Making better portraits - Part 2 - Choosing the right lens.

Portraits I have taken and the lenses they were photographed with.

While it is true that you can shoot a portrait with just about any lens that you have, there are a few things that tend to be constant.  The lens should have mild to moderate telephoto capabilities and you want to use the lowest apertures possible.  In fact, I would go so far as to say that you should consider acquiring a prime (fixed focal length, not zoom), low-aperture lens with the intention of using it for only portraits.

DSLRs, mirrorless, and four-thirds cameras may have full-frame sensors, APS-C sized sensors with a crop factor of 1.5 or 1.6, and compact systems cameras with a crop factor of 2.  The actual focal length is usually compared to the relative focal length of a full-frame camera.  You can see the table below that has both the actual and relative focal length values.

Table showing actual and relative focal lengths of lenses on digital cameras.

My favourite lenses to use for portraits are primes that produce a relative focal length around 80 mm or so and have a minimum aperture below f/2.  The good news here is that such a lens is relatively inexpensive for APS-C sensor cameras, a 50 mm f/1.8 lens can usually be acquired for under $200 used.  There are many fabulous portrait lenses out there, some of them very pricey, because there is more to a lens than just focal length and aperture.  

My favourite portrait lens is the 85 mm f/1.4 for both full-frame and APS-C sensor cameras.  The f/1.8 variety is also very good, and for the money difference is probably a better choice for most people.  Not only are the lenses of exceptional value, they produce a fabulous bokeh.  Bokeh is the quality of the out-of-focus background you get.  Soft, dream-like backgrounds with no geometeric artifacts are highly desirable.  Have a look at the bokeh in the images below.

Left:  85 mm f/1.8 lens on APS-C body     Right:  85 mm f/1.4 lens on APS-C body

Both images above were photographed at the lowest aperture.  A wide open aperture is desirable because of the out-of-focus background it provides.  Typically, wider is better.  A minimum aperture of f/4 may be suitable in some situations, but f/2.8 is better and f/2 is better still.  Zoom lenses tend to have higher minimum apertures while primes have lower ones.  A kit 18-55 lens for an APS-C body typically produces a minimum aperture of f/5.6 at 55 mm (83 mm relative), and while the focal length is good, the minimum aperture may not produce the background effects you want.  Have a look at the image below; it shows the difference between backgrounds with different aperture values.

The 85 mm lens was on an APS-C body giving it a relative focal length of 128 mm.

Conclusion:

If you are interested in doing portraits well, consider using a prime lens with a minimum aperture below f/2 and a relative focal length around 80 mm.  A 50 mm f/1.8 prime is an excellent, inexpensive choice for APS-C cameras.  Zooms are a viable option but may not produce an aperture low enough to get the desirable effect.  The quality of the bokeh is also important and if your images are coming out with harsh backgrounds, you may want to consider moving to a more expensive lens.

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Harjit Bahia - Science teacher and colleague from Garibaldi died August 2, 2024

Image
You will be missed Mr. Bahia.  You made a difference and we are sad you are gone. I keep in loose contact with my fellow retired teachers from Garibaldi Secondary School.  I talked with my long-time friend, Mike Lynch, today, and discovered that Hargit died over the summer.  Unbeknownst to him, he had an underlying heart condition and passed away after working out on his treadmill.  The date was August 2, 2024. I was shocked to hear this.  He was only 49 years old, turning 50 some 3 months later.  It was a shock to everyone, for he was loved by all who knew him.  As a teacher, Mr. Bahia was kind and fun.  He contributed to students in many ways and was always available to help those in need.   For myself, I knew him as a fellow science teacher and taught in the adjoining room to him.  He was always available to help, share ideas, and work together.  Easy to approach, I found that I could talk to him about anything and appreciat...
Read more

I found a black widow spider in a plant pot today

Image
The spider I found is a western black widow spider, one of three species of black widow that occur in North America.  The fact that this one has another red patch on the back of its abdomen above the spinnerettes tells us that it is an immature individual. The one thing that people know about black widow spiders is that they are extremely poisonous.  Their venom is something like 15x more toxic than that of a rattlesnake.  The saving grace is that there is very little venom injected from a black widow bite than what a rattlesnake can deliver.   The good news is that black widow bites seldom lead to death.  You are more likely to suffer nausea, muscle pain, and swelling around the bite.  Symptoms usually last only 12 hours or so.  Death may be a result in people with compromised immune systems or in the very young or the elderly.   In 2018, it was reported that there were 1015 cases of people bitten by black widows.  Of those, there ...
Read more

The passing of a generation

Image
Kathryn's mom and dad with our children, Josh and Leanne. A generation, for North America, tends to be between 20 and 30 years.  During that time a couple will give birth and raise children to see them repeat the pattern as they themselves have done.  Each generation has its own set of standards, values, and ideals based upon their experiences and culture, and some of that is passed down to their offspring.  What changes are the life experiences of the following generation and the new customs and ideals that are blended together as a couple becomes a family. Kathryn's mom passed away a few days ago, she was predeceased by her husband several years ago.  Both of them were the grandparents of my children, the mother and father of my wife, Kathryn.  It was my pleasure to know them and to love them as my own, for to me they were Mom and Dad.  And they were there to welcome my children into the world just as my children were with them in spirit when they left it...
Read more