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Author Topic: Portrait Lens  (Read 4768 times)

saiine

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Portrait Lens
« on: January 11, 2006, 01:46:47 pm »

I'm researching which puppy to buy. the ef 85 1.2 L, or the 50 1.4 / 50 1.8 II.

I have a digital rebel xt so it has a 1.6 multiplier which bumps my 50 to 80 which is right in "ideal" portrait range. the 50 is also substantially less then the 85 1.2, any opinions on this? I'm not a professional, just looking to start out doing some studio lighting practice and feel my 70-200 is a bit too much to be shooting portraits with.
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Hank

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« Reply #1 on: January 11, 2006, 02:02:51 pm »

It depends upon your shooting style, but for me the critical difference may be in DOF.  I like to manage (or limit) DOF carefully, and the 85 looks more promising in that regard.  We're shooting Nikon with D2X bodies, and most of the time we use their 35-70mm f/2.8.  It spends most of its life at the 70mm end, but the zoom is handy when accomodating small spaces or groups.  That might be the circumstance for you as well, so don't discount the potential service from a high-end zoom shorter than your 70-200.
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GordonMcGregor

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« Reply #2 on: January 11, 2006, 03:29:10 pm »

Quote
I'm researching which puppy to buy. the ef 85 1.2 L, or the 50 1.4 / 50 1.8 II.

I have a digital rebel xt so it has a 1.6 multiplier which bumps my 50 to 80 which is right in "ideal" portrait range. the 50 is also substantially less then the 85 1.2, any opinions on this? I'm not a professional, just looking to start out doing some studio lighting practice and feel my 70-200 is a bit too much to be shooting portraits with.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=55755\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

There is also an 85 1.8 available, for about quarter of the price of the 85 1.2L  
The cheaper lens is actually much faster focusing and obviously significantly lighter.  
Quality is supposed to be good for both lenses (though better with the 1.2L)  Depends if
you need to focus speed and lighter lens, or not.
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Yakim Peled

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« Reply #3 on: January 12, 2006, 05:57:30 am »

Do you know what is the price and weight difference between the 85/1.8 and 85/1.2?
Do you know how hard it is to get the focus in the right spot with so little DoF?

My suggestion: Start with the 50/1.8 and 85/1.8. Shoot for a couple of months and see if you really need the 1.4/1.2 versions.
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Happy shooting,
Yakim.

roli_bark

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« Reply #4 on: January 12, 2006, 07:38:26 am »

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Do you know what is the price and weight difference between the 85/1.8 and 85/1.2? ...Do you know how hard it is to get the focus in the right spot with so little DoF?

Pricewise, weightwise - no brainer. Go for the 50mm if you have a cropped body, and the 85 f1.8 if you have a close to FF body.

However, if you want exceptional BOKEH, and excellent wide-open sharpness in low-light conditions [... and love to play with a shallow DOF ...] - go for th 85L f/1.2

Note: there is not much of a significant DOF difference between the 85L and the 85 f1.8...both are shallow [based on DOF data for both lenses in Canon Camera Museum site...]
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oldcsar

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« Reply #5 on: January 12, 2006, 02:36:12 pm »

go for the 50mm f/1.8, all the way. it's a relatively cheap lens, and the photo quality (bokeh and sharpness) is very similar to the far more expensive 50mm f/1.4. one of the first photos i ever took with it was a portrait shot, and i was impressed with the quality of the lens. some might argue that the build quality (some sort of hard plastic) isn't great, but i don't really imagine it as a problem... unless you plan on abusing your lenses  

i use the 50mm on my Rebel, and it's fantastic in low light.
« Last Edit: January 12, 2006, 02:37:36 pm by oldcsar »
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Brendan Wiebe
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Dr. Gary

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« Reply #6 on: January 12, 2006, 08:07:29 pm »

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I'm researching which puppy to buy. the ef 85 1.2 L, or the 50 1.4 / 50 1.8 II.

I have a digital rebel xt so it has a 1.6 multiplier which bumps my 50 to 80 which is right in "ideal" portrait range. the 50 is also substantially less then the 85 1.2, any opinions on this? I'm not a professional, just looking to start out doing some studio lighting practice and feel my 70-200 is a bit too much to be shooting portraits with.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=55755\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

When you are looking at the sensor crop factor, the 50mm lens becomes a longer focal length, but the perspective you get with a longer focal length that makes it a portrait lens does not change. You wll not get the same "flattened" perspective when you use a normal lens on a APC sensor anymore than when you use it on a full frame sensor. The fact that you are shooting from a further distance for the same crop will help a little.

drgarym
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