Would you use a 35mm prime on full frame for full body portraits?

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Ben
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Struggling for space in my studio area, and I'm thinking 85mm is going to be too tight for full body shots. Could potentially go 50mm, but I want to shoot on the A7R2 which I only have access to a 35mm lens...
 
Cheap 50mm + adapter? You might get away with the 35mm if it doesn't distort too much & you're careful with posing, but I'd expect it to stretch the subject at the edges or enlarge where parts are close too much.
 
The headline question is simple.
Yes, and I do it all the time, but that's for shooting people 'in context' for environmental portraiture.

The more appropriate question IMHO
In a limited studio space for a studio portrait, would I rather shoot wide for full length, or longer for H&S or 3/4?

And the answer to that is shooting longer for flattery and ease of control of background. I wouldn't choose a lens to fit a space, I'd choose a space to fit a result. I appreciate we all have to make compromises, and my view is that I'd rather compromise my desire for 'full length' and produce attractive portraits.
 
Thanks guys, it's for a clothing brand and they need full body shots so I may just stick to 50mm...
 
If space is limited and you want to avoid perspective distortion as much as possible, choose a tiny model.
 
You are kind of asking the wrong question... it should be "would you shoot clothing from X distance?"

The "correct approach" is to choose the perspective (distance) of the desired image/result... anything under ~ 3m will convey with some level of "expansion" and anything over will convey with some level of "flattening/compression." This is often called "perspective distortion," but it is really just perspective.
Once the desired perspective is set, then the FOV (lens/sensor) is chosen to include/record whatever portion is desired.
 
I would use the 35 over the 50 every time, I sold my 50 because I prefer the look of the 35.
But that's just me.
I was using the 35 in a tight spaced studio just before Christmas (photo in my Flickr if you're interested) but only because it gave me what I wanted rather than because I had too, I also got some great photos with the 135.
 
@cowboy Hi Mark. Just had a look at the Flickr ones and really liked them, could you guess at how far away from model you were. I have only done portraits in my small space and normally use 50mm.

Gaz
 
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