Portrait lens

Bob

Bob

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I am interested in learning portrait photography so should I stick with my 50mm or up grade to the 85mm which seems to get very goood reveiws I have just bought a 17-85 for a walk about lens so unsure if a 85mm is justified
Bob
 
if you have those focal lengths covered, what about a longer zoom to give you more options, I use my 80-200 all the time for head and should or 3/4 length portraits
 
give the 50mm a go, if it too short/long, then either use the 17-85 or buy a new prime to suit(y)

which focal length to use depends on the image you want and the available space.

what is wrong with using a 17-85 for portraits??:thinking:
 
As you have a crop sensor camera, the 50mm would be a very good start for portraits. The 85mm may be too long, depending on how much space you have to use, especially if indoors.

I too would like to know why the 17-85 cannot be used for portraits though. :thinking:
 
The thing you need to remember is that any lens can be used for portraits, what you have already will be fine for learning the ropes :)

Any lens with a focal length over about ~50mm is traditionally preferred for portraits as you get less distortion that makes body parts look out of proportion.
 
My thought was do I need the 50 if the 17 85 covers this so if I sell the 50 and put the money towards another lens such as the 85mm
Bob
 
ahh, i see bob. the 50mm will have better iq than your 17-85, and will be quite noticable. but try them is best and find which focal lengths work best for you. on crop cameras the prims work out to 35mm(std 50mm on film) 50mm(bout 80mm on film) and 85mm(bout 105 on film) if that helps. they are all good lengths but is dependant on the space, if you dont have enough room to step back, you may be stuck with 35mm, likewise if you have the space you may prefer the 85mm. trial and error would be best i think
 
So if I compare the 50 and the 85 since I do have space which would be better
Bob
 
The 85, but the question is what is wrong with the 50 you have? the IQ will already be excellent so there isnt much need for an 'upgrade' unless you need faster or better low light focusing. (as i assume you have the f/1.8, you could go to the f/1.4 for the superior focusing)
 
ive used my siggy 24-70mm 2.8 quite alot for portraits but its DAMN heavy, i also have the 50mm 1.4 which again i use for portraits but i find that if i need to go from head and shoulders to full length i have to stand a good distance away from the subject... so im wondering is the 85mm more suited???????
 
melevo said:
ive used my siggy 24-70mm 2.8 quite alot for portraits but its DAMN heavy, i also have the 50mm 1.4 which again i use for portraits but i find that if i need to go from head and shoulders to full length i have to stand a good distance away from the subject... so im wondering is the 85mm more suited???????
Click to expand...

I also have the Sigma 24-70 and find it useful for portraits, the zoom gives flexibility when space is limited. On the note of space if you are limited with space and your 50mm requires you to back up a lot for full length shots then the 85mm is definitely the wrong way to go, it will require you to back up even further for full length! Try going the other way to a 35mm or just stick with the 24-70 and lift weights in your spare time :LOL:
 
"lift weights in your spare time",

i keep getting told that!!
 
17-85 is perfect for portraits. The only benefit to using a 50/1.8 or 85/1.8 is the shallower depth of field you get at those lower f/numbers. That is a popular technique for portraits, but you have to be very accurate with focus.
 
Thanks for all your advice think I will stay with the 50 for a while then get an 85 later this year if I feel it may be better
Cheers Bob
 
One thing that springs to my mind is that the only almost dedicated portrait lens made by canon was the 135mm f2.8 soft focus, comparable AoV and DoF on a 1.6 crop would be from an 85mm f1.8.
 
See James youve done it again I see on your kit list you have both 50 &85mm lens now I am unsure if I should wait and see or just bite the bullet and get the 85mm so that I can compare the 2 lens side by side:thinking:
Bob:help:
 
Just reading this thread has kinda made my mind up about the 85 f1.8 :) think i might invest.

Other then this would anyone recommend the 24-105L for portraits as i have been eyeing this lens up for a while now :).
 
24-105 L is a fantastic lens for full frame, but the 85mm is much better at f/1.8, and it doesn't do 18mm very well either, which you might need as a walkabout on a crop camera ;)
 
Bob said:
My thought was do I need the 50 if the 17 85 covers this so if I sell the 50 and put the money towards another lens such as the 85mm
Bob
Click to expand...

Which is also covered by the 17-85's range, can't see the point myself really :bonk:

Now, if you were requiring the prime to give you a sharper image (although a slight softness is usually not such an issue in portraiture), for its better bokeh and reduction in DOF (although most beginners do not understand or use this to the max anyway), for its greater light gathering qualities and improved AF speed (due to the wider aperture and better contrast) or because it does a different job (such as buying a EF 60mm Macro which would give you 1:1 macro and is also a brilliant portait lens with an AOV of about 90mm on a 1.6 crop body) then the option may be justified, but to swap a lens (the 50mm) because it is already covered by the zoom range 17-85mm for another (85mm) which is also covered by the same zoom range just seems a complete waste of time and money in my eyes. :bang:

My suggestion would be before you do anything else have a real play with your zoom, get to know how it reacts at different focal lengths and apertures, look at the differences in perceived depth of field at the same aperture from the same distance but at different focal lengths (the DOF will be the same for all focal lengths from the same distance and aperture, but the percieved DOF will be different due to a foreshortning effect as the focal length and magnification increases), try the zoom wide open for your portraits at any and all the focal lengths (a little softness will not hurt too much), and then use the zoom in a similar way a couple of stops down (if you find that the shutter speed is too low, take the ISO up a bit). Really get to know your equipment and how best to use it, you may find you don't really need another lens, or if you do it may be one you have not yet considered.

When I was at college (late 70s), they did not let you use any other lens than the 50mm standard (approx equiv to 35mm on 1.6x crop), and until you understood how it functioned on the camera you were limited only to it, then they did the same with a wide angle 28mm (approx 18mm on 1.6x crop) and finally a 135mm telephoto (approx 85mm on 1.6x crop), there were few zooms around then, the quality was poor and they were expensive, funnily enough, those focal lengths tend to equate to your zoom :LOL: coincedence or what?

Finally after a decent period of use and practise with your zoom, taking some notes and deciding what is your most used focal lengths for the type or style of photography you do most, and, if you have some usable funds available, then you should make the decision on your new lens based on your now extensive experience (no one else can tell you what you need) and buy the one you then feel will suit you best. (y)

Good luck!
 
Thanks EdBray just read your reply makes perfect sense and very good advice. You are right I do need to practice with what Ive got and learn to use it better and to understand what it is able to do.Will be taking your advice and start to learn more about my current lens and camera
Thanks Bob
 
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