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Do I really need an 135mm f/2L for portraits?

Started Feb 24, 2020 | Questions thread
J A C S
J A C S Forum Pro • Posts: 20,544
Re: Do I really need an 135mm f/2L for portraits?

Scott Larson wrote:

Here's a real reason why you might not need it. If you have a 200mm lens that's f2.8 (either the prime lens or one of the zooms) and you don't need the extra stop of light then you can get pretty much the same look as the 135mm f2 wide open with a little more distance from your subject.

The 135mm f2 is one of my most used lens, but the 200mm f2.8 prime is cheaper and it's identical in terms of color, contrast, and sharpness wide open. I've shot with both and honestly I couldn't tell you which shot came from which lens.

I think that the 200/2.8 is an underappreciated lens, indeed, but for handholding, the 135/2 is often borderline acceptable in a so-so light while the 200/2.8 needs two more stops (well a bit less than two)...

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