50mm too wide on a full frame for portraits?

rgrebby said:
On my 24-70 lens it feels strange, should I get an 85mm?
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or a 70-200mm f2.8, will give you some flexibility, it's up to you, the 85mm is a good portrait lens
 
rgrebby said:
yeah I want a 70-200 but they are expensive, I could get the sigma though i guess..
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sigma is NON IS, but has some good reviews and about 1/2 the price, you could also look at the canon NON IS version as well.
 
rgrebby said:
On my 24-70 lens it feels strange, should I get an 85mm?
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hi richard, the 70-200 is an awesome lens. I think it is the best portrait zoom lens on a FF body. If you can stretch to it, try a 2nd hand Canon 70-200 2.8 L Non IS. With your mkII you can crank up ISO and to get a faster shutter and kind of compensate for not having IS.
 
I like to be at a comfortable distance, a bit longer than for normal conversation, about 5-6ft?

50mm is too short for head and shoulders on full frame at that distance (but fine on crop). 85-100mm is good I think. Big lenses like 70-200 2.8 can be intimidating.
 
I'm toying with an F2.8L non-IS myself, but it does look big, considering the F4L already gets unwanted attention.
 
pearce_jj said:
I'm toying with an F2.8L non-IS myself, but it does look big, considering the F4L already gets unwanted attention.
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arent they both the same size?

but hey people will be people. whenever i get the 70-200 out, people just get curious and ask how much it costs and how much it weighs and it opens up to a friendly chat. if the OP is using it for portraits, then surely whatever lens he is using shouldnt bother the client as long as the result is good. i do admit the element of surprise does go out a bit with a big grey lens, but so does carrying more than one camera!
 
The 24-70 Nikon a superb portrait lens, not sure why it should feel strange.

For me 50m is fine on FF for full length portraits, with 70-85mm for head and shoulders shots.

I use the 70-200mm occasionally but find it can be too big when shooting in small spaces (like my home studio!).
 
I had a studio portrait done of me recently, and it was strange being on the other side of the camera. All I could see was a big bright light against the blackness, and a voice mumbling things at me from somewhere in the dark. A lens glinted now and then, which gave me a clue.

He got a mugshot, which is all that was wanted, but I remember thinking that there is much more to getting a characterful likeness than equipment. Environment, rapport, all that kind of stuff. No great surprise really is it :shrug:
 
Too wide? I don't think so

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50mm is the best lens ever. The Nikon 50mm f/1.4 G is amasing, best lens i've ever bought (also one of the cheapest). Better than the Canon equivelent in my opinion.

If I could have only 1 lens, it would be a 50. It's so useful, and is great for portraits, not too wide at all.
 
I only have three lenses, one of which is a 50mm prime. TBH this hardly ever leaves my camera and in an ideal world I would have a full frame camera and a handful of prime lenses. That would be all you need and the quality would be as good as it gets.
 
400mm + megaphone is the best way! Why stick the 50mm right to their face?:naughty: One might as well use the fisheye then.

I personally prefer 100mm on crop, so I'd suggest 135mm f/2L, 200mm f/2.8L or 70-200mm f/2.8.
 
I've a 50, 85 and 70-200. Each fine in their own way, you just have to find what is comfortable for you. Personally, I like a bit of distance between me and the subject (usually young kids who don't react well to having cameras thrust up close). The 85 is fine but the flexibility of the zoom is helpful for when you have more or less nervous subjects. For portraits I miss the IS I had when using Sony gear so bear that in mind. Also check the minimum focus distance. I played with a friend's Nikon 85/1.4 last week - lovely lens but MFD seemed rather long and I couldn't get a really tight crop.
 
the dark side sure does look tempting sometimes!
 
The Sigma 70mm f2.8 is a cracking lens!

If you want to try that as well as the Sigma 70-200mm you are welcome.
 
wow thanks for the info guys and the offers to try kit out, I think I might take you up on the offer sometime.
 
I use 50mm (f1.4) for full portraits, it's great, 85mm (f1.2) for head & shoulders and low light, probably my favourite lens (for head and shoulder types) is 135mm f2.
 
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