out4life2016 Loc: Bellingham, Washington

I’ve always wondered what portrait lens does most people recommend for a Canon 6D MarkII. I am on a budget of 800 dollars and would like to add another portrait lens to my collection of the Canon 50mm 1.8 usm and the 85mm 1.8 usm lenses that I already have. Any advice and recommendations are greatly appreciated.

philo Loc: philo, ca

if your 85 doesn't do the job; nothing will.

Haydon

Look at a refurbished Canon 135L F2 if you have the room. It's best for outdoor work. It's one of Canon's hidden gems with MTF charts showing stellar results despite an older design. Otherwise consider a Canon 100L 2.8 Macro.

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

I think you're already pretty served by the 85/1.8 and your budget doesn't allow for something really good, but you should give the 135/2.0L a look (at least that's within reach and it is a good performer)!

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

You already have a premier EF lens in the 85 f/1.8. If you can't create great portraits with this lens, you never will.

What is your tripod situation, your speedlight status, your computer, your software?

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

My first instinct is for LONGER and to recommend at least the Canon 100 f2. - no IS. Most pimes do not have IS if that matters.

My second instinct would be for a zoom - maybe the new Tamron 35-150mm 2.8-4 with VC
.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

You already have the right lens (85 f1.8), but if you have 7-800 dollars to spend and want a longer portrait lens and a great prime, I heartily second a used 135 f2L - I LOVE this lens.

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

Personally, I think an 85 is a little short if you want to do tight head shots. I would prefer something in the 100-135 range.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

usnret Loc: Woodhull Il

That poses a wide array of questions that YOU need to answer first. What is the distance to your subject, how much of the photo do you want to be tack sharp, just the eyes, how blurry do you want the fore ground and back ground to be? Just my two cents but it would make it much easier to for you to answer your own questions if you spent more time learning about the subject as a whole. Are you inspiring to be a portrait photographer? To be honest, I regret not investing more into the academics of it all from the start. That would have saved me ten fold on all the gear I never needed in the first place.

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

"Portrait Lens" is kind of a generic term. Funny thing is that there has not been a lens with that specification or title in its name, actually engraved on the rim surrounding the front element probably since the late 1950 or early 60s. There were a number of other makes and models made by Ross, Taylor, Hobson, and Cooke that pre-dated the Kodiak model t which were specially designed for portraiture. The Rodenstock Imagon was a classic. Most of these were soft focus or variable soft focus formulas in keeping with the styles, trends, and requirements of portrait photographers back in the day. Most of these were intended for large format film cameras and were typically The Petzval formula dates back to 1840- there is now a model that is updated and can be fitted to Nikon and Canon digital cameras.

Generally, lenses of medium-long focal lengths for the format are preferred for portraiture. Typically focal lengths between 85mm to 105mm are suitable for a full-frame digital camera. These focal lengths enable a working distance that will yield good perspective.

Nowadays, there are only a few lenses that are intrinsically soft-focus or variable soft-focus that are in recent or current production. Canon produced a 135mm SF model that is still available on the used market as did Minolta with its 100mm SF model. Some of the Image models are still available. Soft focus lenses produce a flattering image, somewhat romantic or impressionistic and are superior in quality and enlarge-ability to images made with soft-focus filters or effects produced in post-processing. Of course, this is a specialized style and today's trends lean more toward sharper more realistic portraits or character-studies.

The lens you chose should depend on the style of work you do or aspire to. Some consideration shod be you working situation such as studio or studio-like portraiture with artificial light, natural light or out-of-doors, environmental portraiture, or perhaps certain kinds of location portraiture that require background detail being rendered in sharp detail as opposed to traditional soft out of focus (bokeh effects) background treatments.

Portraits are not always "headshots, closeups or "bust" images. Oftentimes 3/4 or full-length treatments are required or more appropriate for a given subject and there are couples. and large and small groups. You might require more than one focal length or may want to consider a zoom lens.

When folks hear the word "portrait" the may immediately think of shallow depth of field, good bokeh, etc., but there are many other styles and requirements.

If you tell us what kind or style of work you are interested in doing, I could give you more specific recommendations for a "portrait lens" for you.

I manage the Professional and Advanced Portraiture section on UHH- you can post there for further information.

mas24 Loc: Southern CA

Agree. Canon makes an 85mm in f 1.4 and f1.8. Both considered excellent portrait lenses. I use my 50mm f1.8 for portraits.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

I used to LOVE my Computar 210mm F6.3 Symmetrigon on 4x5 for portrait.

traderjohn Loc: New York City

"would like to add another portrait lens to my collection of the Canon 50mm 1.8 usm and the 85mm 1.8 usm lenses that I already have".
Why would you even have to ask the question? If you already have a portrait lens, you know what works, and what doesn't.