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70 or 100 mm for portraits?

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Schoug

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Hi,

I'm pondering whether 70 mm or 100 mm (APS-C frame) is better for making portraits. What would you prefer, and why?

I have the opportunity of buying a Pentax lens through my friend who is visiting Tokyo, which means 40-50% cheaper prices compared to Sweden. I'm choosing between the DA 70 2.4 Ltd and the D FA 100 mm 2.8 Macro WR. They're pretty much equal in price.

Now, I know that the last one is a macro lens with a long focus throw, but its image quality seems to be good for other things too, and I'm curious to what difference the extra 30 mm could make (in spite of a slightly smaller aperture). I would probably try out macro eventually if I opt for the 100 mm (I shot a little bit of macro with my Panasonic FZ 28), but the focus right now is on portraits. Anyone with experience from either lens regarding portrait work?

I already have the DA L 18-55 kit lens and the DA 40 mm 2.8 Ltd (also bought, by myself, in Japan..).

Cheers

Johan
 
I would say the it depends on the size of your "studio" and what types of shots you are going to take. If primarily head shots and you have a need/want for macro go with the 100. The 70 will work as well and will give you a little more breathing room in a smallish studio,. My favorite lens for shooting head shots or head and shoulders is the FA77 limited. I shoot everything from 31 to 200mm when doing a typical portrait session.

Not sure if that helped.
--
Al

My Photo Gallery: http://photoweb.reid-home.com (Updated 9/8/2008)
Pentax Photo Gallery: http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/albertreid
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WSSA Member #199PX
 
Schoug said:
I'm pondering whether 70 mm or 100 mm (APS-C frame) is better for making portraits. What would you prefer, and why?
Click to expand...
Both works fine.

I would prefer the 70 as I like to be nearer to the one I photo. With a 100 on APS-C you have to step back a little. And sitting around a table 100 is definitely too near.

--
Roland

support http://www.openraw.org/
(Sleeping - so the need to support it is even higher)

X3F tools : http://www.proxel.se/x3f.html
 
Hi Johan!
Good advice from the previous posters :)

I have both these lenses and both are excellent! However if I had to choose just one of these two for portraits I'd go the DA70. It just seems a bit more versatile for portraiture. One of my favourite portraits I've shot has been with the DA70 which is also in the PPG Premiere gallery. When I shoot portraits though I'll use anything from 24mm to 100mm on aps-c. ;)

regards,
.bill

--


http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/billgekas
http://www.billgekas.com
 
it's been said by the posters before me: both will do the job admirably.

outdoors, with room, i really like going as long as possible, since it allows you to keep a large area in focus but still have soft background, which gives a really 3d look to me. so the 200/2.8 gives me my favourite portraits, but i have to have the room to use it.i f you want to work indoors, then perhaps the 70mm will be a bit more comfortable.

you're thinking of two fantastic lenses. both would be worth additions to any kit. don't worry too much about it.

the 100/2.8 wr would be nice because it'll serve double duties as a macro. it really is a limited lens, but without the limited label.

the 70/2.4 would be nice because it's really tiny. it, with your 40/2.8, and perhaps a wider limited would make for an excellent portable kit. you can even get away without a camera bag with that kind of set up, which is very nice.

so, the final call is with you: do you prefer to travel light, or to have macro-capabilities.

i would opt for traveling light, personally, but i'd understand full that others would go the other way.
 
As others have said, there really is not right or wrong length for portraits--whatever works for you is fine. And you'll definitely find yourself using different lengths over time.

One thing to think about. Back in the good ol' days of film many of us considered 105mm to be the "perfect" focal length for portraits and if you take 70mm x 1.5 (crop factor of an APS-C sensor) you come up with exactly 105mm.

In any case you can never have too many lenses so in the end I think it boils down to a question of which lens you want to acquire first...

--
Keith...

Look at the picture, not the pixels...
http://www.lkeithr.zenfolio.com
 
I don't have a 70 or a 100 mm lens - I do have the 77LTD and a Sigma 105 Macro. I also have the 31mm LTD. I find that the 105 works well for head shots when I don't want to intrude on the subject. The 31 (equiv to about a 50 mm normal lens at 35mm film camera) also works well if I want a full image (or something to provide a view for cropping). The 77mm works well but really doesn't add anything special. My recommendation would be to kill 2 birds with one stone and go for the 100 mm macro.

--
Best wishes, George P
' . . . . not all who wander are lost.'
 
70 for portraits
--
Regards Dean - Capturing Creation
 
Both lenses would be great, if you have the area to use the 100 get it, that would be my suggestion
--
A Camera is only a tool, photography is deciding how to use it.
 
As you can read from other replies it is a lot about preference, space available and whether portraits are tight headshots or half/full body kind of thing.

Personalyl I have always found the old 105mm equivalent a touch to short for headshots prefering somthing longer.

So for that kind of thing I would go with the 100mm on APS-C.

However it is largely down to preference, both will do portraits very well.

Thomas

Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool
http://main.duplophotography.com/
 
The only thing I'll add is that the DFA100WR has curved aperture blades that give outstanding bokeh. Give adequate room to stand back from the subject that would swing the balance for me.

But if you are getting serious about shooting with Pentax, whichever you get first you'll get the other one (and a few more) later.

Wherever you start you'll love it. I'd say "good luck" but you won't need it!
--

---

Gerry


First camera 1953, first Pentax 1983, first DSLR 2006
http://www.pbase.com/gerrywinterbourne
 
What type of portraits? If you are talking head shots, down to the shoulder, and down to the waist then like a 50-80mm is very good. Btw, your DA 40 is one fine lens for portraiture. I personally don't like long lenses, unless maybe the face needs to be flattened a bit :) Go with something like a DA 70 and you'll be super satisfied.
 
The 70mm already has a narrow field of view.
It's bokeh is beautiful for portrait (my opinion).
 
Hej Johan!

My wife has both the FA77, and the DA50-135, which cost about the same, and both are excellent. The latter is heavier, and slightly slower, but oozes quality, and is of course more flexible than the FA77, which, on the other hand, must be one of the best lenses available, irrespective of camera make.

The FA77 is, for portraits, and general photography, amazing, and worth its weight in gold :-)!

Neither on your list, though ;-(!

Tamron 90 is an excellent lens, by the way, quite a bit cheaper ...

Ha det riktigt bra,

Tord
--
tord (at) mindless (dot) com
 
I would personally go for the 70mm (105mm equiv) for portraits. I find focal lengths over 120mm for portraits to flatten the faces too much for my own taste, and prefer to stick to 70-120mm equivalent range.

the 100mm dfa has wonderful bokeh and you cant really go wrong with any of the choices. given the option, I´d choose the 70mm.
 
Excuse the IQ.
These are links from my Facebook account so have been crappily compressed.

All three shots taken with a Vivitar 'Series 1' 105 f2.5 Macro (Kiron) 1/100th sec @ F4 (800 ISO) - Pentax K7 (Lighting was two constant 250 watt tungsten modelling lamps)

This is equivalent to around 158mm focal length on a 35mm camera.

I don't find these too flat at all.





 
the 70 is the better choice. as you can see from the submitted photos the head is compressed to much. the left eye is the same size as the right one on the angled shot. even using the 70 you can have this effect so be careful on the position of the head. the 70 (105mm in 35mm terms) is used a lot for head shots but usually with the face straight on to the camera.
 
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