Are you searching for best Canon DSLR lens for portraits and outdoor wedding? I surely that it’s honour for me for having you here in my blog, dear photographer my name is Bima and thank you for visiting my page.
I was shooting for a wedding in majority even working in this niche also pushing me to capturing portraits session for my couple and family. In fact, the best thing of running this wedding photography business for over than 10 years is some of my previous couple also hiring me to shoot for their family and friends portrait session in some incredible place.
I know that a lot of information that you already browse on Google but here I’m gonna share to you all the best Canon DSLR lens for portraits that I personally use to work on my previous projects, are you ready with this?
Things to Consider About Choosing Best Canon DSLR Lens for Portraits
There would be a good challenge when you want to choose best Canon DSLR lens for portraits, it’s absolutely good business because every human being in this planet will need a portrait shots at least for their own profile even though sometimes you also must be concern if they need a group portrait together with friends or family.
So down here I’m gonna share to you about 3 most important things that you must consider before choosing your lenses for portrait purposes.
1 – Fast Focus is the First Priority
I know that you are a typical photographer that love fast focus lens because it helps you to capturing the moment and surely make your client comfort during the session. No matter you shoot for personal or group portraits session than set everything fast will be priority and to make it happen than you definitely must bring a lens that come with fast focus feature.
2 – Great Depth of Field is a Must
When talking about best Canon DSLR lens for portraits purposes than choosing the lens that have a great depth of field is awesome, here we talk about big aperture feature that suit on the lens. What I’m talking about is group of lenses that have an aperture setting such as 1.2, 1.4, 1.8, or even 2.8 setting.
Having these kind of lenses on your camera bag will let your self feeling good right before the session begin, it seems like as long as you get a perfect light and ambiance than all the magic images will just come.
3 – Super Sharp Image
You can’t negotiate for an image result so having a super sharp photographs will take your portraits session into the next level. Most of people will love sharp image, it has a batter character and mood especially when you work for portraits session purposes.
These three things above are you really need all about so put concern on it than you gonna create a stunning images for sure!
3 Best Canon DSLR Lens for Portraits That Will Blown Your Mind
I was remember that when my phone was ringing and one sexy voice asking me to fly to Bali Indonesia for portraits session than it is the perfect time to bring my best Canon DSLR lens for portraits to Land of God Bali. The location will be in a cliff-front resort around Uluwatu and surely will come with oceanic view that will blown my mind. This story will keep up date till I flew to Jakarta and Hong Kong for capturing the same projects what we called as a portraits session.
So down here I’m gonna share to you 3 best Canon DSLR lens for portraits session that you could buy from Amazon and the most important things is, they will come with outstanding result!
1 – Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS III USM
I was spending thousand of dollars back few years ago to buy this lens, it’s expensive and almost burn out my bank account but now I would say that after running this photography business for over than 10 years than Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS III USM is still belongs to the best lens that I ever had in my life.
I know that the only issue about this lens is only about its weight but when you concern about quality, sharp, fast focus, or any kind of ridiculous reasons than Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS III USM have them all for you. No matter where I go both in wedding or portraits session than this is the first lens that I will put inside my bag.
If you thinking about stunning image than this lens got everything that you need!
When you spend thousand of dollars now on Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS III USM than you will still use it for the next few years and this is why buying this lens seems to be the right investment, and when we talk about quality, I never disappointed for any moments that come through this lens, it’s all perfect!
Remember about a sexy voice who invite to come to Bali for shooting portraits session at cliff-front resort? this is what I’m gonna talk about.
This beautiful lady named Irina and she went to Bali with other 5 sexy ladies who belong to best friends, they stay in a private resort called Suluban Cliff which is has several villas that have an oceanic view on the edge. Shooting her who wearing black sack dress under the hard sun light at 1pm is ridiculous but when I put the black hood on Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS III USM than everything will looks so clear and sharp.
What’s better than clear and sharp image!
With the range of 70 to 200mm than you will get a stunning image with superb dimension so no matter you shoot indoor or outdoor than your portrait photographs will looks stunning. IS or Image Stabilizer feature will really matter due to its weight so when you switch it on and I sure that you don’t really need to be worry about shaking from hands due to its weight.
Pros.
- Clear and sharp image result for sure
- Best for perfect dimension while shooting outdoor and indoor
- Able to shoot in various range
Cons.
- Weight
It’s time for you to decide and buy this Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS III USM for your long investment and the most important thing is there is no reasons about having a bad images following having this beast on your bag, you can check all the previous verified buyer review about their personal experience of using this tele lens and I sure that it will inspire you as well.
2 – Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
Are you thinking about a cheap or affordable lens for portrait?
If you thinking about affordable gear than the next best Canon DSLR lens for portraits session that you need to consider is Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM and I get used to bring it to all my photography projects both in wedding and portrait. If you have to pay for thousand of dollars for the 70-200mm than here in this lens you don’t need to burn out your bank account because with only few hundred bucks than you will be able to bring a superb lens for taking your portrait photos into masterpiece.
Back few years ago I always dreaming to own this Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM for my own because I ever try using the other 50mm which come with f1.8 and I just waste my time. It is way cheaper than the f1.4 but I don’t like it much due to the slow focus especially in a dark area.
Yes it’s a fixed lens of 50mm so when you wondering to capture a moment with extreme sharp image than you can bet on this lens. Look at the picture above when I shoot for ladies portrait in a North Point Hong Kong, set it on aperture number on 1.4 will just focus on one face but extreme blur on others so what I did is set the aperture on 3.2 and shoot it as fast as I can because the old Hong Kong tram will coming in very soon.
Look at this photographs,
I was struggling for shooting this portraits scene among hundred of Hong Kong people who crossing the street in Causeway Bay, so what I’m doing here is waiting for the traffic light to turn into green and ask this lady to stand still on the middle of the street. I have to make sure that I surely got a perfect and sharp image of her but in the same time I want to capture all the building neon lights and advertising signage that those surrounding building have.
Again and again this Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM works so great so I finally got this stunning lady portrait photograph. Having this lens for over than 3 years in my bag than I will always say that I’m a happy photographer who bought this lens back few years ago and still able to use it now.
I surely say that Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM is a superb lens for portrait!
Since it is fixed lens than you will definitely have a super sharp image that bleeding on the final photographs so when you thinking about sharp, clear, fast focus, and amazing portrait photos than Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM is the perfect affordable lens that you must buy immediately!
Pros.
- Super fast focus even on low light illumination
- Able to capture ambiance light surrounding
- Sharp and clear image
Cons.
- It’s small so please remind for you who have a chubby hand like me, don’t let it slippery on your hand
One last thing that I want you to know about this Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM, please be remind about this 1.4 aperture features, it can be your advantage but it also can be your nightmare. If you shooting on super close face image than put the 1.4 focus on the nose or around the eyes will be the best but if you got miss focus like on the ear or hair than all of the face part will blur for sure.
3 – Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM
My third and the last best Canon DSLR lens for portraits suggestion is Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM, if you are photographer who work both in portrait and wedding like me than having this lens on your bag is also great.
In fact Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM has a great option of range that could help you to shoot in a medium range, it means no matter you shoot for portrait or group of people than this lens will cover them all easily. I personally use this lens for capturing portrait and wedding and while use it on my camera than I don’t need to change my lens so often because everything that I need is already on this lens.
Take a look for this photo below.
Capturing a moment like this is ain’t easy because I can not expect for this great and prestigious moment so what I’m doing during that scene is stand by on my camera and shoot as fast as I can when this fun moment coming. If you taking a group or family photo than you can’t use for 70-200mm or 50mm fixed lens so all you need to use is a medium zoom lens that can cover almost every scene that passing by on your eyes. In this case Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM will be the right choice for sure!
Another image has just come in a great afternoon following the ceremony, I was remember that I have only 30 minutes to shoot this humble couple right before their party and thanks God that I bring my Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM for this wedding.
Both shooting on wedding and personal portraits are a great challenge and as I said on the beginning of my story above that being fast in every moment is matter. Changing your lens so often will just let your client waiting too long and you will lost the moment for sure.
When you have a situation like this than choosing the right lens that could cover medium range without changing your lens is cool so having Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM on your own is perfect choice that you will made for the entire business life.
I create this beautiful simple portrait during my engagement session in Maldives, I saw my bride is so gorgeous wearing her purple satin dress and cute hair accessories. So what I did is asking her to standing right in front of the restaurant and facing her face right into the sunset angle till I got this extraordinary moment by using Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM.
If you shooting for moment than sometimes you can not expect for the perfect and freeze moment, sometimes your idea is just coming through you head so fast and once you get it than all you need to do is pick up your camera and shoot as fast as you can. Due to this case than changing your lens will waste your time but when you have a Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM on your hand than you can simply pick it up and shoot for its scene and boom!
I always believe on golden moment and when you get it too on your session than it’s not only great pictures that you will get but also tears on the cheek that you gonna see on your client’s face for sure.
It’s truly superb lens for medium range moment!
Pros.
- Medium range best lens for over than 10 years
- Sharp and clear image
- Fast focus on 3 second window moment
Cons.
- Weight
It’s on your call but in my personal suggestion than having a Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM for your own is like a long term investment that you will had, as long as you’re not going to change your camera system than you will always can use this lens for the rest of your life.
Conclusions
Since at the beginning of my photographer career, I always thinking about long term business investment, I know I will spend thousand of dollars through my gears but I don’t wanna waste my time by buy a cheap stuff and sell it than do it over and over again. Thinking about only the best Canon DSLR lens for portraits and wedding session that I have is my priority while buying my photography equipment.
Just to make a shortlist for your own than this is the 3 best Canon DSLR lens for portraits that I personally suggest you to have:
If you love shooting portrait and wedding like me than wondering to shoot beautiful moment for the rest of your life than you may consider to read my other tutorials and review about:
Disclaimer
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