Which is more "essential" for portraits?

michaelg

michaelg

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Michael
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Looking to spend around £100 for something to take better portraits and torn between getting a flashgun (maybe the Nissin Di622) or a 50mm prime lens (probably the Nikon F1.8 one).

Currently I have a Nikon D3000 with the kit lens (18-55mm) and the Nikon 55-200mm lens.

Which would be more "useful" in taking nice portraits?

And if I went for the flash, is it worth the extra in the longterm to get the Nissin Di866 instead?
 
Hello Michael. Welcome to the forum. Hmm. If I had to make a budget decision, I'd go for a folding reflector (about £50.00 or less) for portraits and learn to make the best of that together with a 50mm prime lens. A flash gun is useful, but if its fixed to the camera, it has limited use for "nice" portraits. Being able to use a flashgun off camera is better, but costs more than £100 to get started.
 
Photodiva said:
Hello Michael. Welcome to the forum. Hmm. If I had to make a budget decision, I'd go for a folding reflector (about £50.00 or less) for portraits and learn to make the best of that together with a 50mm prime lens. A flash gun is useful, but if its fixed to the camera, it has limited use for "nice" portraits. Being able to use a flashgun off camera is better, but costs more than £100 to get started.
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I'd second that, and the faster lens will allow some shallow depth of field shots, great for making portraits pop :)
 
Thanks guys - useful feedback! Which kind of reflector - is that the 5 in 1 kits I've read about or something different?

Re the lens, I can see my girlfriend saying "but don't the other two lenses you have do the same job?" I've already explained why I'd like one and what it can do but I'm sure you'll have been there yourself and can sympathise!
 
Go for the flash.. you can even get off camera within your budget if you shop carefully, and with reasonable quality if you pick up a decent flashgun secondhand. RF-602 trigger set, budget shoot-thru umbrella, umbrella/flash holder.. and use your tripod as the light stand.

Using off-camera flash will put a new edge on any kit lens.
 
+1 for the lens/reflector combination.

You can pick up the 5 in 1's cheap on ebay and they work fine.

Flash is very useful, especially indoors, but I would still get the lens first.
 
If outdoor then 1.8 lens. If indoor, then flash like a SB600 (second hand about £140 so maybe too much but there are Yougnuo or other cheaper makes). A good lens is nice to have and does get results, but take a picture using built in flash and one like the SB600 bounced off ceiling and they are worlds apart.
 
Photodiva said:
Being able to use a flashgun off camera is better, but costs more than £100 to get started.
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Not nesseccarily - those Yongnuo fashguns, combined with a cheap (1 trigger/1receiver) remote system off ebay should come in less than £60. It's a non-TTL set-up so everything has to be set manually, but that's no bind when you're working in a smaller space. Plus, you can just add extra receivers and flashguns as you go along. These Yongnuo ones are very good for the money.

A new lens is all nice and well but lighting I think is the key to versatile portraiture. Sure, natural light stuff works - you don't pay for the light and can make reflectors out of card and tinfoil - but having the option of actually creating and controlling the light will give you more options in the long run. :)

Oh yeah, welcome to TP :)
 
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Remember the 50mm (1.8) will be manual focus only on your camera. It is a nice lens for the money though if that doesn't bother you.

The YN465 is a TTL flash, should be able to get that + triggers for under a hundred. Think I paid around 50-60 for mine. Very good flash, just lacks slave function so i'll probably end up buying a yn460 to go with it.
 
I'd buy a nifty fifty used for about 50 quid, a YN-460 II for about 40 quid, a 12 quid lightstand, 6 quid umbrella and a single RF602 set. Less than a decent flashgun and you'll be amazed at what you can do.
 
Very best of luck finding a 50mm lens that will AF on a D3000 for £100 or under. To keep AF, you'll be needing the f/1.4 AF-S (£289 new or the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 HSM £379 new [both prices Mifsuds]) I expect there may be a few of these lenses avilable on the 2nd hand market but a quick peek at the ads in the back of AP hasn't thrown up any.

Of course, it IS possible to MF the slightly slower f/1.8 50mm lenses but it's not as easy as it used to be when there was a greater arc of travel between close focus and infinity and focus screens had microprisms and similar as focussing aids.

I would try to find a compatible flash (or a Nikon one 2nd hand) and an off camera cord and make a reflector using an A3 sheet of card and some scrunched up silver foil
 
michaelg said:
Thanks guys - useful feedback! Which kind of reflector - is that the 5 in 1 kits I've read about or something different?
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One of those 5 in 1 jobs is good value, you also get a diffuser as well for shooting in very strong sunlight. A cheaper alternative is to buy a sheet of foam-core board and spray mount some silver foil to it.
 
You don't need to buy anything to take great portraits - nice window light with a DIY reflector can be very good indeed. Some portrait photographers use nothing else, Jane Bown being a famous example.

For something a bit more formal and controlled, a flash gun and shoot-through brolly is probably easiest, plus stand and remote trigger etc. Can all be done for £100 (Yongnuo).

Another lens is probably the least of your needs.
 
There has to be an element of personal taste here, for instance I like shallow depth of field portraits. That's something you're going to struggle to get with your kit lenses, especially if you're in close confines, no matter what lighting kit you've got.
I'd take a look at some portraits that you like, and see how much DOF they've got, might help you decide. :)
 
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