Everyone wants to look good on paper, especially when the paper in question becomes a photographic print. So what kind of lens makes people more beautiful?With a full-size Canon DSLR camera, an 85mm lens is ideal. If you are shooting with an APS-C camera, such as a Canon EOS 7D Mark II, a 50mm press that provides approximately the same focal length?Effective, the best portrait lens.
These lenses allow you to maintain a natural distance from the subject to the head and shoulders or to half-body portraits, without volume and without making people feel strange, nor too far to be guided.
- One of the advantages of 50 mm and 85 mm fixed focal length lenses is that they tend to offer excellent image quality with negligible distortion; However.
- The main feature is that they usually have a maximum aperture of approximately f/1.
- 4 af/1.
- 8.
This allows for a rigorous depth of field so you can blur demanding backgrounds and really highlight the main theme. Another advantage is that you can maintain relatively fast shutter speeds, even in low light conditions, freezing any movement of the subject and avoiding camera tremors. This is especially important if you want to make portraits indoors with ambient lighting, without the need for a flash. However, optical stabilization can still be a great advantage, not only in dim light conditions, but when you want to use a narrower aperture for environmental portraits. The greater depth of field allows you to show the people around you.
Elements to look for in a portrait lens Some aspects of the image quality you normally look for in a lens are relatively unsuitable for portraits. For example, corner sharpness is of little importance if you blur the background in some way and the vignette (darkened image corners) in large openings can actually help frame the main subject. Similarly, although you usually prefer the sharpness of a knife to a lens, there is something to say about lenses that are slightly softer in large openings, reducing the appearance of wrinkles and imperfections. The other side is that smoothing is easier to apply than sharpness in the editing stage. For example, it’s hard to try to inject sharpness into your eyes that just doesn’t exist to begin with.
There are excellent manual focus lenses on the market for Canon DSLR. The Zeiss Milvus range is particularly good. However, because DSLRs do not have the dual-screen and microprism predecessors of their 35mm predecessors, manual focus can be somewhat problematic without using Live View mode, and autofocus lenses generally allow for a much higher success rate for clear images.
Compared to absolute sharpness, the bokeh effect of a portrait lens can be a more important consideration. It is a term that describes the pictorial quality of the areas blurred in the images. Ideally, a soft, creamy stain. Lenses with wider apertures have the natural advantage that they provide a more accurate depth of field. However, even af/1. 8, especially when using an 85mm lens on a full frame camera, the depth of field can be so high that you may not be able to render both eyes. clean, not to mention facial features. If you have to stop for a while, lenses with a more rounded diaphragm tend to help maintain a better bokeh. Although the diaphragm leaves that control the aperture are usually curved, more leaves tend to produce a more rounded opening.
Canon’s latest 85mm lens combines ultra-fast f/1. 4 aperture with image stabilization, making it unique on the market; however, it faces fierce competition from more affordable options in the Canon range, as well as powerful Sigma and Tamron competitors.
A major improvement compared to previous editions of Canon’s 50mm f/1. 8 lens, it’s more robust with a metal plate instead of plastic, seven diaphragms instead of five, and a quieter STM (step-by-step) autofocus system. not yet especially fast or silent, as it is based on an engine that uses helical gears, rather than being a type of mother screw, but it is always an improvement. The handling is also more refined, since the focus ring does not rotate during although it is very compact and light, the lens offers good image quality, with better clarity than Canon’s most expensive 50mm f/1. 4 lens in the f/1. 8 sector for an aperture range f/2. 8. Canon label for APS-C DSLR portraits and its value for money is incredibly good.
Maximum aperture: f / 1. 8 Image stabilization: no Diaphragm sheets: 7 Minimum focus distance: 0. 35 m Filter size: 49 mm Dimensions: 69 x 39 mm Weight: 160 g
Good image quality and processing Unbeatable value/price
Autofocus on F/1. 8 instead of f/1. 4 is not as quiet as some STM lenses
An old-fashioned design? Dating back to 1993, it is a fairly basic target compared to the latest sigma and Tamron models, making it much cheaper to buy, but still significantly more expensive than the Canon 50mm f/1. 8. are that this lens has a faster aperture, slightly better build quality and, for what it’s worth, a focus distance scale. Autofocus is based on an ultrasonic motor, rather than a ring type. It is a bit slow and clearly audible, but, exceptionally for this type of system, it has a full-time manual replacement. The sharpness is quite disappointing in the range of f/1. 4 af/2. 8 of the aperture range, but some claim that it can make the portrait images nice soft The sticker is also quite severe. All in all, we would choose the Canon 50 mm f/1.
Maximum aperture: f / 1. 4 Image stabilization: no Diaphragm sheets: 8 Minimum focus distance: 0. 45 m Filter size: 58 mm Dimensions: 74 x 51 mm Weight: 290 g
Relatively small and light benefits More robust than 50mm f/1. 8
Cons Image quality is a bit disappointing slightly audible AF
Launched in 1992, it is one of the mainstays of the lens range. Like the Canon 50mm f / 1. 4 lens, it’s a relatively old and straightforward design, but at least compact and lightweight. For example, the Sigma 85mm f Art / 1. 4 lens is much larger and almost three times as heavy. The purchase price is very competitive, but typical of Canon’s budget mid-range lenses, it is sealless and the lens hood is sold separately. The blade diaphragm maintains a well rounded aperture when stopped a bit. Sharpness may be a bit better at large apertures, but image quality is generally impressive, making this lens a smart buy for full-frame portraits.
Maximum aperture: f / 1. 4 Image stabilization: yes Diaphragm sheets: 9 Minimum focus distance: 0. 85 m Filter size: 77 mm Dimensions: 89 x 105 mm Weight: 950 g
Relatively light but well-built AF benefits fast and good image quality
Cons No optical stabilization f / 1. 8 instead of aperture f / 1. 4
Something very special for Canon cameras, this lens offers you the best of both worlds. It combines a quick aperture of f/1. 4 with very effective image stabilization. Although unique among Canon’s retractable lenses, it is more typical of the company’s L. -Series of lenses in terms of professional quality and weatherproof versions. The optical design is much more complex than the old Canon 50mm f/1. 4 and 85mm f/1. 8. Other enhancements include a nine-sheet diaphragm and an advanced Air Sphere Coating (CSA) to minimize ghosts and reflections. However, one drawback is that this lens weighs more than twice the weight of the Canon 85 mm f / 1. 8, tilting the scale by almost one kilogram. The sharpness in large apertures is not as impressive as that of the Sigma 85mm f/1. 4 Art competition lens, especially outside the center of the frame.
Maximum aperture: f / 1. 4 Image stabilization: yes Diaphragm sheets: 9 Minimum focus distance: 0. 85 m Filter size: 77 mm Dimensions: 89 x 105 mm Weight: 950 g
Benefits Combines f/1. 4 aperture with IS Professional image quality and construction
Against large and heavy purchase costs
Physically, this lens is even wider and heavier than Canon’s 85mm f/1. 4 stabilized lens, even if it’s not as long. The Mk II edition has a faster autofocus system, but in practice, autofocus is not yet exactly fast. It’s excellent, but unlike most L-series lenses, it’s not weatherproof. In f/1. 2, the 85mm focal length allows for a really high depth of field, but you can often find it too tight for portraits. blurry, sharpness is very good, even when shooting completely open, while bokeh is very fluid. He was the undisputed king of Canon portrait lenses, but the new EF 85mm f/1. 4L USM IS has become a better purchase.
Maximum aperture: f / 1. 2 Image stabilization: no Diaphragm sheets: 8 Minimum focus distance: 0. 95 m Filter size: 72 mm Dimensions: 92 x 84 mm Weight: 1,025 g
Benefits Ultra-fast opening of f/1. 2 Excellent construction and image quality
Cons Too expensive to buy No image stabilization
If larger is better, this Sigma 50 mm f / 1. 4 lens is the ideal model for APS-C portraits. This is huge compared to Canon’s 50mm f/1. 4 lens and nearly three times heavier. It also has a much more complex optical design. , based on a newer and more technological design. The quality of manufacture is excellent and, despite the lack of gaskets, it seems to be a professional goal. The image quality is similar to that of the market, with excellent contrast and sharpness, in addition to minimum color margins, distortion and vignette. The handling is very refined, despite the relatively large size of the lens, and the ring-type ultrasonic autofocus system is fast and quiet, with the usual full-time manual control. Performance and image quality, this Sigma is the 50mm lens to achieve.
Maximum aperture: f / 1. 4 Image stabilization: no Diaphragm sheets: 9 Minimum focus distance: 0. 4 m Filter size: 77 mm Dimensions: 85 x 100 mm Weight: 815 g
Benefits Excellent image quality Robust construction and high precision
Cons No big and heavy image stabilizer
A recent addition to Sigma’s Global Vision line, this ‘Art’ was launched in 2016, approximately two and a half years after its 50 mm brother. It is exceptionally robust for an 85 mm lens, measures 95 x 126 mm and weighs 1130 g. While the building quality standard is equally impressive on both Sigma lenses, the 85mm adds weather protection for a dust and splash-proof construction The ring-type autofocus system is ultra-fast and quiet, but as with the 50mm Sigma lens, there is no image stabilization. The image quality is simply impressive in all respects and the sharpness of the entire frame is outstanding even when shooting af/1. 4. In general, the size and weight of the lens make the task a little difficult, but there is nothing better than performance.
Maximum aperture: f / 1. 4 Image stabilization: no Diaphragm sheets: 9 Minimum focus distance: 0. 85 m Filter size: 86 mm Dimensions: 95 x 126 mm Weight: 1130 g
Benefits Image quality in top drawer Excellent compilation and handling
Cons No Comparatively Large and Heavy Optical Stabilizer
In this category of fixed focus lenses, examples with a nominal aperture of f/1. 8 instead of f/1. 4 are often considered weak proportions. However, this lens has a top-notch build quality, with seals and adds the advantage of a very effective 4-point image stabilizer, or “vibration compensation” system, as Tamron calls it. The ring-type ultrasonic autofocus system is just as effective, with fast but very quiet performance, and the usual advantage of full-time manual replacement. Overall, it significantly outperforms Canon 50mm patented lenses in terms of functionality, and the Tamron is just as impressive in terms of image quality. It is not a particularly small or light lens, but with 540 g, it is not too heavy and is an excellent lens for portraits. for DSLR APS-C.
Maximum aperture: f / 1. 8 Image stabilization: yes Diaphragm sheets: 9 Minimum focus distance: 0. 29 m Filter size: 67 mm Dimensions: 80 x 92 mm Weight: 540 g
Benefits Stunning image quality High efficiency optical stabilizer
Solo f/1. 8 More expensive than Canon 50mm f/1. 4
Not necessarily an inconvenience, the aperture rating f/1. 8 instead of f/1. 4 in this main market allows for lighter construction, especially compared to the competition’s 85mm Sigma lens, and also allows for very precise depth of field when shooting at maximum power. As with the 45 mm Tamron, this lens has a sturdy and weatherproof construction, but this time there is also a fluoride coating that stays clean on the front element. The handling is excellent and the 4-speed image stabilizer is an excellent advantage for Portable Portraits indoors or in dim lighting conditions. The overall sharpness in large apertures is not as impressive as that of the Sigma lens, but it is not far away and is very consistent throughout the image frame. As an 85 mm stabilizer, it is a great purchase and much more affordable than the Canon competition.