What lens to buy and where to buy it (Page 2): If looking for more separation there are options as we know. I would think about a 50mm or 85mm 1.4 or even 1.8s. A 70-200 2.8 might also...

Notorious T.O.D. Loc: Harrisburg, North Carolina

If looking for more separation there are options as we know. I would think about a 50mm or 85mm 1.4 or even 1.8s. A 70-200 2.8 might also open up a lot of interesting opportunities especially as the subjects get older... Having a 24-70 and 70-200 covers a lot of shooting. The fast zooms come with a penalty of size and weight though...

Architect1776 wrote:

Would not the faster lens provide better background separation for the "Formal" shots the OP is wanting to do?
That was my impression why it was desired. Unless I misunderstood.

chapjohn Loc: Tigard, Oregon

Instead of going to the same focal range. Trade in the 24-70 f4 for the Sony 24-105 f4 G oss lens. It is a much better lens and with better glass than the ziess glass of 24-70 f4. I did this and I a glad I did.

Bill_de Loc: US

When you see a product on Amazon with a bunch of junk included it is probably from an outside vendor.

Always look for "Shipped from and Sold by Amazon".

----

wireloose

https://briansmith.com/best-sony-fe-fullframe-e-mount-lenses/ Will show you all the options. Im happy with my 24-105 as a walkabout lens but for formal portraits an 85mm prime is hard to beat. The Sony 1.8 by all accounts is a very good value.

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

traderjohn wrote:

The difference between men and boys is the price of their toys.

Absolutely correct. I am a living example of trying to buy the very best I can afford, with knowledge of the products I choose to purchase of course. Whether it be cameras, firearms, knives, boots, whatever, I have found that purchasing a product made cheaper means I will be buying more than one.

This does not necessarily mean a Nikon, Canon or other manufacturer will put out a shoddy entry level camera. But that camera may not last under hard usage as a top of the line camera.

I am stuck with what I am but am also happy with items I have purchased.

Dennis

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

chapjohn wrote:

Instead of going to the same focal range. Trade in the 24-70 f4 for the Sony 24-105 f4 G oss lens. It is a much better lens and with better glass than the ziess glass of 24-70 f4. I did this and I a glad I did.

But he will still have an f4 lens.

Dennis

Notorious T.O.D. Loc: Harrisburg, North Carolina

This is where having an inexpensive or even free DOF app is worth playing with. You can compare the aperture you might shoot at using various focal lengths and distances and determine what aperture is going to give the DOF you need or desire. When shooting in studio I often shoot at f/5.6 to f/7.1 from 5-10 feet with an 85mm lens. That will keep nose to ear in good focus at that distance. If you shoot an 85mm f/1.2 at that distance you might have one eye in focus and the other eye not.

Large aperture lenses are great but you have to understand the limitations and what you are trying to achieve too. DOF can be very shallow as focal length increases and distance to subject decreases. It is helpful to get some of the numbers programmed into your head.

dennis2146 wrote:

But he will still have an f4 lens.

Dennis

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Cheetah34 wrote:

I have a Sony A7rii with a 24-70 f4 lens. I mostly... (show quote)

Here are 24-70mm comparisons, but I don't think they include Sony.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fC3IWsQ_Ms
https://petapixel.com/2016/07/06/tokina-24-70-f2-8-outperforms-nikon-lens-less-half-price/
http://www.ishootshows.com/2010/10/18/comparison-review-tamron-28-75mm-vs-sigma-24-70mm-f2-8/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HV9ju8LmRfU
http://www.diyphotography.net/great-24-70mm-f2-8-shootout-pits-nearly-identical-canon-nikkor-pentax-sony/
http://www.diyphotography.net/tokinas-24-70-vs-nikons-half-price-better-quality/
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=24-70mm+comparison

Sony vs -
https://www.lightandmatter.org/2018/videos/lens-comparisons/tamron-28-75-f-2-8-vs-sony-24-70mm-gm-lens-comparison-video/
https://www.dxomark.com/Lenses/Compare/Side-by-side/Sony-FE-24-70mm-F28-GM-WEB-on-Sony-A7R-versus-Canon-EF-24-70mm-F28L-II-USM-on-Canon-EOS-550D__1712_917_886_645

Lens comparison sites -
http://lensvslens.com/
http://www.dpreview.com/products/compare/lenses
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/ISO-12233-Sample-Crops.aspx
http://www.diyphotography.net/this-website-helps-you-choose-your-next-lens-based-on-the-photos-you-like/
https://www.imaging-resource.com/IMCOMP/COMPS01.HTM
http://lenshero.com/lens-comparison
http://www.lenstip.com/lenses.html
http://www.dxomark.com/Lenses/Compare
http://www.lenscore.org/

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

chapjohn wrote:

Instead of going to the same focal range. Trade in the 24-70 f4 for the Sony 24-105 f4 G oss lens. It is a much better lens and with better glass than the ziess glass of 24-70 f4. I did this and I a glad I did.

If you MUST change, this makes the most sense to me....
.

Bill P

Do not be fooled by the addition of extra stuff. In the best of cases, it is all cheap crap and more often totally unusable. It's just a scam to get your money.

ecurb1105

Cheetah34 wrote:

I have a Sony A7rii with a 24-70 f4 lens. I mostly... (show quote)

Instead of duplicating a zoom range, look at something like the Sony 90mm f2.8 macro or the
Sigma 135 mm f1.8.

ELNikkor

1 f-stop is not worth the price nor the extra weight of an identical focal length lens. The 1.4 50 will give all the background blur you want. Look into possibly a Tamron 70-200 f 2.8. That will give you some amazing candids and portraits, as well as more reach when those kids are out there playing soccer, baseball, or basketball.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

Frankly, I think there may be better choices for you....

I would recommend an 85mm f/1.8 or f/1.4 lens for portraiture.... or perhaps a 100mm f/2 or 135mm f/2, if those are available for your camera. Those are another stop or two faster than f/2.8, and along with the longer focal length, they will be better able to blur down backgrounds for more separate of the subject. Plus they will complement your existing lens, rather than duplicating it.

On a full frame camera, I always feel a 24-70mm is a bit too short for portraiture, anyway. (I do like shooting portraits with my 24-70 on my APS-C crop sensor cameras.) On full frame I prefer lenses in the 85mm to 135mm range. If you would rather have a zoom... which can be handy when shooting kids... I'd recommend a 70-200mm f/2.8. But that will be a relatively large and heavy lens, so before buying you should check one out in person to see if you're willing to haul it around. There also may be a more reasonably sized 70-200mm f/4 available for your camera, too. If you work relatively close with and f/4 lens, you can get pretty strong background blur. Actually I often find myself stopping down around f/4 to f/5.6 anyway... though it can be nice to have the option to use a larger aperture, when wanted.

jackpinoh Loc: Kettering, OH 45419

Cheetah34 wrote:

I have a Sony A7rii with a 24-70 f4 lens. I mostly... (show quote)

What is wrong with the photos you have been taking with the 24-70 f/4 lens? Why do you think the f/2.8 lens will correct that deficiency?
Will the image quality difference be worth the increased weight and cost?

SteveR Loc: Michigan

Since you have the 50mm f1.4, you can use that for any dof shots that you need. I'd stick with your f4 and save the money. You can always purchase another prime if you'd like more flexibility in that range and still save money. $2000 is an awful lot of money to spend on one f stop.