buy for portraits on a Canon 600D if I also want a versatile everyday lens?
Asked 11/30/2016
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2 answers
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I use a Canon 600D with only the kit lens so far, and I’d like to buy my next lens mainly for portraits. I want better low-light performance, a wider maximum aperture for shallower depth of field and smoother background blur, but I also live in Iceland and often shoot landscapes, family photos, and sometimes nature scenes.
Ideally I’d like one lens that can handle portraits, some general-purpose shooting, and at least a bit of zoom. Is there a good all-round option for APS-C, or do I need to choose between a fast portrait lens and a more flexible zoom?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
9y ago
2 Answers
5
The best lens for multi-tasking is a zoom lens. That is exactly what it is good at.
You get to decide what trade offs you want. It sounds like you want an excellent general purpose lens, and also an excellent portrait lens. The first thing that comes to mind would be something in the range of a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens in the full frame format. It is one of those lenses that can be used for relatively wide perspectives but also somewhat tight and wide open for fairly good portrait work. On an APS-C camera such as your 600D, this would be something like a 17-55mm f/2.8 lens.
On the other hand, if you really do want to focus on getting lenses that are the best at the specific tasks you have in mind; you might want something like an 85mm f/1.8 lens or 70-200mm f/2.8 lens for portraits or a 14mm f/2.8 lens for the night sky.
It's all about a series of trade offs. Your budget, your kit size/weight, and the performance you desire from the lenses. You already have a general purpose kit zoom lens, so you really have everything you need to make an informed decision.
- Do you shoot more at 17mm? 55mm?
- Do you find yourself hitting the maximum aperture of your lens often and want to let more light in?
- Do you need to zoom further in but aren't able to?
These are the types of questions you can ask yourself now so that you can make an informed decision, before you buy anything you may not need.
Originally by user4892. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4892
9y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
There isn’t really one perfect lens that does all of that without compromise. In general:
- For versatility, a fast standard zoom is the best fit. On your Canon 600D, something like a 17-55mm f/2.8 gives you useful wide-to-short-telephoto coverage and is a strong general-purpose choice for family photos, travel, landscapes, and some portrait work.
- For the best portrait look and low-light performance, primes are better. On APS-C, 35mm, 50mm, or 85mm are all popular portrait focal lengths, with wider apertures such as f/1.8 giving better subject separation and lower-light capability.
So the real choice is flexibility vs. speed/background blur:
- If you want one lens, choose a fast standard zoom.
- If portraits are the priority, add a prime based on the focal length you use most.
A good way to decide is to look at your current photos and see which focal lengths you naturally use most on the kit lens, then buy a lens around that range.
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