Canon 50mm 1.2L vs 35mm 1.4L as Portrait Lens

[ibmike150]

I have been shooting landscape, architecture and action for many years and I am looking to get into portrait photography and want to get a nice prime lens. I currently have a 7D and will be upgrading to a FF camera next year. I am looking for a good all over portrait starter prime lens; it's between the 50mm and the 35mm. Or do any of you have a better suggestion of lens, what would be the best quality? Are there any comparison shots?

 

[ceejtank]

Group, or individual?

For individual I thinks omethingi n the 85mm range would be best.. so the 50 would scale up near that. For group shots 35 would be nice.

 

[Big Mike]

For a portrait lens on a full frame, I'd look at either of the 85mm lenses...maybe a 100mm or even the 135mm F2 L.
I use my 70-200mm most often for portraits...even group portraits if I can back up far enough.

The farther away you are, the better (more flattering) perspective you'll have for portraits...and if you don't want to drastically crop those shots, a longer focal length is needed. Back when 35mm film was the norm, 100mm was always the recommendation for a 'portrait lens'.

 

[TheBiles]

85L or 135L.

 

[ibmike150]

Group, or individual?

Mostly individual but would like full body shots as well as close up, ive asked a few other people and they all said the 85mm to start but also use the 5D, I will be on the 7D and 136mm seems kind of tight but Big Mike seems to think the further the better. I used to use my 70-200 often for ski portraits but liked the sharpness of a prime

 

[Derrel]

Skip BOTh the 50/1.4 and the 35/1.4...NEITHER are full-frame portrait lenses....they're too short. Look into the 85/1.8 Canon EF. NOT the 85/1.2-L, but just the 85/1.8 EF...

 

[whitecatcud]

Like Derrel, I'd recommend you to get a 85. But for now, 35 seems to be a good lens for portrait on apsc with the range of ~50mm, and when you go ff, you can use it as a wide angle prime as well.

 

[Sw1tchFX]

I <3 the 50mm focal length. It's beautiful.

 

[ibmike150]

Skip BOTh the 50/1.4 and the 35/1.4...NEITHER are full-frame portrait lenses....they're too short. Look into the 85/1.8 Canon EF. NOT the 85/1.2-L, but just the 85/1.8 EF...

Why not the 1.2L?

 

[rexbobcat]

Why not the 1.2L?

The 85mm f/1.2 is kind of a specialty lens. It is VERY slow to focus on ANY camera, and although it's fairly sharp wide open the f/1.8 is sharper at f/1.8 than the other is at f/1.2.

The f/1.8 is also around 1/6 the price. Unless you either have a lot of money or only really shoot portraits the f/1.8 is a better deal