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Three prime lenses every portrait

photographer needs to consider
By James Abbott May 30, 2019

These prime lenses will get you shooting your best portraits yet.
But do you choose a 50mm, an 85mm or a 135mm?

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 JUMP TO: 50mm lenses 85mm lenses 135mm lenses 

When you first get started in photography, you’re most likely to begin with the
lens that came with your camera (ie the kit lens) before moving up to a better-
quality zoom that covers the focal lengths you need.  1 Take your photos to the next
level with Luminar AI’s
The most popular type of lens for portraits is an 85mm prime lens, so see our Templates
guide to the Best lens for portraits to see which ones we rate the best.

But to find out why this is, what to look for in a portrait lens and what the
2 MPB used kit challenge: get a
marvelous macro
alternatives are, keep reading. photography setup on the
cheap
• Read more: What are the best camera lenses to buy
• Get more photoshoot ideas
3 Benro Rhino tripod kits offer
the ultimate performance for
The fact is, you can shoot great portraits with a zoom lens, but there’s no
an affordable price
getting away from the fact that prime lenses are even better. Not only do they
have wider maximum apertures, which is ideal for isolating the subject, but
they’re super sharp and offer generally better image quality than zooms. 4 Boost colors in your macro
• Essential portrait photography tips photography with Serif
Affinity Photo
Zoom lenses are more convenient in terms of being able to change focal length
with a simple turn of the zoom ring. But for portraiture, it’s always better to 5 Turn Your Favourite Memories
into Gifts
select a prime lens for its characteristics and use your feet to change
composition. 

Whatever you’re doing in life, having the right tools for the job will always make
things easier and the end result more successful. So, if you’re a portrait  OUR GREAT MAGS
photographer a prime lens is the obvious answer – and there are three classic
portrait focal lengths that you really should seriously consider.

50MM LENSES

 

BUY IN PRINT OR
DIGITAL

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8

Once photographers find their kit lens no longer fulfils their creative
requirements, the first lens many find themselves drawn to is the humble
50mm. 

• Read more: The best 50mm lenses right now

One of the greatest attractions of this lens is that the f/1.8 version from many
manufacturers is relatively inexpensive. Furthermore, it provides a field of view
comparable to that of the human eye, and the wide maximum aperture makes
shallow depth-of-field photography across a range of subjects possible. 

There are two main flavours of 50mm commonly available: f/1.8 or f/1.4. The
latter allows more light to enter the lens at a given shutter speed, and a
shallower depth-of-field too. If you shoot with an APS-C camera, a 35mm lens
will provide the closest equivalent focal length at 52.5mm. Micro Four Thirds
users, meanwhile, will achieve a 50mm-equivalent focal length with a 25mm
lens.

For portrait photography, 50mm lenses are great for full-length and waist-level
portraits, both on location and in the studio. This is thanks to the wide field of
view compared to an 85mm or 135mm lens, and you don’t need to be too far
away from the model to achieve these crops. 

On the other hand, if your aim is to shoot a headshot or a head-and-shoulders

portrait, getting in too close will actually distort the model’s features, with the
face ending up too thin and the nose too big. So, a 50mm certainly isn’t the best
choice for this type of shot.


 

In the example images (both shot with the 50mm at different distances) you’ll see that the 50mm has
performed well with the waist-level crop, but with the tighter shot you can already see distortion creeping in
into the face. If you were to move in closer for an even tighter crop the distortion would be too strong.

Lenses to consider:

Today's best 50mm lens (and equivalents) deals

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Tamron SP
Tamron AFF013C- 45mm f/1.8 Di $599
700SP 45mm... Amazon VIEW DEAL
VC USD for $399
Canon
See all prices
 Sigma 50mm
Sigma 50mm F1.4 Amazon $721.05 VIEW DEAL
DG HSM Art... F1.4 DG HSM Art
Lens for Canon
See all prices

Sony SAL-50F18 DTSony FE 50mm

50mm f/1.8...
Crutchfield.com $118 VIEW DEAL
f/1.8

See all prices

Canon EF 75- Canon EF 50mm

300mm f/4-5.6 III... f/1.4 USM
Amazon $199 VIEW DEAL

See all prices

Nikon AF-S
Nikon AF-S
NIKKOR 50mm Nikkor 50mm Amazon $446.95 VIEW DEAL
f/1.4G...
f/1.4G
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Olympus
Olympus M.Zuiko M.ZUIKO
Digital 25mm... BHPhoto $299 VIEW DEAL
DIGITAL 25mm
1:1.8
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Fujinon Fuji XF 35mm f/2

XF35mmF2 R WR - Amazon $399 VIEW DEAL
Black R WR

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85MM LENSES
Fujifilm 56mm f/1.2 APD - offers equivalent focal length of 85mm

If you’re looking for a lens that provides a reasonable working distance from the
model, with a narrower field of view than a 50mm lens, the 85mm is the most
popular focal length for portraiture. 

• Read more: the best 85mm portrait lenses

These short telephoto lenses are typically available with f/1.8 or f/1.4 apertures.
The latter type is significantly more expensive, so budget will often play a part in
the purchasing decision. For APS-C users, a 50mm lens provides an equivalent
focal length of around 75-80mm, while Micro Four Thirds users need a 45mm
lens to give an equivalent focal length of 90mm. 

APS-C owners are perhaps the luckiest group here because 50mm lenses are
generally the most affordable lens type of the three. Full-frame and Micro Four
Thirds camera shooters will have to spend a little more cash, but it's definitely
worth it for this focal length.

85mm lenses are highly versatile as they are suitable for full-length, waist-level
and head-and-shoulders crops. You can shoot tighter head shots but this has
to be done with care because distortion of facial features can occur here.
When shooting in the studio, an 85mm lens is ideal for shooting above-the-knee
crops and head-and-shoulders shots and everything in between, but for tighter
headshots the 135mm would be the superior option.
The 85mm has performed exceptionally well in the two shooting distances – and these are ideal crops for
the 85mm lens so it comes as little surprise. The tighter crop doesn’t display the isolation and apparent
bokeh effect of a longer 135mm, but the subject’s face appears slimmer.

Lenses to consider

Today's best 85mm (and equivalents) lens deals

Nikon 85mm Nikon AF-S

f/1.8G AF-S FX...
Amazon $439 VIEW DEAL
85mm f/1.8G

See all prices

Canon Canon EF Canon EF 85mm

85mm f/1.8 USM... f/1.8 USM
Adorama $259 VIEW DEAL

See all prices

REDUCED PRICE

Sony SEL85F18 Sony FE 85mm $598

Amazon VIEW DEAL
85mm F/1.8-22... f/1.8 $546.90

See all prices

Sigma 85 mm
Sigma 85mm f/1.4 F1.4 DG HSM Art
DG HSM Art... Amazon $1,049 VIEW DEAL
Canon Mount
Lens
See all prices

Tamron SP
Tamron SP 85mm 85mm f/1.8 Di
f/1.8 Di VC... Walmart $759.99 VIEW DEAL
VC USD for
Canon
See all prices
 We check over 130 million products every day for the best prices

View All Deals

135MM LENSES

Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art

The jewel in any portrait photographer’s kit bag has to be the 135mm lens.
Available with f/1.8 or f/2.0 maximum apertures, this wide aperture works with
the slightly longer focal length to provide a gorgeous background blur. These
types of lenses have the bonus of allowing you to get close to the model
without invading their space. 

While superior to their shorter counterparts in several ways, they’re not

perfect. Longer telephoto lenses create the opposite type of distortion to wider
lenses; while wider lenses make the face appear narrower, with an unflattering
enlargement of the nose, long telephotos make the face look slightly wider. This
does occur with 135mm, but the effect isn’t as noticeable as with a 200mm lens.
70-200mm lenses are extremely versatile workhorse lenses, but for portraiture
a 135mm with a faster maximum aperture will always provide better results.

On location, 135mm lenses can be as versatile as you like because you can
stand as close or as far away from the model as necessary to compose at the
desired crop. Not only that, but the lens produces absolutely stunning full-
length shots, thanks to the narrow field of view and pronounced bokeh,
although you will be more than a few metres away from the model. 

In the studio, however, things are a little different. The long working distance
required for a full-length shot means the 135mm is just too long, but for more
intimate head-and-shoulders shots and headshots they're the best of the three
options here. For APS-C cameras, an 85mm lens will provide a close equivalent
focal length of 127.5mm, while 75mm will provide a 150mm-equivalent focal
length on a Micro Four Thirds camera.


The 135mm lens has produced images with a noticeably narrower field of view than the previous two lenses,
which in turn has emphasised the background bokeh blur. 

Lenses to consider:

Today's best 135mm (and equivalent) deals

REDUCED PRICE

Sigma 135 mm
Sigma Fixed Focal $1,399
length... F1.8 DG HSM Amazon VIEW DEAL
$1,260
Lens
See all prices

REDUCED PRICE

Olympus
Olympus M.Zuiko M.Zuiko Digital $899
Digital ED... Amazon VIEW DEAL
ED 75mm f/1.8 $789
lens
See all prices
 Fujifilm 90mm f/2 Amazon
XF R LM WR... Fuji XF 90mm f/2 VIEW DEAL
$949
R LM WR
See all prices

Canon EF
Canon Ef 135Mm 135mm f/2.0L
2.0L USM(Japan... USM Fixed Focal Amazon $999 VIEW DEAL

Length Lens
See all prices

REDUCED PRICE

Nikon AF-S Nikon AF-S $1,996.95

NIKKOR 28mm Amazon VIEW DEAL
f/1.4E... 105mm f/1.4E ED $1,796.95

See all prices

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Which focal length is best for you?

Lens choice ultimately comes down to the individual, but in an ideal world,
having all three lenses would be the best option because you would have all
bases covered.

For a professional, having these three focal lengths alongside a 24mm or 35mm
lens would also be beneficial. For enthusiasts, one or more of these classic
portraiture focal lengths would suitably service your needs. There are overlaps,
so think about what types of crops you shoot and make a decision about which
lens or lenses are best for you; a combination of any two of these focal lengths
would give you a fantastic portrait kit.

If money was no object buying all three would be a no-brainer. If you’re on a

limited budget, however, the most versatile of the three lenses is the 85mm.
Sitting between the 50mm and 135mm, this lens provides a comfortable
working distance from the model without the need to stand too close or too far
back. Furthermore, distortion is minimal, so it's ideal for both studio and
location use. 

For APS-C camera owners this would make a 50mm lens the best option
because the equivalent focal length would be 75-80mm. For Micro Four Thirds,
a 45mm lens would give you an equivalent focal length of 90mm. 

Lens buyers' guides: 

The best portrait lenses for Nikon DSLR users

The best portrait lenses for Canon DSLR users
The best Canon lenses in 2020
The best Nikon lenses in 2020
The best Fujifilm lenses in 2020
The best Sony lenses in 2020
The best Micro Four Thirds lenses for Olympus or Panasonic cameras
The best 50mm lenses
The best 70-200mm lenses
The best budget telephoto lenses
The best 150-600mm lenses

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