Struggling between RF USM and STM lineup as an amateur

sercheese wrote:

R2D2 wrote:

Keep in mind that the 85mm f/1.2 will be the equivalent (on FF) to the 50 you were using on crop. However, I think that 50mm is much more desirable than 85 for small kids (and you might want to go wider yet).

Many years ago I had Canon 50d and I've used to shot portraits of my family and colleagues a lot with @55mm on my Canon EF-S 17-55mm F2.8. So this would be roughly an equivalent to 85mm on FF.

But now it's more important for me to take pictures of my wife (or me) with the child in her/my arms. I've found my old 50d and tried some composition at home and I can acknowledge that 85mm on FF is too long for my needs. I.ex. a photo of a person on a sofa, or a photo of a person with the stroller, etc.

I really really like the 24 - 35mm range for shooting the young-uns, esp when indoors. They let you get up close and personal (close interaction yields marvelous pics). The perspective distortion works very well with kids and their activities too. Or you can back off a bit and get excellent environmental portraits with the same lens.

I'm pointing more in the direction of RF 24-105mm F4 as a universal lens and RF 50mm F1.2 for those special photos.

The 24-105 makes a great outdoor walk-around lens. Indoors however you’ll really appreciate an extra stop or two in speed.

The 50 will indeed produce some “special” photos with great DOF control. However other focal lengths will give you other unique looks as well. I’d suggest checking some galleries for helpful examples. 500px is a good place to start. Do a search to narrow things down…

“24mm baby” search results

And what about photos of those small feets, nose, fingers, etc.? Can I do them with this RF 50mm F1.2

Not an ideal lens for that. You’d have to crop substantially.

or do I need an additional macro lens, i.ex. RF 100mm F2.8?

Bad idea (unless they’re sleeping). Way too unwieldy.

If yes, maybe I can just rent it for 2 weeks? Or with your experience, such a lens could be useful as well in the future?

I much prefer getting up close with a wide angle lens. Much easier to use. If nothing else, check out the new RF 24mm f/1.8 to use for close up shots. It’s about ideal for rugrats IMHO (if you aren’t getting the 24-70/2.8).  Corners aren’t the greatest, but you don’t need those for portraits. Personally I think you’d end up using the little 24 waaay more than the 50 during those first two years, no bull.

Could someone give me some good tips for the lightning at home, without additional flashes?

Like I mentioned earlier, upgrade your bulbs first off. Get one very powerful LED light that you can shine up into a corner (in lieu of a strobe). Neewer makes some 100+ watt studio LEDs that won’t break the bank. They’re big tho and will need a small light stand. Worth it.

As I said, my wife wouldn't be content seeing me placing a lot of additional gear at home. But maybe a reflector near the window to bounce the light back would be helpful?

Yup, hard to reconcile all that. Any light that you can add will pay big dividends though.

And this question I wanted to ask few times already, but I've forgotten each time: Is it possible to take a photo with R6 Mk II while recording a video?

No. Sure would be nice!

I.ex. while blowing candles? This would be useful for few years kids in our family.

Shooting 4k video and grabbing frames is about all you can do for now.

My best advice is to go look at those galleries. Equipment is usually noted. You’ll get a much better idea of what’s required for the looks you’re after. Holler back with any questions! Best of luck!

R2