85mm overall. Tip, tricks..advice?

[Soocom1]

Every 85mm made is different.
I was able to get ahold of (for a bit of a steal) a Rikonin 85mm Manual for my Canon.
Not the highest quality, but reviews say its pretty decent.

So. Regardless of the manufacturer, what experience has anyone had with the 85mm lens effects in general?
Any experience with the Samyang brand? Any experience, tips, tricks or other gabble in regards to the portrait side of things with the size?

 

[Derrel]

My experience with the 85 mm lens goes back to the 1980s when 85 mm lenses were fairly small and compact , at about the same size as a 50mm f/1.4.

With the advent of automatic focusing. 85 mm lenses have become bigger and my experience is that people are a little bit more intimidated by the lens size wirh bigger, faster lenses than they were with smaller and skinnier lenses.

My advice would be not to use lens at any distance closer than about 7 feet. If you need a really tight close-up, I think it's better to use a longer lens from farther away,to sort of "flatten out" the facial features.

When used on the crop frame camera, the 85 mm lens behaves about like 127 mm on full frame, so it's useful as a longer distance lens. For example at 20 feet on a full frame camera an 85 mm lens gives a picture height of 8.47 feet, while at 34 1/2 feet you get the same picture height on the "crop frame" camera.

 

[Soocom1]

My experience with the 85 mm lens goes back to the 1980s when 85 mm lenses were fairly small and compact , at about the same size as a 50mm f/1.4.

With the advent of automatic focusing. 85 mm lenses and become bigger and my experience is that people are a little bit more intimidated by the lens size wirh bigger, faster lenses than they were with smaller and skinnier lenses.

My advice would be not to use lens at any distance closer than about 7 feet. If you need a really tight close-up, I think it's better to use a longer lens from farther away,to sort of "flattened out" the facial features.

The first job will be in Santa Fe for a friend and her anniversary. First kiss under a tree and the like.

I have multiple zoom lenses but given the loss of my 35-350, I am hoping that this prime will do something a bit different.

 

[Soocom1]

P.S.

thanks on that one specific distance tip. That has always been a bit of a bugger to me.
Now I can inform them.

 

[mrca]

I agree with Derrel, camera subject distance has a marked effect on perspective, ie compression of the face. Too close and you get a clown nose. People think they look like what they see in the morning in the mirror at the sink. About 2.5 feet to the mirror...then the same distance back into the mirror, so about 5 feet total. Try standing against the counter, look at your nose, take a step back, watch the nose, it looks smaller, take another step back it gets even smaller. With our modern camera, we have megapixels to spare. You can back up to 7 or 8 feet, get the same compression as with a longer lens, compression is distance not lens dependent, then crop in post. You will get the same compression with an 85 as with a 135 from the same distance, just won't fill the frame.

 

[Soocom1]

Regardless of manufacturer, the 85mm has specific characteristics unique tot he FD.
Any issues with flair or CA that is common with the 85mm in general I need to know about.

 

[tirediron]

Regardless of manufacturer, the 85mm has specific characteristics unique tot he FD.
Any issues with flair or CA that is common with the 85mm in general I need to know about.

This really isn't true at all. Like every other lens of a common focal length, every 85mm is different. I use a Nikon 85mm f1.4D; the previous generation. It has almost zero flare, and zero CA except in the most extreme situations. An old Pentax(?) 85 I had for my Miranda back about 1980 or so had horrid flare and CA, and god-awful edge to edge sharpness until at least 5.6...

The only common factor is the focal length which will render the subject approximately the same regardless of manufacture. Every other characteristic is going to differ. Perhaps slightly, perhaps significantly. FWIW, and not having used this lens personally, I've been told it's a good performer if: It's stopped down at least one full stop from wide open; 1.5 - 2 stops is better, you focus carefully, and avoid lighting which would be likely to enhance flare and/or CA.

 

[Soocom1]

FWIW, and not having used this lens personally, I've been told it's a good performer if: It's stopped down at least one full stop from wide open; 1.5 - 2 stops is better, you focus carefully, and avoid lighting which would be likely to enhance flare and/or CA.

That is what i read also.
Given that the majority of the shots I take are usually tripod anyway, the real game is my ability to actually focus the thing.

Distance and FoV is where I am leading with the question.

In the past I had a horrible habit of doing the simple center and go, without any consideration of filling the shot overall. Usually with really bad results.
It took some serious thinking and alot of practice to get the concept down.
I always shot landscape and still life overall.
People pictures was never a strong point and the curve I am still on is though not as steep as it was, still there.

So I would stick with a zoom and zoom to fill. For specific shots that can be a very bad habit, especially when you try to include background to set mood.

hence why I asked.