Question about portriat lens.
Oct 23, 2011 19:51:04 #
bobmielke wrote:
Recently Scott Kelby's "The Grid" discus... (show quote)
I have several Lenses and I guess I need to be Educated myself in what Lens would be best for Portraits. I've been told my 200 mm 2.8 II is excellent for Portrait but at the same time that my shop better be big enough to use it comfortly with the closes focus range is 9 ft I think. I have the 70-200mm and the 85mm 1.8 but truley all due well but which can you guys suggest.
Oct 23, 2011 20:02:39 #
lindann wrote:
Boy I am glad your back.
So I have a D5100 it is a dx if I had a 50mm x 1.5 that would = 75mm lens. I hope I am not sounding silly but that is that right?
So I have a D5100 it is a dx if I had a 50mm x 1.5 that would = 75mm lens. I hope I am not sounding silly but that is that right?
The 1.5 Ratio is to show the 35mm film equivalent lens. The 50mm DX or FX has inherent barrel distortion at close range to a person's face causing the nose & eyes to bulge out like a fisheye lens. You're better off with 85mm or greater.
Oct 23, 2011 20:11:18 #
The thing is...with a 50mm lens on a cropped frame camera, you aren't going to get close to a person's face. Unless you want to photograph their nostril hairs. :-) Using it on a cropped frame camera forces you to stay back at distance that gives you a flattering perspective.
Oct 23, 2011 20:12:26 #
2Old2Pop wrote:
O.K., so now I really need help. What is the difference between a full frame camera and a cropped camera? What is the best use for a 50mm lens?
50mm lenses are great for anything. Close-up portraiture is the one exception. I'll show you a few examples I took with my 50mm.
Exhibit A
Exhibit B
Oct 23, 2011 20:15:17 #
randym77 wrote:
The thing is...with a 50mm lens on a cropped frame camera, you aren't going to get close to a person's face. Unless you want to photograph their nostril hairs. :-) Using it on a cropped frame camera forces you to stay back at distance that gives you a flattering perspective.
You can continue to argue or your can Google the 50mm lenses for close up and read report after report on barrel distortion, regardless or DX or FX. I'm through arguing the scientific facts.
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/50-comparison/distortion.htm
Oct 23, 2011 20:25:45 #
I agree that 50mm are not good for closeup portraits. But you won't be using them for closeup portraits on a cropped frame camera. You really can't.
When I Google 50mm lenses, I come up with links like this that recommend 50mm lenses for portraits with cropped frame cameras.
I have a 50mm f/1.4 that I used to use as a portrait lens on my cropped frame camera. Now I use it as a normal lens on my full frame camera. It was great in both roles, and remains one of my favorites.
When I Google 50mm lenses, I come up with links like this that recommend 50mm lenses for portraits with cropped frame cameras.
I have a 50mm f/1.4 that I used to use as a portrait lens on my cropped frame camera. Now I use it as a normal lens on my full frame camera. It was great in both roles, and remains one of my favorites.
Oct 23, 2011 20:25:47 #
bobmielke wrote:
The 1.5 Ratio is to show the 35mm film equivalent lens. The 50mm DX or FX has inherent barrel distortion at close range to a person's face causing the nose & eyes to bulge out like a fisheye lens. You're better off with 85mm or greater.
lindann wrote:
Boy I am glad your back.
So I have a D5100 it is a dx if I had a 50mm x 1.5 that would = 75mm lens. I hope I am not sounding silly but that is that right?
So I have a D5100 it is a dx if I had a 50mm x 1.5 that would = 75mm lens. I hope I am not sounding silly but that is that right?
The 1.5 Ratio is to show the 35mm film equivalent lens. The 50mm DX or FX has inherent barrel distortion at close range to a person's face causing the nose & eyes to bulge out like a fisheye lens. You're better off with 85mm or greater.
This is why I am here to learn so I guess it will be 85mm for me. When I can afford it. :)
Oct 23, 2011 20:26:58 #
bobmielke wrote:
quote=bwm55 I see a lot of recommendations about ... (show quote)
:-P good to see you back!!
Oct 23, 2011 21:03:01 #
Any thing over 80mm.
I have been experimenting lately by using an 85mm wide open and then turn my lens focus during rapid fire to get the depth of focus. I then put them all into PhotoShop (different layers) and use the eraser to erase the portions of the soft areas for the sharp areas to come through on the other layers. It looks cool! and sort of surreal. Super close ( Head fills frame) and low light.
Subject has to stay still. Try it!
I have been experimenting lately by using an 85mm wide open and then turn my lens focus during rapid fire to get the depth of focus. I then put them all into PhotoShop (different layers) and use the eraser to erase the portions of the soft areas for the sharp areas to come through on the other layers. It looks cool! and sort of surreal. Super close ( Head fills frame) and low light.
Subject has to stay still. Try it!
Oct 24, 2011 07:38:30 #
I shoot with a Nikon D3S and my portrait lens is the 85mm f/1.4 G , I get beautiful bokeh with that lens.
Oct 25, 2011 00:52:37 #
Right on Photo Joe!
Bob you're right..Heck i've done portraits with a 28mm! Don't do it regularly. It all depends on what you want the Backround to do and how much barrel distortion you can correct for in the shooting and in post. I love the shallow focus in a 50mm for portraits as well as crisp and flat telles. Nice shots of the little critters!
Bob you're right..Heck i've done portraits with a 28mm! Don't do it regularly. It all depends on what you want the Backround to do and how much barrel distortion you can correct for in the shooting and in post. I love the shallow focus in a 50mm for portraits as well as crisp and flat telles. Nice shots of the little critters!
Oct 25, 2011 05:12:32 #
Let us not forget that for people with small noses it is best to use a short lens. Foreshortening will make it grow!
For a Math treatment see:
http://www.aussievideosearch.com/lens.htm
For an example of this distortion a relitively size .. the tail of two bottles. See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perspective_distortion_%28photography%29
AND I would not and could not kiss the 24mm girl cause of that long nose, but could kiss the gal with the 70mm lens. The photographer took a chaw of bacca, spit brown juice, shuffled her feet in the dirt and said "Heck i've done portraits with a 28mm!" (same they used for President Nixon, Bob Hope, and Pinocchio)
http://www.mcpactions.com/blog/2010/07/21/the-ideal-focal-length-for-portraiture-a-photographers-experiment/
I knows you knew that, but the last reference has photos of a girl where as the first two are tilted toward the technical Geometry/Math view.
Scientific Facts are Boring compared to hotly defended opinions based on the empirical observation. But, I will agree empericalvations are much more fun discussed over a cup of coffee. (lol)
Don d/p
For a Math treatment see:
http://www.aussievideosearch.com/lens.htm
For an example of this distortion a relitively size .. the tail of two bottles. See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perspective_distortion_%28photography%29
AND I would not and could not kiss the 24mm girl cause of that long nose, but could kiss the gal with the 70mm lens. The photographer took a chaw of bacca, spit brown juice, shuffled her feet in the dirt and said "Heck i've done portraits with a 28mm!" (same they used for President Nixon, Bob Hope, and Pinocchio)
http://www.mcpactions.com/blog/2010/07/21/the-ideal-focal-length-for-portraiture-a-photographers-experiment/
I knows you knew that, but the last reference has photos of a girl where as the first two are tilted toward the technical Geometry/Math view.
Scientific Facts are Boring compared to hotly defended opinions based on the empirical observation. But, I will agree empericalvations are much more fun discussed over a cup of coffee. (lol)
Don d/p
Oct 25, 2011 06:15:40 #
Yes, I think what that pro was talking about was technically not barrel distortion, but perspective distortion (as in Don's Wikipedia link). Perspective distortion is just a function of how far the lens is from the subject (as the link says), not a quality of the lens itself. So a 50mm lens on a cropped frame camera is roughly equivalent to an 80mm lens on a full-frame, because you'll be standing about the same distance from your subject.
Oct 25, 2011 06:48:03 #
Yes, RandyM77, agreed, I think part of the forum agreement should be to refer to the effective mm of a lens. (joking, but not joking) I should go thru with an Aluminum Sharpie and remark all my lenses.
As you referred, "When I Google 50mm lenses, I come up with links like this that recommend 50mm lenses for portraits with cropped frame cameras." Of Course, it is not 50mm lens, rather, it is a 75mm for a crop sensor. AND for portraits, a 75mm is a good choice. To the Newbies, surly these mis-valued lens focal lengths suggestions for a particular use, in this case portraits, are confusing.
Again sorry to say, choice for an accurately representative portrait, is not a thing of opinion, rather it is a mathematically defined geometric, scientific, boring to most, statement of scientific fact.
As you referred, "When I Google 50mm lenses, I come up with links like this that recommend 50mm lenses for portraits with cropped frame cameras." Of Course, it is not 50mm lens, rather, it is a 75mm for a crop sensor. AND for portraits, a 75mm is a good choice. To the Newbies, surly these mis-valued lens focal lengths suggestions for a particular use, in this case portraits, are confusing.
Again sorry to say, choice for an accurately representative portrait, is not a thing of opinion, rather it is a mathematically defined geometric, scientific, boring to most, statement of scientific fact.
Oct 25, 2011 08:04:01 #
Yes, it is confusing. A lot of newbies don't even know they have cropped frame cameras. When I was a newb, I knew I had a cropped frame camera, but didn't really understand what it meant when it came to focal length. A lot of books and even web sites have material that's recycled from the days of film. The authors are often old pros who went directly from film to full-frame digital, so they tend to brush over the cropped frame issue.
One tip that helped me was to try the focal length with a zoom lens (assuming you have one, which most people do these days). I was considering an 85mm lens for portraits, and someone suggested I try setting my zoom lens at 85mm and see if the length suited me. I found it didn't. It was too long on my cropped frame camera. I couldn't back up enough to take the kind of candid, indoor portraits I wanted to take. Might be different outdoors or if I had a bigger house ;-).
One tip that helped me was to try the focal length with a zoom lens (assuming you have one, which most people do these days). I was considering an 85mm lens for portraits, and someone suggested I try setting my zoom lens at 85mm and see if the length suited me. I found it didn't. It was too long on my cropped frame camera. I couldn't back up enough to take the kind of candid, indoor portraits I wanted to take. Might be different outdoors or if I had a bigger house ;-).
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