My next prime portrait lens should be ... ?

Canon_Guy wrote:

KariP wrote:

Canon_Guy wrote:

KariP wrote:

atolk wrote:

I don't strictly speaking NEED a portrait lens because I don't shoot all that many portraits, and my EF 70-200mm f/2.8 and EF 85mm f/1.8 are adequate, but I have the bokeh envy from all the FB posts and YouTube reviews, and I know that I am supposed to want a prime lens for sharpness (I think my old 85mm 1.8 has issues), so I am thinking about getting a lens that I don't need but will love and use a lot. And just in time for a requested senior shoot. Make the customer's friends and family ooh and aah and start knocking my door down for more sessions.

Let's say the RF 85mm f/1.2 at $2,699 sets the upper limit of desirability and budget.

Let's say that something like Samyang/Rokinon 85mm f/1.4 AF at around $499 is an acceptable low end alternative. (Oh, and I just found out than an RF version exists, except it seems that it does not.)

Not to mention the $349 manual focus version with RF mount. An option? Why not?

And the three famous Sigma ART lenses comfortable occupying the middle tier and running between $1,049 and $1,499, commanding a cult following of sorts.

In your own humble professional opinion, what lens delivers the greatest wow/price ratio? Make your recommendation as succinct or verbose as you please.

I will buy the lens YOU recommend. And if I don't, we can have a nice gear chat.

Samples are always welcome! Especially if you do senior shoots.

Of some reason many of us think that f 1,2 - 1,4 is the thing in portrait photography - why ? Beautiful bokeh is of course nice, but the person in the picture should be photographed - not just the smooth background blur

IMO it is difficult and disturbing to use f 1.2 or 1,4 for taking portraits - DOF is practically always too shallow.

Not true at all. Check the half body, full body and environmental portraits (not only) in this thread.

One eye sharp and the other slightly blurred or a beautiful earring is not sharp at the same time as eyelashes ... I usually use something like f4-5,6 if it is a headshot.

It strongly depends on each picture and what do you want to express / emphasise with the photo. F/1.2 and 1.4 lens offer great space for DOF creativity and broaden the language a photographer can talk. So based on the context and aim anything from f/1.2 to f/whatever is pretty much fine in general.

I'm quite happy with RF24-105L when i take portraits - perspective and framing easy to control.

Did you ever own and regularily use any 85-135 (200)mm lens with f/<=2.0 (2.8)?

Anyway RF 85 f2 could be quite useful in low light/outdoors/evenings because it has IS. Price is OK and the lens has other uses too.

85mm is classic focal length of a portrait lens (FF)

Yes yes

I have heard many times all those things you say. And i understand the way many of us amateurs think.

I have used a 56mm f 1,2 lens on a APS C body - and the bokeh is really lovely. But that does not make the portrait much better - sometimes useful, not often.

I have been looking at great and famous and praised portraits made by famous photographers. Extremely shallow DOF is not used so often and the making portraits of human beings is a difficult job. Psychology, contact with the person and understanding his/her personalit and professiony , suitable light, background and so on make a portrait better than a basic snapshot.

Sometimes f 1,2 85mm can help the process technically - but that is not photographic art or portrait photography. .

Most probably oyu are considering a very traditional and formal way of portraiture - headshots, torso. In that respect I do fully agree with what you wrote. Even with that the f/1.2 or 1.4 gives the space for experimenting, moody shots.

But a short telephoto lens can be used for much more than just a formal portaiture. What I love about those fast primes is the spectacular separation even when the subject occupies only small portion of the frame height - 1/3 for instance. The 3D medium format efect it creates while the subject is surrounded by a huge amount of surroundings... Also product photo where shallow DOF can be used creatively. Flowers details. Night sky photos with a landscape detail. Music clubs, theaters, any kind of a night venue... Name whatever usage can a man imagine for such a lens.

True - i thought that a portrait lens OP wants suits traditional portraiture.

Shallow DOF is something i have used also in a more "creative " way. 56f1,2 has been a nice lens for art / statues and it separates the subject from the background - a statue does not need background like some persons in some portraits do.

RF70-200 at 200mm f 5,6 separates playing kids from the background in a nice way to give some 3D effect - not sure if i call it a portrait lens. Great lens anyway.