What is the best portrait lens on full-frame?

Rooster

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I'm looking at getting into portrait shoots. I'd like to know what the best lens is for this, should I be looking at a prime or a zoom? I've read that 85-100mm is the best focal range at about 8-10 feet away from the subject - is that right?

I have two lenses which cover that range - the Canon 24-105 f/4 L and the Canon 70-200 f/2.8 L. However it sounds like my Canon 24-70 f/2.8 L is NOT really suitable. I would like to get a really fast prime like the Sigma 50mm f/1.4. would that distort faces or is it purely the distance from which the shot is taken which does that?
 
Ideally the further away you are the better to control distortion. You don't say if you're shooting indoors or outside though. The 70-200 is an awesome portrait lens, but if you want fast then look at an 85mm in 1.4 or 1.8 or the Canon 100 f2 or, if you're feeling special, the 135 f2
 
i have just brought the canon 85mm 1.8 and its awesome, very sharp and very fast AF
 
Rooster said:
...should I be looking at a prime or a zoom? I've read that 85-100mm is the best focal range at about 8-10 feet away from the subject - is that right?...

I have two lenses which cover that range - the Canon 24-105 f/4 L and the Canon 70-200 f/2.8 L. However it sounds like my Canon 24-70 f/2.8 L is NOT really suitable. I would like to get a really fast prime like the Sigma 50mm f/1.4. would that distort faces or is it purely the distance from which the shot is taken which does that?
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If you are going to be shooting with a wider aperture than f2.8 then you'll need a prime but if you'll be shooting f3.5-4+ I'm not sure that a prime will offer you a great advantage. 50-85mm on FF is good for me as I don't want to be shooting from half a mile away and I'd use wider to get some context (how boring are endless tight head shots?) I have the Sigma 50 and 85mm f1.4's and they're lovely and give no distortion problems at all but for a portrait shooter maybe a quality standard range or 70-200mm zoom would be a better option?

Someone in my family shoots semi pro with a standard zoom and does just fine :D I have a gorgeous friend who's a part time model and all her pro portrait shots seem to be taken with a standard zoom too.
 
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Conventional wisdom suggests something like 100-135mm on full frame, with whatever lowest f/number if you want to play shallow DoF tricks. F/2.8 is pretty low though.

The important thing is shooting distance really - not too close to intimidate the subject or create too much perspective distortion, but close enough for good communication. I like about 5-6 feet, which is around 100mm for a head and shoulders. Go longer rather than shorter, which also cuts out more of the background.
 
The 70-200 2.8 is great for portraits. If you want a prime then the Sigma 85 1.4 is very very nice. The 50mm 1.4 is more useful as an all round lens on the 5D II though, especially for when f2.8 just isn't fast enough.
 
Given the choice I'd pick 70-200 mk2 (you are more or less there). If you fancy some unreal look try 85mm f/1.2L II.

The distortions are all coming from the distance to the subject (presuming the lens itself is decent). You could shoot an [environmental] portrait with 50mm however the framing would be very wide. If you can go all the way to 200mm.
 
I've done a fir bit of portrait/nude work and I would say that the 24-70 is my most used lens, and the 70-200 occasionally when I am looking to do head and shoulders. If you are using flash as your main lighting and likely to be working at apertures smaller than f/4, then I would say that your 24-105 will be fine.
 
Rooster, you have some fantastic lenses for portraiture yet you ask everyone else what to use. Why don't you try them all and make your own mind up? No single lens will answer for every shot anyway, you use the one most appropriate for the shot you want.
 
Scarecrow said:
I've done a fir bit of portrait/nude work and I would say that the 24-70 is my most used lens, and the 70-200 occasionally when I am looking to do head and shoulders. If you are using flash as your main lighting and likely to be working at apertures smaller than f/4, then I would say that your 24-105 will be fine.
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Yup. It's a mystery to me why whenever this subject comes up people think fast prime :thinking:
 
You're right, there is no right answer but some answers may be a little more right than others :D Sometimes, maybe :D

I own several very nice fast primes and I rarely use a zoom but I only shoot for pleasure not money. I can't see any real advantage in buying a prime to shoot portraits at f4 or smaller apertures when a quality zoom offers more flexibility and seems to be the tool of choice for the people I know shooting for money, or in the case of my gorgeous friend... paying her to be shot.
 
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woof woof said:
You're right, there is no right answer but some answers may be a little more right than others :D Sometimes, maybe :D

I own several very nice fast primes and I rarely use a zoom but I only shoot for pleasure not money. I can't see any real advantage in buying a prime to shoot portraits at f4 or smaller apertures when a quality zoom offers more flexibility and seems to be the tool of choice for the people I know shooting, or in the case of my gorgeous friend... being shot.
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and just to show how much more right some answers are :D (I think that makes sense)

.......I shoot nothing but fast primes for all my paying work. I think that they help mark out a photographic style thats all mine(and I like the flexibility of the very low f numbers sometimes)
 
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