Best lens for outdoor portrait photography under $600

[cgipson1]

Over $600 and manual focus but since it will meter on your d7000...

Nikon 135 F2 Ais Lens

Nikon 135 F2 Ais Lens *72

Good call.. but....uh... how far away do you need to be from the subjects (say 7 family members with dad being 6'-5", and mom around 220lbs) using a DX body?

Lets add some small radios for communications to that list above!

 

[jake337]

I cannot go with the 50mm...just no can do. Outdoor portrait photography, "best lens" under $600...it's not any 50mm lens...85mm/1.8 AF-D is your best bet for a single focal length lens. A 50mm lens has too wide of an angle of acceptance behind it....sure one can "zoom with the feet", but if the lens focal length is short, the lens still sees too wide of a background, and 50mm is too short.

But with her camera wouldn't 50mm be nearly the same as a 85mm on your camera? I think my D60 has a similar crop rate(not sure if that is correct term) to what she is looking at and I need to be a good distance away to get a full body shot, I don't have an 85mm but I know my 100mm is way to far away.

That is definitely a consideration too. I, personally love the 85 on a crop sensor, but if you are shooting indoors and can't get far enough back? it will definitely frustrate and irritate the hell out of you until you don't like it. There are times on a crop that it just plain won't work well. Starting out with it might not be wise as the fact that it is so tight may frustrate you into hating it before you get a chance to love it.

Longer focal length lens attached to crop sensor bodies sucking indoors depends on your subject. I think they're great if you have kids running around! 6 foot human is a different story though...but since your talking about outdoor portraiture then I might go for something even longer perhaps.

Nikkor-ed 300 2.8 Ais Lens
http://www.adorama.com/US 410270.html

 

[jake337]

Over $600 and manual focus but since it will meter on your d7000...

Nikon 135 F2 Ais Lens

Nikon 135 F2 Ais Lens *72

Good call.. but....uh... how far away do you need to be from the subjects (say 7 family members with dad being 6'-5", and mom around 220lbs) using a DX body?

Lets add some small radios for communications to that list above!

Yes true, but for some reason when I read portraiture I think single person for some damn reason.

 

[Derrel]

A 50mm has a wider angle of view behind the subject than an 85mm lens. And no, a 50mm does not behave like an 85mm on FF.


Zooming with the feet does not give the same effect as changing focal length. I think the majority of Nikkor 50mm lenses have ugly bokeh. The OP's question was for outdoor portraiture, what is the best lens for a D7000, for under $600. I just do not agree with any 50mm lens being "the best lens" for portraiture,outdoors.

 

[shootermcgavin]

I definitely agree with the 50mm being less than great for bokeh. I just love that it's the cheapest lens I have and I use it as much or not more than any other. I bought my 100mm for portrait but it's just too far away from the subject for me, the 85mm might not be. Had I started with 85 or 100 I may be used to that distance and have a different opinion.

 

[jake337]

Also, you could easily get an 85mm f1.8 and 50mm f1.8 for under $600 alltogether so ya may as well get both eh!

 

[Robin Usagani]

You said the best? Well it is 200 f/2. Over 5K though. Next would be 135 and then 85.

 

[jake337]

You said the best? Well it is 200 f/2. Over 5K though. Next would be 135 and then 85.

I wish I had an extra 5k around. You can always search for a nice used AIS version as well.

 

[cgipson1]

You said the best? Well it is 200 f/2. Over 5K though. Next would be 135 and then 85.

Again, great lengths for portraiture... but family / group portraiture on a DX body... you will be standing a long way off! I actually like using my 70-200 2.8 for a lot of people shoots... but that is way out of her budget.

 

[MrsLittle]

Thanks for the replies. Sounds like 50mm will not be a good "go to" lens to fit all my needs- I understand that I will eventually need more than one lens to fulfill all my needs. As of now, I just have that D7000 body, I decided against the kit lens.

To get a fill for the majority of my photography uses: I have 5 kids and my husband is taller than 6 feet, so I will be needing something that can work under that scenario. I wish I had it in my budget to get the spectacular 85mm, but maybe someday soon when I prove that this is something I will be successful at. My dilemma is....is that I want to invest in only one lens for now- being used for photographing my family of 7 and friends. I suppose I can up the ante to 1000.

One lens only for less than a $1000, any suggestions on that? Again, I appreciate all your help and input.

 

[Sw1tchFX]

Buy a 50mm.

Anyone who says that a 50 is a bad choice for portraiture, probably just doesn't know how to use one.

I shoot alot of outdoor portraiture, professionally too, and the 50mm angle of view on Film/FF is my favorite. For location portrait shooting, I think it's a beautiful, versatile focal length that you can shoot all day with.

Now I shoot mostly film, so if you put a 50mm on a little DX camera it's going to act a little different, but it will still be really nice.

What I like about 50mm's over something like an 85 or 135:
The perspective is very close to what we see with the human eye.
The distance between me and my subjects is enough to be intimate without being invasive.
I can do full body/wider shots without switching lenses or being shouting distance away.
(except for the sigma) very small, light, and un-intimidating.
Generally have a really wide aperture, so you can destroy backgrounds easy and shoot in any light (f/1.2-1.8)
The Bokeh can have a distinctive, almost swirly character.
IT'S CHEAP AND EASY.


GET A 50MM! IT'S A GREAT FOCAL LENGTH! Here are some of my own examples, that I shot over the summer (on film of course):

Nikon F100 (Kodak Portra 400@200), Nikon 50mm f/1.4G @ f/1.4, straight off the flim scan, no PP:

Now you tell me that 50mm is a bad focal length for outdoor portraiture

The 50mm f/1.8G is a tick sharper than the 1.4G and has faster/more responsive AF. The only reason to get the 1.4G is if you shoot film, shoot in the dark and need the extra light gathering, want a little bit better bokeh rendering, or bragging rights. I usually recommend the 1.8G. Hell, you could get a 1.8G+an F100 and still have a few hundred left over for film and processing!

 

[MTVision]

You should've just gotten the kit lens so you could have seen what focal length you liked. You can always rent lenses to try them out before buying!

 

[MTVision]

Sigma 85mm 1.4 is a little under 1000.00

I have a 50mm and my boyfriend is 6'6". I don't have five kids but I have used it for portraits with a bunch of my nieces and nephews (I had more than 5 in the portrait).

I may be wrong but I think you are better off getting a 50mm for now because it's cheap, fast and it's a good lens to work on. Save your money until you know exactly what you want.

After taking a bunch of pictures your kids are going to get PCS (photographers child syndrome) and refuse to sit for portraits anyways - or most likely.

 

[jake337]

If you can't tell yet I like prime lens, so as far as zooms go others may be able to help.

Well you can get the 85mm f1.4AF_D for under $1000
Nikon Autofocus 85 F1.4 D INTERNAL FOCUS (77) WITH CAPS 35MM SLR AUTO FOCUS TELEPHOTO LENS - KEH.com

Heres one messing around with mine. Shot with mine from 8.4 meters or 27.5 feet. I think I may have cropped as well.

But after stating the family of 7 and over 6' husband you may want to go a different route. Do you mind manual focusing for portraits? You could pick up an 85mm f1.4 ais and 50mm f1.4 ais for well under $1000. Maybe even substitue the f1.4 for the 50mm f1.2ais if you find one at the right price. May be just a tad over $1000. These will all meter on your d7000.

85mm f1.4 ais
Nikon Manual Focus 85 F1.4 AIS (72) 35MM SLR MANUAL FOCUS TELEPHOTO LENS - KEH.com

50mm f1.4 ais
Nikon Manual Focus 50 F1.4 AIS (52) WITH CAPS 35MM SLR MANUAL FOCUS STANDARD ANGLE LENS - KEH.com

50mm f1.2 ai
Nikon Manual Focus 50 F1.2 AI (52) WITH CAPS 35MM SLR MANUAL FOCUS STANDARD ANGLE LENS - KEH.com

 

[jake337]

Buy a 50mm.

Anyone who says that a 50 is a bad choice for portraiture, probably just doesn't know how to use one.

I shoot alot of outdoor portraiture, professionally too, and the 50mm angle of view on Film/FF is my favorite. For location portrait shooting, I think it's a beautiful, versatile focal length that you can shoot all day with.

Now I shoot mostly film, so if you put a 50mm on a little DX camera it's going to act a little different, but it will still be really nice.

What I like about 50mm's over something like an 85 or 135:
The perspective is very close to what we see with the human eye.
The distance between me and my subjects is enough to be intimate without being invasive.
I can do full body/wider shots without switching lenses or being shouting distance away.
(except for the sigma) very small, light, and un-intimidating.
Generally have a really wide aperture, so you can destroy backgrounds easy and shoot in any light (f/1.2-1.8)
The Bokeh can have a distinctive, almost swirly character.
IT'S CHEAP AND EASY.


GET A 50MM! IT'S A GREAT FOCAL LENGTH! Here are some of my own examples, that I shot over the summer (on film of course):

Nikon F100 (Kodak Portra 400@200), Nikon 50mm f/1.4G @ f/1.4, straight off the flim scan, no PP:

Now you tell me that 50mm is a bad focal length for outdoor portraiture

The 50mm f/1.8G is a tick sharper than the 1.4G and has faster/more responsive AF. The only reason to get the 1.4G is if you shoot film, shoot in the dark and need the extra light gathering, want a little bit better bokeh rendering, or bragging rights. I usually recommend the 1.8G. Hell, you could get a 1.8G+an F100 and still have a few hundred left over for film and processing!

I'm now 100% investing in a film camera.