Stacey Lund
New member
What do you recommend for a good Portrait Lense for my Canon 30D?
-
Please use real names.
Greetings to all who have registered to OPF and those guests taking a look around. Please use real names. Registrations with fictitious names will not be processed. REAL NAMES ONLY will be processed
Firstname Lastname
Register
We are a courteous and supportive community. No need to hide behind an alia. If you have a genuine need for privacy/secrecy then let me know! -
Welcome to the new site. Here's a thread about the update where you can post your feedback, ask questions or spot those nasty bugs!
Portrait Lense
- Thread starter Stacey Lund
- Start date
Bart_van_der_Wolf
pro member
A 50mm - 85mm focal length range will give a nice perspective on the 30D. Depending on your other photography needs/wants, and budget, there are several good/excellent candidates.
Bart
Asher Kelman
OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Stacey,
Bart's advice can hardly be improved on! Why not let us know what lenses you have. Chances are, one of them will do fine. You might want to look in the portrait section and see if you like any of the looks. I'd also go to galleries to get an idea of what people do.
I find the EF Macro 50 2.5 is a particularly wonderful portrait lens. It seems to have a better look than the 50 1.4 and to mew this is the most wonderful bargain lenses available. Still, I believe that any of the Canon 50mm lens or even the 85 1.8 would make great protrait lenses.
My order of preference is 50 1.2 L, for using wide open or close to it, the 50 2.5 Macro, the 50 1.4, 50 1.8.
The 85mm lenses are not included since, instead, I use either Zeiss lenss or the 70-200 2.8L IS. I keep thinking of getting an 85mm lens, but I see little need for it.
When you want a change of look, ask again and we can talk about non-Canon lenses used on your camera.
Asher
Bart's advice can hardly be improved on! Why not let us know what lenses you have. Chances are, one of them will do fine. You might want to look in the portrait section and see if you like any of the looks. I'd also go to galleries to get an idea of what people do.
I find the EF Macro 50 2.5 is a particularly wonderful portrait lens. It seems to have a better look than the 50 1.4 and to mew this is the most wonderful bargain lenses available. Still, I believe that any of the Canon 50mm lens or even the 85 1.8 would make great protrait lenses.
My order of preference is 50 1.2 L, for using wide open or close to it, the 50 2.5 Macro, the 50 1.4, 50 1.8.
The 85mm lenses are not included since, instead, I use either Zeiss lenss or the 70-200 2.8L IS. I keep thinking of getting an 85mm lens, but I see little need for it.
When you want a change of look, ask again and we can talk about non-Canon lenses used on your camera.
Asher
Stacey Lund
New member
Thank you both for your replys. The only lense I have at the moment is the 17-55 kit lense.
Stacey Lund
New member
I appreciate your help. The kit lense sucks, and looking forward to trying something new.
Asher Kelman
OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
If you are also going to do Macro, the 50 2.5 is a great choice. Only thing is that the Macro is slower to focus than the 50 1.8, for me at least.
Otherwise, at this time, I'd start with a 50 1.8. The glass itself is pretty good. It's fast and reliable. Not as well made as the 50 1.4 but it can do anything you need and you'll be happy with your pictures.
Asher
Otherwise, at this time, I'd start with a 50 1.8. The glass itself is pretty good. It's fast and reliable. Not as well made as the 50 1.4 but it can do anything you need and you'll be happy with your pictures.
Asher
Stacey Lund
New member
Thank You!
Barry Johnston
New member
Portrait lens....
The 30D has a 1.6 crop sensor, which means that what every lens you place on your camera, you have to multiply by 1.6 to get the real focal length.
ie. 85mm (x1.6) is = to 136mm (nearest 135mm) lens, which is not really ideal for portraiture.
An 85mm lens on a Canon 5D, which has a 'full-frame' (36mm x 24mm) sensor, will actually give you a focal length of 85mm.
ie. 85mm (x 1.0) is = to 85mm.
I use an 85mm 1.2 lens on my 1.3 crop sensor camera which gives me a focal length of 110mm.
As suggested the 50 mm lens would probably be ideal for a 1.6 crop sensor to give an actual focal length of 80mm.... which is perfect.
Remember, the more money you throw at glass the better. If you are in a position to, buy the f/1.2 lens, although I believe the 1.4 is also an excellent piece of glass. The difference is in the bokeh and how serious you want to become.
I hope this helps.
Barry.
The 30D has a 1.6 crop sensor, which means that what every lens you place on your camera, you have to multiply by 1.6 to get the real focal length.
ie. 85mm (x1.6) is = to 136mm (nearest 135mm) lens, which is not really ideal for portraiture.
An 85mm lens on a Canon 5D, which has a 'full-frame' (36mm x 24mm) sensor, will actually give you a focal length of 85mm.
ie. 85mm (x 1.0) is = to 85mm.
I use an 85mm 1.2 lens on my 1.3 crop sensor camera which gives me a focal length of 110mm.
As suggested the 50 mm lens would probably be ideal for a 1.6 crop sensor to give an actual focal length of 80mm.... which is perfect.
Remember, the more money you throw at glass the better. If you are in a position to, buy the f/1.2 lens, although I believe the 1.4 is also an excellent piece of glass. The difference is in the bokeh and how serious you want to become.
I hope this helps.
Barry.
Last edited:
Stacey Lund
New member
It does look like a good lense. I wished I could put $ 1,359.00 into a lense. I am having to save for one of the cheaper ones.
Vivek Khanzode
New member
Stacey
I would stay away from the 50/1.4 that Canon makes. I don't know of others, but my experience with this lens is only so-so. I have this lens and it is NOT very good wide open and the AF mechanism is VERY flimsy. Google the EF 50/1,4 AF problem and you will see. It can be repaired for about 100 USD, but it should never break in the first place. I have a lens with this issue and it is not fun to use it.
Although others may disagree, the 85/1.8 imho is a good lens; well built, sharp open with good bokeh and VERY fast focussing. I wish the 50/1.4 was similar, but is not.
I am wondering if I should get the 50/1.2 or the 85/1.2 myself for the XTi.
-- Vivek
I would stay away from the 50/1.4 that Canon makes. I don't know of others, but my experience with this lens is only so-so. I have this lens and it is NOT very good wide open and the AF mechanism is VERY flimsy. Google the EF 50/1,4 AF problem and you will see. It can be repaired for about 100 USD, but it should never break in the first place. I have a lens with this issue and it is not fun to use it.
Although others may disagree, the 85/1.8 imho is a good lens; well built, sharp open with good bokeh and VERY fast focussing. I wish the 50/1.4 was similar, but is not.
I am wondering if I should get the 50/1.2 or the 85/1.2 myself for the XTi.
-- Vivek
Vivek Khanzode
New member
Asher
Which specific Zeiss do you recommend? There are 85/2.8, 85/1.4 which is rated highly or the 100/2??
Thanks
-- Vivek
Which specific Zeiss do you recommend? There are 85/2.8, 85/1.4 which is rated highly or the 100/2??
Thanks
-- Vivek
Asher Kelman
OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
The 85 1.4 is considered very good. For some reason, most lenses in the range of 90mm seem excellent, why I don't know! The lens I really like is the 28-85mm Vario sonnar. That vis a great portrait lens.
Apparently, if you go for the N version of the lens, then you can have a small card added to it which will make it appear to some extent as a Canon lens and you can get focus confirmation, but not of course, AF! I had originally thought that N lenses couldn't be used. Maybe someone will recall the website.
Asher
Apparently, if you go for the N version of the lens, then you can have a small card added to it which will make it appear to some extent as a Canon lens and you can get focus confirmation, but not of course, AF! I had originally thought that N lenses couldn't be used. Maybe someone will recall the website.
Asher
Will Thompson
Well Known Member
My favorite portrait lens at the moment is the Canon EF 24-105 f4 L IS.
The maximum aperture of f4, as you can see in the following photos, prevents the common problem of inadequate depth of field.
(all shot with the EF 24-105 f4 L IS)
The maximum aperture of f4, as you can see in the following photos, prevents the common problem of inadequate depth of field.
(all shot with the EF 24-105 f4 L IS)
Vivek Khanzode
New member
Will
Those are very good shots. I will use mine for more portraits I am sure, but I do like the shallow DOF shots. Just bought a 85/1.2 and want to check it out.
Asher, thanks for the info. If the 85L does not work for me, I will try the 85/1.4 Zeiss (kind of rare and could not find one quickly)
Thanks
-- V
Those are very good shots. I will use mine for more portraits I am sure, but I do like the shallow DOF shots. Just bought a 85/1.2 and want to check it out.
Asher, thanks for the info. If the 85L does not work for me, I will try the 85/1.4 Zeiss (kind of rare and could not find one quickly)
Thanks
-- V
Stacey Lund
New member
Is this the lense you are talking about staying away from? http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/cu...s=photo&qid=1183588260&sr=1-3#customerReviews
Vivek Khanzode
New member
Yes Stacey
This is the lens. Also check out the reviews. On the first page, there is a review by "eddie" with title " disappointment with early AF failure, April 1, 2007". This is EXACTLY what happened to mine. NO shakes/rattles, was never dropped etc. but the AF stopped working one day for no apparent reason. I also have contact details for a Canon authorized repair center which is cheaper than Canon fixing this lens in case anyone wants to know (send me an email).
Regards
-- V
This is the lens. Also check out the reviews. On the first page, there is a review by "eddie" with title " disappointment with early AF failure, April 1, 2007". This is EXACTLY what happened to mine. NO shakes/rattles, was never dropped etc. but the AF stopped working one day for no apparent reason. I also have contact details for a Canon authorized repair center which is cheaper than Canon fixing this lens in case anyone wants to know (send me an email).
Regards
-- V
Stacey Lund
New member
Thank you for the information.