New to full frame... Looking for a great portrait lens!

afliegs · Apr 29, 2013

I just made the switch from crop to full frame. My new Canon 6d will arrive on Thursday! I currently shoot with a Canon T3i. I shoot mainly outdoor portraits. The main lens I use right now is the 85mm 1.8. I love that lens on my Canon T3i. I also have a 50mm 1.8 and more recently a Tamron 24-70 F2.8 VC. However, I'm never as happy with portraits I get from either of those lenses as I am with the 85mm 1.8.

Besides wanting some recommendations for other portrait lenses for a full frame camera, would it be safe to assume that I'm going to want a lens like the Canon 135mm f2 that will be about the same focal distance as my 85mm on my crop camera?

Thanks for any input!

Derrel · Apr 29, 2013

You want a "great" portrait lens??? The Nikkor 105mm f/2 AF-D Defocus Control used on an adapter qualifies.

In Canon, the 135/2-L is a nice lens, albeit a bit long, except outdoors, where working distance is more easily obtained. I do not own the 100mm f/2 Canon EF lens, but I have seen a lot of VERY beautiful portrait work done with that lens on Canon FF by Dirk Vermierre, who used to use the 100/2 EF a lot. The Canon 100mm never has been very popular; probably because so many Canon prime shooters are worried that it's not a L lens.

One of the things about 135mm is that it begins to magnify the background significantly, and to cause apparent compression of distance, whereas 100 or 105mm being 30 to 35 percent shorter, does not alter reality quite so obviously.

As to 135 on FF versus 85 on APS-C...the effect is DIFFERENT. Why? Because of the distances one can shoot at. With the 85mm on APS-C, you are often very FAR from a person, and so, there is much more DOF. The farther the camera is from the subject, the deeper the DOF, and the more the background comes in to acceptably sharp focus/recognizability. With an 85mm on 1.6x camera, you have to be 34 feet to do a tall portrait; with FF camera and 85, you can shoot from 20 feet. I think you will find that on FF, you have more background defocus with the 135mm lens than you do with the 85mm on 1.6x bodies, ever given the same basic kind of pictures. Depth of field is easily quantified, numerically, but the "degree", the "quality", of the out of focus renderings given by full-frame cameras is different.

ronlane · Apr 29, 2013

A lot of professionals use the 70-200mm f2.8 L. I have one on borrow from a friend right now and I really like it. For me, if I had a FF camera, I would go with the 24-70, 70-200 and the 85 for my lenses of choice for portraits. I have an EF 24-135mm f/3.5-5.6 that is the kit lens for the 7D. I really like using this for portraits too and it will fit a FF camera.

afliegs · Apr 29, 2013

Derrel said:
In Canon, the 135/2-L is a nice lens, albeit a bit long, except outdoors, where working distance is more easily obtained. I do not own the 100mm f/2 Canon EF lens, but I have seen a lot of VERY beautiful portrait work done with that lens on Canon FF by Dirk Vermierre, who used to use the 100/2 EF a lot. The Canon 100mm never has been very popular; probably because so many Canon prime shooters are worried that it's not a L lens.

One of the things about 135mm is that it begins to magnify the background significantly, and to cause apparent compression of distance, whereas 100 or 105mm being 30 to 35 percent shorter, does not alter reality quite so obviously.

As to 135 on FF versus 85 on APS-C...the effect is DIFFERENT. Why? Because of the distances one can shoot at. With the 85mm on APS-C, you are often very FAR from a person, and so, there is much more DOF. The farther the camera is from the subject, the deeper the DOF, and the more the background comes in to acceptably sharp focus/recognizability. With an 85mm on 1.6x camera, you have to be 34 feet to do a tall portrait; with FF camera and 85, you can shoot from 20 feet. I think you will find that on FF, you have more background defocus with the 135mm lens than you do with the 85mm on 1.6x bodies, ever given the same basic kind of pictures. Depth of field is easily quantified, numerically, but the "degree", the "quality", of the out of focus renderings given by full-frame cameras is different.

I almost always shoot my portraits outside, and I seem to like the working distance of the 85mm on my T3i. The working distance would be about the same with the 135 on the 6d, right? And I certainly wouldn't mind the greater background focus. Besides liking the working distance, I feel like the longer focal length is usually more flattering to my subject, but both of those things could just be my lack of experience with working with various focal lengths.

afliegs · Apr 29, 2013

ronlane said:
A lot of professionals use the 70-200mm f2.8 L. I have one on borrow from a friend right now and I really like it. For me, if I had a FF camera, I would go with the 24-70, 70-200 and the 85 for my lenses of choice for portraits. I have an EF 24-135mm f/3.5-5.6 that is the kit lens for the 7D. I really like using this for portraits too and it will fit a FF camera.

I'm a little hesitant to get another zoom. I got the Tamron 24-70 for my crop camera for an all around portrait lens, but I'm kind of disappointed with it. It's not nearly as sharp as my primes. I sure wish it was.

Mach0 · Apr 29, 2013

afliegs said:
I almost always shoot my portraits outside, and I seem to like the working distance of the 85mm on my T3i. The working distance would be about the same with the 135 on the 6d, right? And I certainly wouldn't mind the greater background focus. Besides liking the working distance, I feel like the longer focal length is usually more flattering to my subject, but both of those things could just be my lack of experience with working with various focal lengths.

If the out of focus rendering or shallow DOF then go for it. The working distance should be the same but the oof areas are different.

afliegs · Apr 29, 2013

Greater background de-focus, I meant above.

jaomul · Apr 29, 2013

Your 85 f1.8 is a great portrait lens on a fullframe. Give it a good workout before you consider spending cash on anything else

afliegs · Apr 29, 2013

jaomul said:
Your 85 f1.8 is a great portrait lens on a fullframe. Give it a good workout before you consider spending cash on anything else

Good, prudent advice!

ronlane · Apr 29, 2013

The zoom's may not be as sharp as a prime, but you should atleast rent a Canon version of the 24-70 or the 70-200 L glass. I would venture that they are much better than the Tamron glass.

With the number of pros using them, they all can't be wrong. (But we are all different, that's what makes it nice.)

R3d · Apr 29, 2013

I have an 85mm Sigma f/1.4 on a crop sensor that I'll be sticking with when I upgrade to full frame. If I were you and enjoyed your 85mm as much as I enjoy mine, then I'd just stick with what I had.