Which Lens 85mm or 100mm Macro ! ?

[Tysonator]

Hi and Merry Xmas,

I have booked myself a days

Portrait Course / shoot with TimeLine Event and I am wondering should I get a dedicated portrait lens like Canon EF 85mm f1.8 USM, or use the lens I already own;

Sigma 17-70mm F2.8-4 DC Macro OS HSM contemporary a dedicated APS-C lens
Canon EF 100mm L IS USM Macro lens
Canon 70-300mm L f/4-5.6L IS USM

I have used my 100L macro for portrait work before and on my eos 7Dii it becomes a 160mm macro. S I do have have to stand a fair way back on some composition I need.

For out door shoots I use my 70-300 as the compression at the long end is pretty good and using the 100L macro outside I have room to move around.

The TimeLine Events shoot will be inside a pumping station in South London so my 70-300L will struggle in the low light. My sigma 17-70 I believe will not give me enough compression which really leaves me with my 100L macro lens on my eos 7Dii crop sensor will be 160mm !

So do I buy the Canon EF 85mm F1.8 USM lens ! ?

Look forward to your comments

T

 

[LongLensPhotography]

There is no reason you cant complete the course or do some portraits with your current kit


There can be many different answers and perhaps I would recommend 70-200mm + 24-70mm f/2.8 on some lovely full frame body and a full bag of godox ad200. Now get on with the spending!

 

[admirable]

Quality wise the 100mm macro will be the sharpest/best lens you have, it all depends what type of portrait you are asked to take and distance you have available. Go with your gut feeling and use the lens you are most comfortable with!

 

[Tysonator]

Quality wise the 100mm macro will be the sharpest/best lens you have, it all depends what type of portrait you are asked to take and distance you have available. Go with your gut feeling and use the lens you are most comfortable with!

As I have never been on a Portrait course / shoot that is organised by a Co I am really not sure what lens I will need, so my gut feeling is too take all 3 of my lenses. Best to have it and not need than need it and not have it !

There is no reason you cant complete the course or do some portraits with your current kit


There can be many different answers and perhaps I would recommend 70-200mm + 24-70mm f/2.8 on some lovely full frame body and a full bag of godox ad200. Now get on with the spending!

I would love to own a 70-200 f2.8 and the Godox AD200 Pro,( Godox which is on my future purchase list ) however I just do not have that much money to spend on gear. There is 85mm F1.8 USM at my local camera shop and I am tempted to get it. My issue do I really need the 85mm or is just a case lens Envy !

 

[Brentor]

I expect your existing lenses will be fine. Do the organisers have any recommendations? How close will you get to the models?

 

[Harlequin565]

Do the organisers have any recommendations? How close will you get to the models?

This was my first thought. Have you asked them? They will have a much better idea of what you need than us here. Long focal lengths are fine for headshots but what about environmental portraits? or 3/4 length stuff? I'd really hope that for a chargeable course they wouldn't take you somewhere dark and expect everyone to have f/1.8 lenses without saying that *very* clearly up front. There could be people turning up there with kit lenses!

If it's a generic course with no serious pre-requisites, it may well be that they have some sort of continuous lighting setup as the environment can be controlled perfectly and it saves a ton of hassle with different camera systems people will turn up with (that's what I'd do). If that's the case I would say the 17-70 & 70-300 would be fine as that covers you for everything. But I'm only guessing - best to drop them an email or a phone call.

Of course, if this is a thinly veiled excuse for buying another lens, then that's a whole 'nother matter