Why is a 135L the 'perfect' portrait lens for full frame?
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CT
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It's generally considered to give the best perspective for portraits. Longer lenses tend to flatten facial features while wide lenses give distortion the closer you get.
50mm does equate to what we see with the human eye from a perspective viewpoint, but you can get distortion as you move in closer. 135mm gives a nice comfortable working distance and is more relaxing from your subject's point of view too. Having a 50mm lens shoved virtually up you nose can be a bit intimidating.
50mm does equate to what we see with the human eye from a perspective viewpoint, but you can get distortion as you move in closer. 135mm gives a nice comfortable working distance and is more relaxing from your subject's point of view too. Having a 50mm lens shoved virtually up you nose can be a bit intimidating.
Raymond Lin
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The 85mm 1.2L is pretty amazing too for portraits !!!
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85L is Canon's self designated 'perfect' portrait lens.
It depends on what you consider to be a portrait. 50mm is great for full length portraits, 85mm is great for upper body portraits and 135mm is great for full facial portraits. This all assuming you are working in an average sized studio. In other areas you can obviously position your model further away to get a full length portait with a 135mm lens. It's all a matter of opinion. The longer the focal length the more it flattens perspective, hence why most photographers use 80-135mm focal lengths for portraits instead of a 28mm or a 35mm for example.
There's nothing to stop you taking a full length portrait with a 600mm lens or a 12mm lens but they will both look very different.
There's nothing to stop you taking a full length portrait with a 600mm lens or a 12mm lens but they will both look very different.
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I use both 85mm and the 135mm I would say they are both perfect for the job at hand.
The 135mm has had claims for years to be the best head & shoulders portrait lens (focal length) I have shot portraits with a 15mm fisheye too, depends on what the client is looking for.
The 135mm has had claims for years to be the best head & shoulders portrait lens (focal length) I have shot portraits with a 15mm fisheye too, depends on what the client is looking for.
photon
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Two portrait zooms from several years ago are the Tokina ƒ/2.8 60-120mm and the Tamron ƒ/2.8 70-150mm, for those for whom a standard 70/80-200/210mm wouldn't do.
The current incarnation of the Tokina is the 50-135mm, but it's for crop sensors, and perhaps indicates that Tokina would've liked to offer a greater range for FF if they could, without the additional design compromises.
The current incarnation of the Tokina is the 50-135mm, but it's for crop sensors, and perhaps indicates that Tokina would've liked to offer a greater range for FF if they could, without the additional design compromises.
