Good (second-hand) camera for portrait photography

[orangeco]

Hi all, I'm after your advice on a second camera.

I currently have a Fuji X100F which I enjoy using for street photography, etc. However I have two young kids and often the photos I take of them with this camera come out blurred - the little blighters don't stop moving for anyone. I am sure if I was a better photographer I could make it work. I mainly shoot in aperture priority, I understand manual, etc and rarely shoot in auto.

I had a play with a Canon EOS 6D with a 50mm 1.8 lens and it took great photos.

This second camera will be used on holidays and days out, so it'll get shoved in a bag along with all the kids stuff, plonked on the floor, lobbed in the buggy, etc.

I don't really want a new camera and I have a budget of around £500 for a second hand camera body. I don't mind spending a similar amount on a lens or lenses if it will help me get the shots I'm after.

I have three questions I'd like your opinion on:

1. Would you go for something like a second-hand Canon 6D, M50 or something older like a 1DS. I'm afraid I don't understand full-frame vs APS-C etc relative to what I'm using the camera for and whether or not I need full frame.

2. I want to take this sort of photo with a nice blurred background (bokeh?):

Canon EOS 6D sample photo

35 mm · f/2 · 1/500 sec · ISO 100

explorecams.com

Canon EOS 6D sample photo

400 mm · f/5.6 · 1/160 sec · ISO 200

explorecams.com

Canon EOS 6D sample photo

85 mm · f/1.8 · 1/320 sec · ISO 100

explorecams.com

I also like this one:

Canon EF 200mm F2L IS USM sample photo

200 mm · f/2 · 1/1000 sec · ISO 100

explorecams.com

3. Can I get away with just 1 lens and if so, what should I go for? Is the 50mm 1.8 going to cover most shots or do I need something else like the larger EF 200mm - or perhaps 2 lenses? I'd rather not cart a massive lens around - looking like a paparazzi - but if it's what I need, I'll do it. Again, I don't fully understand the limitations of each lens. For example if we're sat at dinner, I doubt the 200mm lens would be good if I want to grab a shot of my two kids on the other side of the table. Likewise, if I have a 24-70 will that be the worst of both worlds or a great choice.

Thanks for your time.

Ben

 

[bdslr]

Hi, use the fuji for the two of them sat at a table
Yes to second hand but if you like what the fuji does how about an XT2 and 50mm f2 for portraits.

That will allow fast focusing and a blurred background?

 

[Phil V]

I think that rather than showing us what you’d like to achieve, you should show us your ‘blurred’ images.

Are they blurred due to subject movement (an easy fix with your current camera - up the shutter speed).

Or misfocussed?

If they’re mis-focussed it is possible that the AF speed of your current kit isn’t up to it*, but it’s also something that could be improved in your technique.

*I have to say though; as a long time 6d user, if asked for a recommendation for photographing moving kids, my advice wouldn’t be a 6d. It effectively has one usable AF point, and so is only any good if you want all your compositions to have your kids face in the centre of the frame.

So it might be your current kit needs improvement, either a quicker focussing lens or body. I’m not an expert on Fuji so I’m unable to offer recommendations. But I don’t think you should be starting from scratch, and definitely not with the 6d.

 

[AndrewFlannigan]

I'm afraid I don't understand full-frame vs APS-C etc relative to what I'm using the camera for and whether or not I need full frame.

Grossly simplified, what you seem to be asking about is "depth of field", i.e. how much in front of and behind the subject will be sharp.

This is controlled directly by...

1. the focal length of the lens
2. the aperture used
3. the distance of the camera from the subject.

Put simply: you get the minimum depth of field by using a long lens with a wide aperture close to the subject. In the days of film, it was common practice to use an 85mm or 100mm lens on a 35mm camera to achieve an out of focus background.

The format of the sensor affects this in that, given the same lens and different cameras, the smaller the sensor, the further away you need to be to cover the subject at the same size and therefor the more depth of field and the more the background will be in focus. Learn more about common formats here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_sensor_format

 

[Ed Sutton]

I mainly shoot in aperture priority,

Why?

It's a recipe for blurred photos when shooting hand held either from subject movement or camera shake. Particularly indoors in available light.

Try manual plus auto ISO and keep the shutter speed up - at least 1/250th preferably faster.

 

[Phil V]

I’d also like to manage your expectations by mentioning that last portrait you posted owes a lot of its ‘look’ to a £5000 lens. And yes that lens is 10 times your budget.

To be fair, I reckon I could get pretty close to that with a crop body and a 135L for not much over your budget.

I’ll also mention, none of the images you’ve showed are of kids moving, so there wouldn’t be any problem getting them with your current camera and the right lenses.

 

[Phil V]

Why?

It's a recipe for blurred photos when shooting hand held either from subject movement or camera shake. Particularly indoors in available light.

Try manual plus auto ISO and keep the shutter speed up - at least 1/250th preferably faster.

This now stands the risk of being one of these really unhelpful threads for the OP.

I’m someone who would definitely describe myself as a portrait photographer - and I always shoot aperture priority. Except when I can’t rely on the natural light, then I switch to manual BUT I’d almost always be adding flash at that point.

If you’re shooting AP and your shutter speed is dropping, you’re either going to have to raise the ISO or add light (or both), it’s simple and true.

 

[woof woof]

3. Can I get away with just 1 lens and if so, what should I go for? Is the 50mm 1.8 going to cover most shots or do I need something else like the larger EF 200mm - or perhaps 2 lenses? I'd rather not cart a massive lens around - looking like a paparazzi - but if it's what I need, I'll do it. Again, I don't fully understand the limitations of each lens. For example if we're sat at dinner, I doubt the 200mm lens would be good if I want to grab a shot of my two kids on the other side of the table. Likewise, if I have a 24-70 will that be the worst of both worlds or a great choice.

Thanks for your time.

Ben

The examples you provided are as far as I can see all taken with different lenses, so to take similar pictures I suppose you'd need multiple expensive lenses and I don't think you'll want to go down that route

I used to like 50mm as a do it all lens and in my case it was a Sigma 50mm f1.4 on a Canon 5D. Years later I've gravitated more to 35mm lenses and mow use mirrorless cameras rather than DSLR's.

I think it's important to try and find out what's going wrong with pictures you're taking at the moment. Is it a technique or settings issue or is it that the kit isn't fast enough? As far as I know the Fuji X100 range was never known for blisteringly fast AF, I may be wrong but until someone corrects me that's what I'll think so maybe kit with faster AF could help if the problems you're having aren't down to some other factor than kit. If you do go for new kit there'll probably also need to be a learning curve on your behalf to get to grips with the kit to capture moving children as taking nice pictures of children across a table should be a doddle but taking nice pictures of children running and playing could be harder.

Unless you're convinced you want to keep the X100 perhaps one possible way forward could be to think about selling the X100 and replacing it with something still quite compact but with better AF and the ability to change lenses then you wouldn't need two cameras. You could go for another APS-C camera or full frame and for about £1,000 either APS-C or FF could be possible.

Good luck choosing but I think you need to look at what's going on now and why you can't get in focus pictures before buying something new.

 

[woof woof]

This now stands the risk of being one of these really unhelpful threads for the OP.

I’m someone who would definitely describe myself as a portrait photographer - and I always shoot aperture priority. Except when I can’t rely on the natural light, then I switch to manual BUT I’d almost always be adding flash at that point.

If you’re shooting AP and your shutter speed is dropping, you’re either going to have to raise the ISO or add light (or both), it’s simple and true.

Yup. I too use aperture priority until the light drops and takes the shutter speed with it and then I switch to manual, dial in the aperture and shutter speed I want and let auto ISO take care of the rest. That does seem to work for me.