portrait lens

[jeljohns]

If you could only have one lens for portraits what would it be?

 

[bigtwinky]

Depends on the camera you are using, mainly if its a crop sensor camera.

While not a portrait shooter (still learning), I've read that a great focal lenght for portraits is between 85mm and 105mm, on a full frame.

So if you are shooting with a crop sensor camera, that would be between 50mm and 70mm.

I'd say a 50mm 1.4 would be a great portrait lens, or even maybe a 24-70?

 

[TheSon]

Canon 85mm 1.2L II

sharp and great bokeh.

 

[tsaraleksi]

The staple portrait lens for individual head/shoulders is probably the 70-200 2.8.

 

[adamwilliamking]

yeah 70-200 in a larger studio, 24-70 2.8 otherwise

 

[tsaraleksi]

yeah 70-200 in a larger studio, 24-70 2.8 otherwise

Yep, and this is also impacted by what crop format you're working with-- I've found the 70-200 much more indispensable on full frame than I did on a 1.3x crop-- the 24-70 is fantastic for lots of things but I get too much distortion on close up headshots that I didn't get on a crop.

 

[Torus34]

For which camera? DSLR? 35MM? 645? 6x7cm? 4x5? 8x10?

 

[Chris of Arabia]

So long as I'm using a Canon with a crop sensor, then the 60mm f2.8 macro does the job admirably.

 

[gsgary]

Got the Canon 50F1.4 thats nice but it would have to be a Canon 85mmF1.2L