Dziadzi Loc: Wilkes-Barre, PA

I am having a gas attack to purchase an 85mm lens for portraiture shooting. My big question is.....will I have enough room to be able to use an 85mm lens on my D7100? The room in my house that I would like to use is less than 14ft.

rjaywallace Loc: Wisconsin

There would appear to be an easy way for you to answer this question. You already list four lenses that include an 85mm focal length in their range. How do they work in that 14 foot room when you extend them to 85mm? It may not be a perfect apples-to-apples comparison, but you could get a pretty good idea.

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

Here is the URL for a group of calculators. DOF is the most often used, but scroll down to the one labeled "Dimensional Field of View Calculator"

http://www.tawbaware.com/maxlyons/calc.htm

Your D7100 has a crop factor of 1.5x, so at a focus distance of 12' it will provide an image of an area that is about 3' 5" by 2' 3". You might squeeze two people, side by side and close, into a 3' 5" wide place. And the 2' 3" height is plenty of room for a head shot, and with care you might get a head and shoulders.

And that is the most you can get! The problem is that 85mm is about the right focal length in that space for a full frame sensor. You need to either also buy a D610 or get a 50 or 60 mm lens. Another thought is either a 24-70mm zoom or the 24-120mm zoom (my choice for a full frame sensor).

But of course the really big issue is portrait lighting. You need at least two lights on the front, and at least two lights on the sides, plus a hair light and a back light. Six different strobes! (Four if you have to skimp, and skip the side lights.)

GAS about studio portraits is a boundless endeavor...

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

D, with a crop cam at 14' you can of course get head and shoulder shots but not a lot more. Maybe even waist up but that's about it. Do you have a doorway that you can use to shoot through? The lens will be very usable as long as you don't think you're gonna get full body shots. You can of course get tight, very creative shallow DoF shots too.
Is your room 14' from wall to wall? Because you also want to be pulled away from the backdrop much of the time which will kill even more space.
I currently take 1000's of shots with an 85 but its on a FF and I've got room to move back. With limited space you may be forced to use a zoom. I used a 24-105 just last week for portraits, I hated it, but it got the job done!!! Good luck!
SS

Dziadzi Loc: Wilkes-Barre, PA

Thanks, Ralph!

Dziadzi Loc: Wilkes-Barre, PA

Thanks, but my SS check won't allow for a D610 GAS attack!

Dziadzi Loc: Wilkes-Barre, PA

Thanks, SS............not looking forward to using a zoom though.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Both your Tamron f/2.8 lenses will be as good as an 85mm prime for purposes of portraits. If money is burning a hole, you probably should be looking at lighting, a tripod and /or background for portraits.

Dziadzi Loc: Wilkes-Barre, PA

I do have 2 softbox speedlights that will have to do for the time being, Thanks!

Tjcoates Loc: Johnson City, TN

For portraits using my 7100 I have obtained very good results using a 50mm which on a DX body is equal to 75mm and have done so in very tight spaces.

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

I had not noticed the list of lenses in your signature. You don't need an 85mm prime. That's a waste of money at this point.

Either the 28-70mm f/2.8 or the 70-200mm f/2.8 will serve your needs, depending on focus distance and the framing you want.

At least two of us have hinted fairly heavily that lights would be a better way to fuss with gear acquisition. With two speedlights (and the SB800 is a good one) you have a start.

Extra lights are cheap if you want to go easy on the pocket book. The results are just as good as with better equipment. The advantage is easy of use, not better images.

You need two main lights, one powerful light that can deal with a softbox. Then you need a fill light, that need not be as powerful. Another pair that also need not be much of anything at all are used for a hair light and one to light the background. The SB800 is good for the main light, and the others can be older used manual lights with optical triggers. Vivitar 283 and 285 models are common, and along with Nikon SB24 are under $50. SB28 and SB26 models are under $100. Brand new models from various Chinese distributors are running everywhere from $40 on up.

So extra flash units is not the problem, it's outfitting them with a light stand and whatever kind of light modifiers are reasonable... the hair light needs a really tall stand and some kind of a snoot and grid. The side lights need medium height stands and barn doors. The main lights might be a softbox on one and a large beauty dish on the other, and they need fairly tall light stands. The background light can use a very short stand and needs something to hold color gels.

The total cost is probably about the same or less than a good 85mm f/1.4, but the effect on your photography would be huge. (You will have a very hard time, shooting studio portraits, seeing a difference between shooting with an 85mm f/1.4 and that 70-200mm f/2.8 set to 85mm.)

BebuLamar

With the lenses you have it makes a lot more sense to get a D610 than another lens.

SteveR Loc: Michigan

There is also the 60mm f2.8 macro that gets 5 stars for just under $600. On top of getting a good lens, you get micro, too!!

Here is a video showing how to use the 105mm macro as a portrait lens. The 60mm would essentially work for you as a 90mm macro.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViHIcB0mAok

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

An 85mm focal length is too long. 90mm and 105mm lenses are not within the realm of reality.

But even the 60mm at $500 is a waste of money for someone who has the Tamron 24-70mm and 70-200mm lenses the OP owns.

SteveR Loc: Michigan

Apparently the OP is wanting a prime. 85mm focal length is too long? Actually, if you compare the results in portraiture of 85mm, 105mm, and 135mm lenses, the two longer lenses produce much more appealing results of the subject. On indoor shoots, however, the 105mm may be too long for the studio.

Another plus of a prime in portraiture over a zoom, even an f2.8, is its light gathering capabilities. Although the 60mm is also an f2.8, 50mm's are available at 1.4 and 1.8. Having both f2.8's and an f1.8, I know that there is a tremendous difference.