Best Portrait Combo?

[teseg]

You can get an X-E1 for not a lot of money these days. Great camera. Right now for outdoor portraits I use the X-E2 with 56 mm f1.2 and a second body, the X-E1, with the 35 mm f1.4 for those cases when I need full length portraits and don't have enough room to back up.

Example from the X-E2 with 56 f1.2

 

[teseg]

http://3d-kraft.com/index.php?optio...h-sony-a7r&catid=40:camerasandlenses&Itemid=2

Nice. Thanks for this!

 

[ktownbill]

I have had a Sony RX1 for 1 1/2 years and absolutely love it for all manner of photography. So much so to the point that 95%+ of all my 10K+ photos since it was purchased have come from this lovely machine and several months ago I sold off all my cropped sensor equipment. When I would take crop sensor pictures the malleability and quality of the files were clearly inferior in many ways. The RX1 sensor + lens really makes an unbeatable combo. HOWEVER... I never have been into shooting portraits... until recently.

More recently my wife and son have started to appreciate my photographs and more and more have been asking I photography them or their friends at various functions. With a 35mm FL lens I have finally found the RX1's limitation.

What is the ideal camera body and lens for amazing portrait photography (make + model)? I'm interested in a FF body and ~90mm lens. Suggestions and samples appreciated.

Teseg,

Listen to "69 Chevy" and "Just a Canon Shooter"........ The argument in this thread that a crop sensor camera is equivalent to a FF camera is ridiculous. For studio portraiture YES, I agree, that there is no advantage of one format over the other. For non-studio where you desire bokeh the crop cannot hold a candle to the FF. In the photos I'm posting here, I would have had to stand 60% farther from the subject to get the same framing. That would destroy the beautiful bokeh derived from being 60% closer to the subject the FF allows you.

A picture they say is worth 1000 words. I suggest you take a full-length portrait like I did in these shots with a 135L using BOTH sensor formats. There won't be anything to argue about. Again, when you take the same shot with the crop sensor you will be 60% farther from the subject for equivalent framing.

Over the years this subject has been beaten to death in this forum. That is why 69Chevy and Just Another Canon Shooter left the debate I speculate.

Seriously.....rent the lens and camera and do the comparison.

































--
Bill

 

[teseg]

Thanks Bill. That separation that is achieved at a distance is very impressive. This is definitely the look I would like to achieve so very good examples.

 

[ktownbill]

Thanks Bill. That separation that is achieved at a distance is very impressive. This is definitely the look I would like to achieve so very good examples.

Which is exactly why I use FF for portraiture that has BG elements in it. Not just to render the BG oof but to carefully choose that oof BG to one that compliments the shot.

I have a 7D and a 5DM3...... I will shoot the comparison for you. There will be no equivalent shot to the FF even if you used an 85mm and got closer to the subject. I would simply use the 85mm and get even closer and have the same framing.

Once you start using f/2 with the FF you've run out of "aperture" to shoot an 'equivalent' with the cropper. Make sense?

 

[ktownbill]

Thanks Bill. That separation that is achieved at a distance is very impressive. This is definitely the look I would like to achieve so very good examples.

Which is exactly why I use FF for portraiture that has BG elements in it. Not just to render the BG oof but to carefully choose that oof BG to one that compliments the shot.

I have a 7D and a 5DM3...... I will shoot the comparison for you. There will be no equivalent shot to the FF even if you used an 85mm and got closer to the subject. I would simply use the 85mm and get even closer and have the same framing.

Once you start using f/2 with the FF you've run out of "aperture" to shoot an 'equivalent' with the cropper. Make sense?

 

[teseg]

I'm with you. I think I'm leaning towards a 135mm FF setup vs. 85mm... Which I could always get later if needed. Now the question of which brand body and lens!

 

[ktownbill]

I'm with you. I think I'm leaning towards a 135mm FF setup vs. 85mm... Which I could always get later if needed. Now the question of which brand body and lens!

Good choice on the 135. I find 85mm too short for portraiture that will have bokeh in it. Perfect for the studio though. One thing regarding shooting f/2 with a FF is you will need to shift your focus point in the vf and know that the 6D and 5Dm3 focus capabilities are night and day.

What do you have in mind for lighting? The shot samples I posted were flash filled btw. I was using on-camera flash then. Now I use multiple speedlites in HSS mode and umbrellas as well.

Guess my question should be another thread?

--
Bill

 

[KLO82]

If I had enough money, I would buy an FF camera with a 85mm f1.8 and a 135mm f2 lens for portraits. I personally think that on FF, f1.8/ f2 is the widest aperture that you need for portraits. Yes, you can get same DoF at ~f1.2 on 1.5/1.6x crop cameras, but you are more likely to get better technical image quality from lenses at f1.8/2 (f number which you are going to use on FF) than at f1.2 (f number which you are going to use on 1.5/1.6 crop cameras). Also, if you are using phase detection AF, you will see that it may be very hard to achieve correct focus consistently at smaller f numbers on 1.5x/1.6x cameras (it is very hard for me to achieve correct focus with my 550D, 50mm f1.8 and 85mm f1.8 even at f2.5). It has to do with lower inherent focusing accuracy of phase detection system of smaller sensor cameras (see this post http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/54108783 ). But if you are using contrast detect AF, it is not an issue, eg: Fuji XT1 with 56mm f1.2.
As I already have a Canon 85mm f1.8 lens, I would like to buy a canon 6D to complement it.

Some of my portrait works:

 

[teseg]

If I had enough money, I would buy an FF camera with a 85mm f1.8 and a 135mm f2 lens for portraits. I personally think that on FF, f1.8/ f2 is the widest aperture that you need for portraits. Yes, you can get same DoF at ~f1.2 on 1.5/1.6x crop cameras, but you are more likely to get better technical image quality from lenses at f1.8/2 (f number which you are going to use on FF) than at f1.2 (f number which you are going to use on 1.5/1.6 crop cameras). Also, if you are using phase detection AF, you will see that it may be very hard to achieve correct focus consistently at smaller f numbers on 1.5x/1.6x cameras (it is very hard for me to achieve correct focus with my 550D, 50mm f1.8 and 85mm f1.8 even at f2.5). It has to do with lower inherent focusing accuracy of phase detection system of smaller sensor cameras (see this post http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/54108783 ). But if you are using contrast detect AF, it is not an issue, eg: Fuji XT1 with 56mm f1.2.
As I already have a Canon 85mm f1.8 lens, I would like to buy a canon 6D to complement it.
Some of my portrait works:

Nice. Thanks.

 

[cdleon]

For me an old full frame and a 50mm works just fine for portraits...when I was in the pursuit of a camera+combo lens for portrait

I went for a canon 5d and a 50mm 1.4, can't afford the latest but I knew I wanted FF for portraits...no second thought on that. Even is a 2005 camera I'm really happy with the purchase for my family/friends portraits.

If money wasn't an issue for me, I will probably go for a 6D+85mm.

by the way Teseg...how do the sony rx1 worked for you at 75mm crop mode?

Carlos.

Some samples here:

 

[teseg]

For me an old full frame and a 50mm works just fine for portraits...when I was in the pursuit of a camera+combo lens for portrait

I went for a canon 5d and a 50mm 1.4, can't afford the latest but I knew I wanted FF for portraits...no second thought on that. Even is a 2005 camera I'm really happy with the purchase for my family/friends portraits.

If money wasn't an issue for me, I will probably go for a 6D+85mm.

by the way Teseg...how do the sony rx1 worked for you at 75mm crop mode?

Carlos.

Some samples here:

Thanks for sharing. The RX1 75mm crop is fine for digital display, but brings the picture size down to 5MP or something... which is fine for printing smaller pictures. However, in doing so one loses quite a bit of depth of field... like losing a few stops in that regard.