Tracie Loc: Waco,TX

I am still looking for advice on a good portrait lens for a canon eos digital rebel xt. I came into a little money and can put some with it, my post earlier was a lens around $400 but could go about $700. I need HELP. Any suggestions greatly appreciated.Again most of my shots are with the ef75-300mm f/4-5.6 which I paid $200 for a couple of years ago. I am lookink for crisper photos I feel I have to do a ton of ps to get a good photo.

Pics-Tale

You decide:

Canon EF 50mm f1.4 USM Standard Lens.

This Is The Best Lens For Portraits for the $$$..$370.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-media/product-gallery/B00009XVCZ/ref=cm_ciu_pdp_images_0?ie=UTF8&index=0
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Canon Normal EF 50mm f/1.2L USM Autofocus Lens.

Even better than best for Portraits for the $$$$..$1550

http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-media/product-gallery/B000I1YIDQ/ref=cm_ciu_pdp_images_2?ie=UTF8&index=2

Hope this help.

bonnie wemken

My first portrait lense was the canon 85mm,1.4,then bought a 50mm 1.4. both are awesome and you wont be disappointed.

bobmielke Loc: Portland, OR

My advice as a former professional portrait photographer would be a fixed focal length 60-100mm F/2.8 macro if you're use a DX format camera.

Tracie Loc: Waco,TX

Thank you, all my research points toCanon EF50mm f/1.4, I read somewhere you have to manual focus, is this true?

bobmielke Loc: Portland, OR

I'm a Nikon user but I do have their 50mm F/1.4. It automatically focuses and does so very, very quickly, but it is not a VR or IS lens. No Image Stabilization. With a DX camera the 50mm translates to a 75mm equivalent in 35mm film format. That's nearly the perfect focal length for a head & shoulders portrait at 10 feet, the standard for studio portraits. The fast glass of a 50mm F/1.4 will give your great control over depth of field, ie. area of focus. It would be a good choice.

Tracie Loc: Waco,TX

what about a teleconverter are they any good?

bobmielke Loc: Portland, OR

Good teleconverters are very good but very expensive. Also I know the three made by Nikon for their lenses will only fit on a very select range of their lens lineup. Most of the lenses that will work are over $10,000.

Some reading for you.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/tc14e.htm

jdtx Loc: SA, Tx.

the Canon 85mm 1.8 is a very sharp lens with great bokeh and color rendition also

bobmcculloch Loc: NYC, NY

Back in the days of film the ideal portrait range was considered to be 85-110mm, you can do your math, I do like the Canon 50mm 1.8 though I have heard that the 1.4 is a lot better for the lower depth of field, recently tele converters seem to be made for specific telephoto lenses, years ago my portrait rig was a 50mm 1.8 with a 2x converter. Bob.

bobmielke Loc: Portland, OR

Agree with you totally. I used to have what they then called doublers or triplers. They work fine with any lens. I have a Nikkor 50mm F/1.4G that I still love. You're right about the great depth of field. I paid more than double the price for the F/1.4 over the F/1.8. It was worth it for me but certainly not everyone.

DonW Loc: Naples,FL & Cape Cod,MA

Tracie, I stumbled on this accidentally. I bought a Canon 100 Macro Lens (the $1000 one with IS). This lens produces some of the shapest images I've ever seen. In perusing some reviews, I saw where folks were using this lens for portraiture work primarily because of the lens quality. The lens is expensive, but if you want a "twofer", ie macro and portraiture, then this one may be the best one. And, of course when used with a Canon 5DMk2, I believe you have the best of the best... just my .02 :)

bobmielke Loc: Portland, OR

I love the second photo of your set. A very lovely capture indeed. Great composition and expression. Good lighting.

flutographer Loc: Boise, ID

Hi Tracie,

I would highly suggest the Canon EF 50mm f/1.4, or better yet (for true portraiture) the 85mm f/1.8. These are the standard lengths of lens for professionals all over the world.

Leopold Lysloff

My experience with good portrait results were most always with fixed focal lenses. I shop for the best I can get on the second market. As a good example, I found a few higher end lenses that originally sold for thousands. I payed in the low to mid hundreds. (Leitz 60mm f 2.8 Macro super portraits for sure as one example )
I also found some great results from Leica 90 mm f4 (a little slower but boy what great results). In portraits, if you want to have crystal clear eyes and softer facial features you need very fine glass. German lenses by nature are very suitable for this kind of work. A faster lens gives you wonderful controlled bokeh, superb detail and seem truer to skin color and tones.
This is not to lower the quality of fine other lenses out there. It does become a matter of lens signature and preference. But the point here is to carefully investigate the second market (remember also that knowledge is power in that area of buying). There are various adapters that can get some of the finest lenses onto many camera bodies.
One of my favorite lenses that I have used so many times is a Zeiss Ikon 85mm f2 from the sixties. Talk about detail and results. Another is a early coated Nikon 105 mm f2.5. Famous journalist lens of the past. Incredible results for a great price (can be found for 500 and up)
Hope this turns on some lights for the portrait lovers.