Portrait photography + long lens = good?

85mm is the pros favourite portrait lens on a FF body, i think it's just a happy medium, not invading their subjects space and also not looking dodgy by shooting from a long distance away, a happy medium if you will. Also a zoom isn't as good as a prime for portraits because A, they are slower (F/2.8 --> compared to F/1.2/ F/1.4 or even F/1.8) so primes get a better DoF, also primes tend to be sharper than zooms too.
 
I think the choice of lens is more to do with perspective than anything else. A 85mm lens won't exaggerate the nose for example and will therefore make if look less obvious and less of a dominant feature than a 50mm would. Any lens will give a blurred background used properly.
 
Gofer said:
I think the choice of lens is more to do with perspective than anything else. A 85mm lens won't exaggerate the nose for example and will therefore make if look less obvious and less of a dominant feature than a 50mm would. Any lens will give a blurred background used properly.
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That was the word I was looking for, perspective. If i used a longer lens, would it give a better perspective?
 
As has been said, you can go too long and you can go too short with a portrait lens.

Wide lenses cause the prominent nose and distortion of the face which we've see in many comic shots at the extreme end, and telephoto lenses have the opposite effect- compressing perspective and rather flattening the face.

Opinions vary on the ideal length. In the 35mm days 135mm was considered a good portrait lens, while nowadays we tend to think around 80mm is about right.

Getting a decent working space between you and the model is less claustrophobic for the model - having a lens pushed virtually in your face is very intimidating.
 
Gofer said:
I think the choice of lens is more to do with perspective than anything else. A 85mm lens won't exaggerate the nose for example and will therefore make if look less obvious and less of a dominant feature than a 50mm would. Any lens will give a blurred background used properly.
Click to expand...

I always thought the 85 f1.2 was pushed more as a portrait because of its bokeh rather than because of its focal length (which is useful, but there are plenty of other near 80 lenses).

I actually like using my 70-200 f4L for portraits:
20080223130231_portrait1.jpg


But yes, the 85 f1.2 is usually pushed as the best portrait lens for its speed and convenient length. The 70-200 ones are also nice to use as public candids, so long as you're not shooting kids at a playground.
 
I quite frequently use my 70-200 for portraits at the 70mm end. If I could afford it I think I would buy a 85 f1.2.

I've had an 85 f1.8 on the shopping list for ages just dont have the finances.
 
The other benifit of a longer lens is there is less background full stop.. u can use a wide lens and fill the frame with the same amount of subject, but, you 'll end up with a wider view of the whatever is behind.. not usefull if theres a busy background.. the use of a longer lens will help theat.. it'll isolate the subject much better..
 
Good ? Sam :thumbs: and good answers :thumbs: helped me with the different views posted :thinking: im always learning here more then have on anyother online site, im gratefull that there's so many with g8 knowledge in Photography :thumbs: it's a credit to all those willing to pass on their informative opinions :clap: many thanks, tazza
 
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