50mm vs 85mm for portraits on a crop sensor camera: Hey Hoggers, I plan to do a lot of portrait work and I need advice on which lens to go with. I have done a lot of research back and...

Royce Moss Loc: Irvine, CA

Hey Hoggers, I plan to do a lot of portrait work and I need advice on which lens to go with. I have done a lot of research back and forth and the only advice I am pretty sure I can trust is you guys. My 7200 and rest of my gear was stolen so I'll use a 3200 for awhile and then plan to maybe go full frame. My question is what is the best to use 50mm or 85mm? I will be using studio lighting most of the time as well as outdoor portraits. Thanks for your advice.

ballsafire Loc: Lafayette, Louisiana

Royce Moss wrote:

Hey Hoggers, I plan to do a lot of portrait work and I need advice on which lens to go with. I have done a lot of research back and forth and the only advice I am pretty sure I can trust is you guys. My 7200 and rest of my gear was stolen so I'll use a 3200 for awhile and then plan to maybe go full frame. My question is what is the best to use 50mm or 85mm? I will be using studio lighting most of the time as well as outdoor portraits. Thanks for your advice.

Use both of these lenses - they are fine; even the zoom 70-210mm can be used for portraits farther away! Just shoot and decide for yourself!

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

A 50 mm on a DX will be the same effective focal range as an 85 mm on a FX camera. The 50 mm might be too wide to get the tight focus that you want. Play around with both and see what pleases you.

jim quist Loc: Missouri

Either should be fine. One of the standard portrait lenses is the 70-200 2.8.

carl hervol Loc: jacksonville florida

I use a 105 if you have the room. People get lens shock if your to close.

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

Royce Moss wrote:

Hey Hoggers, I plan to do a lot of portrait work and I need advice on which lens to go with. I have done a lot of research back and forth and the only advice I am pretty sure I can trust is you guys. My 7200 and rest of my gear was stolen so I'll use a 3200 for awhile and then plan to maybe go full frame. My question is what is the best to use 50mm or 85mm? I will be using studio lighting most of the time as well as outdoor portraits. Thanks for your advice.

Sounds like your budget won't handle investing in 20 or 30 pounds of lenses tomorrow. So you need just one that will work?

Don't do either of those! A 50mm on a D3200 is the same field of view as a 75mm on a full frame. That is a hair too short. An 85mm is the same as a 127mm, which is a hair too long! Not that those are not really good focal lengths to have when you want them, but if you've only got one you really need something in between.

What you'd like is about the same as a 90mm or 105mm on a full frame sensor. That would be 60mm to 70mm. There are a couple of options. If you can swing a 70-200mm f/2.8 VR (that is the older one, not the most recent VRII model), it would be really nice. Not really cheap though. The other option is a 60mm f/2.8G Micro Nikkor. Much more affordable (get a used one). Just do make sure it is the f/2.8G model, not either of the two older versions that will not Auto Focus with a D3200.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Royce Moss wrote:

Hey Hoggers, I plan to do a lot of portrait work and I need advice on which lens to go with. I have done a lot of research back and forth and the only advice I am pretty sure I can trust is you guys. My 7200 and rest of my gear was stolen so I'll use a 3200 for awhile and then plan to maybe go full frame. My question is what is the best to use 50mm or 85mm? I will be using studio lighting most of the time as well as outdoor portraits. Thanks for your advice.

I would use both. 50mm for the indoor and 85mm for the outdoor.

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Royce Moss wrote:

Hey Hoggers, I plan to do a lot of portrait work and I need advice on which lens to go with. I have done a lot of research back and forth and the only advice I am pretty sure I can trust is you guys. My 7200 and rest of my gear was stolen so I'll use a 3200 for awhile and then plan to maybe go full frame. My question is what is the best to use 50mm or 85mm? I will be using studio lighting most of the time as well as outdoor portraits. Thanks for your advice.

Royce, the longer the better, but you need more room to shoot it!!
SS

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

SharpShooter wrote:

Royce, the longer the better, but you need more room to shoot it!!
SS

Yes, use a 1,200mm and use a phone.

(Just a bit of humor)

Haydon

This link which discusses the use of a 50 mm on a crop body should give you direction. According to him a 50 mm isn't a good choice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nG1pN5Vic8E

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Haydon wrote:

This link which discusses the use of a 50 mm on a crop body should give you direction. According to him a 50 mm isn't a good choice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nG1pN5Vic8E

I watched this video and found it silly and very exaggerated. What started me doubting it was the 1.5' distance for the 50mm shots.
I got a 50mm on my crop sensor camera and was a bit over 5' away for the same composition. Then it went downhill from there. I still say the 50 has legitimate use on a crop sensor.

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

Royce Moss wrote:

Hey Hoggers, I plan to do a lot of portrait work and I need advice on which lens to go with. I have done a lot of research back and forth and the only advice I am pretty sure I can trust is you guys. My 7200 and rest of my gear was stolen so I'll use a 3200 for awhile and then plan to maybe go full frame. My question is what is the best to use 50mm or 85mm? I will be using studio lighting most of the time as well as outdoor portraits. Thanks for your advice.

It depends what you mean by portraits. For head shots, a 50mm on a crop sensor is too short for my taste. I use an 85, which puts the field of view between the two classic 35mm portrait lenses, the 105 and the 135. But for looser portraits like a 3/4 shot, you may not have room in a small studio.

Haydon

Architect1776 wrote:

I watched this video and found it silly and very exaggerated. What started me doubting it was the 1.5' distance for the 50mm shots.
I got a 50mm on my crop sensor camera and was a bit over 5' away for the same composition. Then it went downhill from there. I still say the 50 has legitimate use on a crop sensor.

He said it did well on half body and full shots. I actually agree with him that distortion becomes prevalent if you're too close. Just a fact that compression works in your favor when given longer distances. I personally use a 70-200 for portrait on a full frame. I think it offers the best compromise and versatility with working distances. My 50 mm is the least used lens. If I had to use primes it would be a 85 and a 135 on FF.

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

rgrenaderphoto wrote:

A 50 mm on a DX will be the same effective focal range as an 85 mm on a FX camera. The 50 mm might be too wide to get the tight focus that you want. Play around with both and see what pleases you.

75 or 85? Remember this is a Nikon. I believe a Canon would be 80.

Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

The 70-200 is a favorite portrait lens..
But, consider the new 105mm 1.4 available later this month---Should be as creamy as the 85mm 1.4.