Budget portrait lens for Full Frame

[artilio2oo1]

(Not must to read)Photography is my hobby and I can't spend much money on it. Everything I have now I got for free, but I feel that I need autofocus prime lens for portraits. I have 5D(first), EF 28-135 IS USM, Plannar 50 1.4(not new one, old, for c/y mount, but i have focus confirm)Sonnar 135 3.5 which had some troubles with iris, which were fixed but I found strange light near centre so I don't use it.

(Useful part)
I have 5D(first), EF 28-135 IS USM, Plannar 50 1.4(not new one, old, for c/y mount). I like plannar, but sometimes I don't have enough time for manual focus, that's why I need something with autofocus. I have something about 150$. After looking through some forums, I find 2 interesting lenses for me.

New 50mm f1.8 STM(120$) or used 85mm f1.8(160$). But I still can't decide what focal length I need. On the one hand I already have 50mm so I have to buy anoher focal length, but on the other hand my 50mm doesn't have autofocus and sometimes it is equally if I don't have it at all. Image quality on 2 lenses on different apertures are good to me. So it is more choice 50mm vs 85mm for portraits(I don't like close portraits)

I have looked throught my photos on 28-135 and I used both something around 50mm and 85mm.

I like nice bokeh, but sometimes background even blurred is the part of image so I don't want to lose it

My instagram @artilio2oo1

P.S. I can't sell plannar because It isn't mine however I can use it for free

 

[KmH]

For portraiture the 85 mm focal length is more useful.

 

[artilio2oo1]

For portraiture the 85 mm focal length is more useful.

But it is more expensive and frankly speaking it is more difficult to get it) I can take 50mm f1.8 in shop, where my father works but 85mm is used in another city and I will have to check it on post and pay for selling(not much but unpleasently).
I want portraite lens which will be quite universal in other situations. I am confused, I watched maaany videos and read many articles but find my self in vicious circle

 

[artilio2oo1]

Bad news, used canon 85mm f1.8 was sold, others are much more expensive and I can't afford them. So another question. Canon 50mm f1.8 stm or yongnuo 85mm 1.8?

 

[ac12]

YOU need to decide yourself.
50 and 85mm provide different field of view.
Which one matches YOUR idea of portraits?

If you have the space, you can always back up with the 85.
But if you are space limited, with the 85 you could literally be up against the wall and still need to backup more, without the ability to back up. In which case the 50 would be better.
You need to determine this for yourself with your lens set to 50 and 85.

 

[photoflyer]

I have the 85 f 1.8 and the 50 f 1.8. Both are new and the 50 I picked up only a week ago. I have not experimented with the 50 much yet but I suspect that when doing portraits I will gravitate to the 85. I have shot quite a few portraits with it and the results are very good. I got the 50 as a small travel lens (it really is compact) for my T7i. I use the 85 on a full frame.

To sum it up, for now if I were headed out to do portraits and could only bring one, I would take the 85.

 

[ac12]

I want portraite lens which will be quite universal in other situations. I am confused, I watched maaany videos and read many articles but find my self in vicious circle

This is why some/many photographers use zooms (24-70 and 70-200) for portrait shooting.
They do not have to choose which lens to use, they just turn the zoom ring.

Again, there is no ONE answer, YOU have to determine which focal length matches YOUR style of portrait shooting.

Also a portrait lens is NOT a universal lens, it is a specialty lens.
There will be situations where that focal length will work, and there will be situations where that focal length will not work.

The closest to a "universal" lens is the 50mm on a FF camera. The 50mm is the standard normal lens for that format.

BTW, what is wrong using your 28-135 as a portrait lens?

I do not understand your statement, "I like plannar, but sometimes I don't have enough time for manual focus." How are you shooting portraits that you don't have time to manually focus? Or is it that you have difficulty manually focusing? A DSLR is not the best camera to use for a manually focused lens.

 

[photoflyer]

Again, there is no ONE answer, YOU have to determine which focal length matches YOUR style of portrait shooting.

This is very true. I have a 70-200 2.8 and many swear by it for portraiture but I always think of my 85 f 1.8 maybe because it is just a bit faster.

In the end you have to find what works for you. Use advice for guidelines and experience for answers.

 

[ac12]

Again, there is no ONE answer, YOU have to determine which focal length matches YOUR style of portrait shooting.

This is very true. I have a 70-200 2.8 and many swear by it for portraiture but I always think of my 85 f 1.8 maybe because it is just a bit faster.

In the end you have to find what works for you. Use advice for guidelines and experience for answers.

Agree
Actually I do NOT like the 70-200 for a portrait lens, as I find it too bulky and heavy for that.
But some do, so to each his own. And whatever works.