NickPJr Loc: Forney, TX

I'm a Canon guy - 5D IV and 5Drs I shoot mainly landscapes but recently, I'm gravitating towards some portrait but cant decide if this is something I want to do. Current lenses are 70-300, 100 -400, 24-105 and 16-35. All are L.

I have often heard that a 50 MM lens replicates what the human eye sees. I have been considering adding new glass but am needing guidance from the experts. What are ya'll thoughts?

TIA,

Nick

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

Set your 24-105 at 50mm and see for yourself what it will do, (50-58mm have long been my favorites.)

Chromodynamics6 Loc: Beverly Hills Ca.

Portraits in what environment? There are very few lenses that cannot be used as portrait lenses. Start with your 70-300 and then decide if it's something you want to pursue.

https://www.the-digital-picture.com/Canon-Lenses/Canon-Portrait-Lens.aspx

67skylark27 Loc: Fort Atkinson, WI

I would recommend a fixed prime in the 85 or 105 range with an aperture of 1.4 to 2.0.
I use my 85mm on a crop sensor d7200 nikon body and get great portrait results.
The 70-200 f 2.8 on my full frame d750 works great also.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

So, you don't have any primes listed among a list of excellent lenses. Certainly, you have 50mm covered in the 24-105. Shooting with a prime like a 50, 35, 24, 85 and so forth offer a few considerations:

1) The field of view is consistent. You don't / can't zoom the lens to frame the image. Rather, you need to consider the subject (should) and find an interesting framing by moving your feet and adjusting your view and position.

2) Prime lenses will tend to be sharper. Any of Canon's 50s will be sharper than the 24-105L at 50mm and f/4. They're not night and day sharper, but still visually sharper.

3) Primes are simpler designs and tend to have wider apertures, say to f/1.2 for the 50mm f/1.2L. The wide apertures can be very artistic where they may not be their 'sharpest' wide open, but they have a dreamy out-of-focus blur away from the point of focus.

4) Being wide apertures, they offer low-light performance options even f/2.8 zooms cannot achieve.

I use both the large, expensive, and heavy 50L about as often as my small, light, and cheap EF 50 f/1.8. The 50L offers 1-stop over the f/1.8. Extensive testing and online literature points to the sharpness differences of the 50L from f/1.8 through f/2.8, with the L-lens being consistently sharper. But, when you get to f/4, the primes are both consistent to each other. There's also an EF 50 f/1.4 that follows the same 'curve', being 'less' than the L and 'more' than the f/1.8, but pretty much the same from f/4 and smaller.

The EF 40 f/2.8 'pancake' is another excellent option in the same f/1.8 price range, if sharp, light, cheap(er) and fast is your goal. Take your 24-105 and try shooting at 50mm only for the entire day (or 40mm, or within that range). Look at the results. Do they fit your style / vision? Did you wish during the day to have a lighter kit?

Picture Taker Loc: Michigan Thumb

50 is not a good portrait lens. you want to go to 70-80 with your full frame cameras. A 50mm in a non full frame is a 80mm. You may not want to go to a prime lens which does not give you the flexibilities of zoom.

Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

You might be better off with an 85mm prime as a portrait lens, and a 50mm prime is good to have as well. You have zooms that cover those focal lengths, but primes are sweet.

Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

Zooms will tend to be sharper?

Picture Taker Loc: Michigan Thumb

If you bring up sharper, I don't think a sharp lens is what IO would need for portraits.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

oops, i read a few times and that slipped through. will correct. thx

RichardTaylor Loc: Sydney, Australia

I would use a lens that is sharper (if I have a choice) as it gives you more control over what the final image will be like.
If you a lens that is soft, how do you ever get anything sharp, especially the eyes?

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

The EF 85mm f/1.8 is a gem of a lens, portraits and everything. One of the sharpest lenses I've used at any focal length, any brand.

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

50mm is too short for a classic head or head and shoulders portrait on a full-frame sensor. The distance you would be shooting from distorts the features a bit. Get a 100mm or at least an 85 for a more pleasing perspective. Your 24-105 is no slouch. I use my 70-200 a lot.

Sharpness isn’t as important as good lighting and posing.
Learn to use reflectors and off-camera lighting.

FWIW, I don't even own a 50 for my FF and I've been a pro for over 40 years.

Strodav Loc: Houston, Tx

There are no "rules" with portraits, just what works for you, but listening to what works for others can give you a starting point. What I have read and experienced is that for head shots, if you go short you end up needing too get close to your subject, which can make them a bit uncomfortable and that can affect the results. For full body shots, especially couples and if you want to include some background, a little shorter length is helpful. If you go too short, like less than 50mm on a FF body, then you can get distortion. A fast lens with good bokeh lets you separate your subject from the background. The lenses I use the most are an 85mm f/1.8, 105mm f/1.4 and a 70-200 f/2.8, but I always keep a 50mm f/1.4 close. It turns out that some of the sharpest lenses available are 85mm and 105 mm primes and the 70-200mm f/2.8 are also very highly rated. If you are going to take group photos, I recommend the 24-70mm f/2.8. The nice thing about the zooms, is you can re-frame the shot without moving. You've probably also heard that you can never get too close and that almost every image can be helped with cropping, so it's not unusual for me to take dozens of shots at different zoom factors at different heights from the same spot with the 70-200mm.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/tpr?p=10571379&t=613611

And...

https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/tpr?p=10578087&t=613611


I wrote a detailed post on this question as well as a follow up post. Click on to the links.