Best portrait lense for Canon Rebel

[cindynemm]

I have a Canon Rebel and a 50mm lense. I'd like to purchase another lense for portrait shooting in particular. I'm needing a lense that would allow me to shoot "family type" portraits - families having fun, siblings, etc. I'd like to be able to get more of the "scene" in my photos and feel like my 50mm is limiting me. I'd also enjoy a more versatile walkabout lense.

I'm considering two different options but am open to any suggestions:

24-70
18-55


I'm leaning towards the 18-55 mostly because I'm thinking it would give me the most flexibility. In talking with a photographer friend, she said a 24-70 lense is her favorite for shooting families but she shoots on a full frame camera. So I was thinking that because I'm shooting on a crop - perhaps the 18-55 would be the most comparable. Additionally, I'm thinking the 18-55 would be the best "walkabout" lense - which I would enjoy too.

Any insight into this would be a huge help. I

[OsmosisStudios]

You're comparing a yugo to a ferrari.

The EF-S 18-55 f/3.5-5.6 IS is the basic kit lens used in low-end Rebel kits. It costs $170 (B&H)
The EF 24-70 f/2.8 is a pro-series, weathersealed, constant fast-aperture zoom used primarily by professionals. It costs $1330 (B&H)

Neither one is particularly considered a portrait lens. Generally speaking you want a lens that has an 85-135 focal length, and while the 24-70 is close, it's more of a general-use lens than portraits. Most people go for the 70-200 f/2.8 (or f/4) which are both L-series pro zooms, or go to a portrait prime lens like the 85mm f/1.8 or 100mm f/2.

What you seem to be looking for is not a portrait lens. You say you want wider: portrait lenses are generally longer. If you want wider, there are other options / if you want a portrait lens, then you have a list above.

[ceremus]

The EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS? That's the lens that usually comes as the cheap kit lens with most Rebels and a few other APS-C Canons.

The kit lens is OK, but it wouldn't be my first choice for doing pro or high quality portraiture.

The 24-70mm is a BIG step up from that. It's a fast zoom at f/2.8 (you pretty much won't find zoom lenses with a maximum aperture larger than f/2.8) so it's very versatile for getting shallow depth of field and working in low / indoor light, though not quite as much as your 50mm. I'm assuming the 50mm f/1.8 or f/1.4 The 24-70 is an L lens, which is Canon's top of the line for glass elements and build quality. I believe that one is weather sealed, it's a beast of a lens that's built like a tank, it will dwarf your Rebel camera body. It's a great consideration for a bread-and-butter walkaround lens especially if you plan on going to a full-frame camera in the future. The disadvantage of using this lens on a crop body is 24mm really isn't all that wide angle on a crop sensor. The telephoto end is good for portraiture, but if you're looking for getting more sweeping wide angle shots and sticking with a crop body it may not be the best choice. Also of note, it isn't a stabilized lens so you wouldn't want your shutter speeds to go too low when shooting hand held.

The EF-S 15-85 f/3.5-5.6 IS would be a step up from the 18-55mm, not a cheap lens but very good sharpness and image quality. It's also a stabilized lens, though not as fast a lens as an f/2.8. You can't migrate this to a full frame camera, but you won't be lacking much on the wide-angle end.

Another option for a standard zoom if you want a f/2.8 aperture is the EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS . Fast zoom with IS, with extremely good sharpness even while wide open. This lens is sharper than a few L zooms including the 24-70. It's expensive, but it's very high quality glass. Also for crop-bodies-only. Doesn't really have much on the telephoto end, it won't really give any more reach than your 50mm, but it's perfectly good on the wide end. This is another bread-and-butter standard zoom with a standard focal range. It's sharp, fast, and has IS so it's most frequently the lens on my camera.

[inkista]

To me the best portrait lenses Canon makes are all L primes: the 35L, 85L, and 135L. None of these are walkaround zooms. I think what you want is a good walkaround zoom recommendation. But, given how widely these can vary over the price spectrum, you need to give us a ballpark budget.

The EF-S 17-55 f/2.8 IS and EF 24-70/2.8L USM are probably the most recommended choices, but they're both in the $1000+ range.

A third-party 17-55/2.8 wannabe might be more cost-effective, or possibly looking at Canon's other entry-level walkaround zooms, if you want more zoom range, like the EF-S 15-85 f/3.5-5.6 IS USM, or the EF-S 18-135 f/3.5-5.6 IS lens, if you weren't planning on using these lenses indoors without a flash all the time.

If you wanted super zoom range versatility, there are also the 18-200ish superzooms, but these tend to be slow and have image quality compromises.

What's most important to you about this lens that you want to buy? Zoom range? Max. aperture? Image quality? Price?