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Portrait lens advice

Started May 4, 2015 | Questions thread
Great Bustard Forum Pro • Posts: 45,641
Consider a macro lens.

3tagebart wrote:

Hi forum,

I like to ask you people's opinion regarding a possible lens purchase of mine. I quite recently bought an EOS 6D as addition to my old trusty EOS 40D. My standard zoom is the 24-70mm f4 I also own a 85mm f1.8 and a 70-200mm f4.

On the 40D I really loved the 85mm giving me an equivalent field of view of a 135mm on FF. The 85mm still is a great portrait lens for bust portraits but i do miss a dedicated lens for head shots. Of course I can use my 70-200mm f4 for that purpose and the results are really nice.

Since the G.A.S.-bug bit me lately I was wondering if a 135mm f2 would be able to produce some even more pleasing (bokehlisious) head shots.

To cut to the chase: Have you personally felt that a 135mm f2 is a sensible addition to the existing 70-200mm f4 or is it plain overkill?

I know it's all about personal taste in the end, nevertheless I would appreciate some shared experiences. Thank you.

David

The Tamron 90 / 2.8 VC, Canon 100 / 2.8L IS, Sigma 105 / 2.8 OS, and Sigma 150 / 2.8 OS macro lenses will let you frame very tightly (if tight framing is something you're looking for) and have IS. The disadvantage is that they're a stop slower than the 135 / 2L, but I think around the same size and weight (the 150 / 2.8 OS is larger and heavier, however).

Here are a few examples with the non-OS Sigma 150 / 2.8 macro on a 5D:

150mm f/4:

150mm f/5.6:

Macros are also good for full body group portraits

150mm f/2.8:

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