Cheap canon portrait lense?

[Ursinamus]

I'm 16 and want to make a little bit of cash off of portraiture. I've never really done a shoot before but would like to try it with a cheap lens. I heard good stuff about the 50mm f/1.8 but got into thinking that I could use a portrait/macro lens. It would be paired with my Rebel XS. I would think they have the same characteristics. Correct? Any suggestions on this type of thing? I would just do portraits for friends and charge like $20. Thanks!

 

[ronda]

I would highly recommend the 50mm 1.8. It is "cheap", but performs very well. If you're wanting macro, you can consider the 50mm f2.5 macro lens. It's a slower lens (2.5 vs 1.8), but it has the macro feature and it has received very good reviews. It's listed on B & H Photo's site for just over $300. I don't know your budget but this may be worth taking a look at.

You might also try renting the lenses to see which would work best for you (and your budget). Maybe after shooting a bunch of $20 portraits you could spring for the macro lens.

I'd be interested in knowing what you decided on.

 

[raw-bee]

60mm 2.8 macro is excellent but for portraits, a faster lens like the 1.8 might be better. The 60 is what I started with for portraits, though - it's super sharp and a fantastic macro but you don't need a macro for portraits. You might find that 1.8 will come in more handy for portraiture as you get more advanced. If you have the $$ for a macro, then just get the 50 1.4 for about the same price - it's a much better lens.

 

[Big Mike]

I would just do portraits for friends and charge like $20. Thanks!

Don't forget that you're supposed to pay tax on that...and you might require a business license etc.

 

[Village Idiot]

I'm 29 and as a professional, I recommend the Canon 85mm f/1.2L.

 

[altitude604]

^ was going to recommend an 85mm as well. so make that +1.

 

[Village Idiot]

I'm 29, and at $20 per portrait session, it'll run you roughly 107.5 portrait sessions.

 

[Ursinamus]

Haha, I doubt I'll be getting into any L lenses until I have a real job. Unless theyre very very used!

 

[j-dogg]

the 50 1.8 is good, it becomes an 80 1.8 on your Rebel with the 1.6x crop sensor, which puts you in portrait range.

when you get a few bucks, 100mm f2L, the 85mm f1.2L is a great lens as well but I shoot a lot of Nikon film gear and I'm biased to my Nikkor 105 2.5. also the 100 f2.8, though a little cheaper, and not an L, is a great lens. I'm not a professional, more like a darned-good ameteur, but I know the Canon lineup extensively, from the first EOS 650 from the 80's (I have one) to the 1Ds Mark 4.

a cheap lens if you can find one that covers the whole portrait range is the 70-210 f4 EF, it has a good macro mode and from 100-150mm tack sharp and next to no chromatic abberation. it's a classic lens made for 35mm film cameras and you can find them for 100 dollars us to 200 dollars us. there's a few specimens on ebay. It's not my 70-200 f4L but for the price nothing can touch it.

 

[ziplock122949]

I suggest the 50 1.8 also. J-dogg is right and the 85 will be too close in many situations due to the 1.6 crop of your camera. And for the price of $100, you can not find anything close.

 

[LarissaPhotography]

Just to be sure, you're planning to shoot in a non-studio environment, correct? Basically I'm asking if you need fast glass.

 

[Dao]

What type of portrait shots are you planning to shoot? Indoor, outdoor or both?
Light is also important for portrait shots. Investing on lighting, and/or learn how to use light (even natural light) is also important.
Portrait shots with kit lens can yield a decent result if the photographer know how to execute it. (Search portrait with kit lens in flickr to see some examples)

As for the lens goes, focal length around 50mm to 85mm on crop sensor is my favorite. And before I bought my 85mm prime lens, I often use my telephoto zoom lens and set the focal length to 100mm or above for outdoor portrait type shots.

 

[Village Idiot]

the 50 1.8 is good, it becomes an 80 1.8 on your Rebel with the 1.6x crop sensor, which puts you in portrait range.

when you get a few bucks, 100mm f2L, the 85mm f1.2L is a great lens as well but I shoot a lot of Nikon film gear and I'm biased to my Nikkor 105 2.5. also the 100 f2.8, though a little cheaper, and not an L, is a great lens. I'm not a professional, more like a darned-good ameteur, but I know the Canon lineup extensively, from the first EOS 650 from the 80's (I have one) to the 1Ds Mark 4.

a cheap lens if you can find one that covers the whole portrait range is the 70-210 f4 EF, it has a good macro mode and from 100-150mm tack sharp and next to no chromatic abberation. it's a classic lens made for 35mm film cameras and you can find them for 100 dollars us to 200 dollars us. there's a few specimens on ebay. It's not my 70-200 f4L but for the price nothing can touch it.

I suggest the 50 1.8 also. J-dogg is right and the 85 will be too close in many situations due to the 1.6 crop of your camera. And for the price of $100, you can not find anything close.

Putting a lens onto a camera with a crop sensor does not change the focal length of the lens, just the field of view. It gives the lens an apparent field of view of 80mm while the focal length of the lens remains at 50mm. The focal length is determined by physical measurements of the lens itself..

An explanation from dpreview:

The focal length of a lens is defined as the distance in mm from the optical center of the lens to the focal point, which is located on the sensor or film if the subject (at infinity) is "in focus". The camera lens projects part of the scene onto the film or sensor. The field of view (FOV) is determined by the angle of view from the lens out to the scene and can be measured horizontally or vertically. Larger sensors or films have wider FOVs and can capture more of the scene. The FOV associated with a focal length is usually based on the 35mm film photography, given the popularity of this format over other formats.

 

[LarissaPhotography]

the 50 1.8 is good, it becomes an 80 1.8 on your Rebel with the 1.6x crop sensor, which puts you in portrait range.

when you get a few bucks, 100mm f2L, the 85mm f1.2L is a great lens as well but I shoot a lot of Nikon film gear and I'm biased to my Nikkor 105 2.5. also the 100 f2.8, though a little cheaper, and not an L, is a great lens. I'm not a professional, more like a darned-good ameteur, but I know the Canon lineup extensively, from the first EOS 650 from the 80's (I have one) to the 1Ds Mark 4.

a cheap lens if you can find one that covers the whole portrait range is the 70-210 f4 EF, it has a good macro mode and from 100-150mm tack sharp and next to no chromatic abberation. it's a classic lens made for 35mm film cameras and you can find them for 100 dollars us to 200 dollars us. there's a few specimens on ebay. It's not my 70-200 f4L but for the price nothing can touch it.

I suggest the 50 1.8 also. J-dogg is right and the 85 will be too close in many situations due to the 1.6 crop of your camera. And for the price of $100, you can not find anything close.

Putting a lens onto a camera with a crop sensor does not change the focal length of the lens, just the field of view. It gives the lens an apparent field of view of 80mm while the focal length of the lens remains at 50mm. The focal length is determined by physical measurements of the lens itself..

An explanation from dpreview:

The focal length of a lens is defined as the distance in mm from the optical center of the lens to the focal point, which is located on the sensor or film if the subject (at infinity) is "in focus". The camera lens projects part of the scene onto the film or sensor. The field of view (FOV) is determined by the angle of view from the lens out to the scene and can be measured horizontally or vertically. Larger sensors or films have wider FOVs and can capture more of the scene. The FOV associated with a focal length is usually based on the 35mm film photography, given the popularity of this format over other formats.

What you're saying is true, but practically speaking, it doesn't make that much difference whether we're talking cropped or actual focal length. Sure, the bokeh will behave like the non-cropped focal length, but that's probably not too big of a deal either.

 

[Derrel]

Canon's EF 85mm f/1.8 lens is their best value in terms of bang-for-dollar.The 85mm f/1.8 focuses more rapidly than Canon's 85mm f/1.2-L series, and is smaller,lighter, and less obvious/obnoxious in social photography situations.