50mm or 85mm for portrait

For portrait, which focus length do you prefer for between 50mm and 85mm on full frame? or you use both? I know many photographer use 135mm or 70-200mm, but if you only have the choice between 50mm and 85mm, which one you like the most?

Always 85 over 50.

i am biased as I never shoot 50. If I want a wider look then I go all the way to 35.

i also find 135 an inbetweener and prefer going to 200 maybe 300.

expro said:

Always 85 over 50.

i am biased as I never shoot 50. If I want a wider look then I go all the way to 35.

i also find 135 an inbetweener and prefer going to 200 maybe 300.

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Would you say the 85mm is good for both APSC and Full frame camera for portrait?

There are many different types of portraits that can be shot with a wide to telephoto lenses successfully. What type of a portrait are you thinking of?

Without that information, in a vacuum, I would choose the 85mm FL.

alexchan said:

For portrait, which focus length do you prefer for between 50mm and 85mm on full frame? or you use both? I know many photographer use 135mm or 70-200mm, but if you only have the choice between 50mm and 85mm, which one you like the most?

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I have the 50mm f/1.4. Kind of a crappy lens, so seldom use it. For most of my portraits, I use the 70-200 near 200mm or 100mm macro (Headshots), or the 24-70 (Environmental), or the 35mm prime (close in dreamy shots). So many great ways to get a good portrait at all different focal lengths! I guess between the two, I'd choose a good 50mm for the versatility. That 50mm f/1.2 is amazing for portraits and a great all-rounder. 85mm seems a bit more specialty... yes?

alexchan said:

expro said:

Always 85 over 50.

i am biased as I never shoot 50. If I want a wider look then I go all the way to 35.

i also find 135 an inbetweener and prefer going to 200 maybe 300.

Click to expand...

Would you say the 85mm is good for both APSC and Full frame camera for portrait?

Click to expand...

85 is 136 on a crop so it's basically like having 85 and 135 which are both classic portrait focal lengths.

If you need to do tighter headshots the 85mm works a little better.

I use the 85mm almost exclusively. I have a Sigma 85mm ART but the Canon 85mm 1.8 served me well for years.

If just for portraits I would recommend the 85mm, I do find 50mm a lot more versatile with a full frame, but I choose between both and the 135mm, depending on the working distance or how much background I want to show.

I would prefer the 85mm. If you are close to a face, the 50mm starts behaving a bit like a wide angle and creating distortion, making the nose bigger, etc.

They both work, but on crop, you need much more space with the 85. I have used the 85 on crop and full frame, and also the 50. You are going to be looking at head shots on crop, unless you are in a larger space. The 50 mm focal length is easier to use indoors, in low light, on crop. It lets you use slower shutter speeds. Outside, the 85 is nice on both camera bodies, and inside in larger spaces.

I prefer the results that I can get from the Canon 85F1.8, but it all depends on where you are and what you are trying to do. ... And the camera body. It also depends on the specific lenses you are comparing. The Canon 85F1.8 is moderate in cost, and has very fast and accurate AF. AF is Ok on the Canon 50F1.8 STM, but not as fast. It is hard to generalize. You can get good results with both focal lengths.

I would go for a 85mm.

But is really depending on what you kind of portraits you do!

you can use from 35 to 200...

something like the 50 Art is very good if you don’t use close views. (But be sure your copy is AF consistant. From my experience, the wort is the 35 art...)

50mm = long noses; so 85mm.