portrait Lens

[steveps]

I'm looking for advice on choice of lens for portrait work, mainly pets, indoors and out doors. I would be using a Canon20d.

Thanks in advance
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Steve.

[Don Hoey]

Hi Steve,

From your gallery I see you have a Sigma 170-500 so something like a 28-200 would complement that nicely. You don't mention a budget but I have just looked at Warehouse Express and Canon fit is £169.99.

I have no experience of the quality of this lens, perhaps other members do.

Don

[yelvertoft]

Originally Posted by Don Hoey

Hi Steve,

From your gallery I see you have a Sigma 170-500 so something like a 28-200 would complement that nicely. You don't mention a budget but I have just looked at Warehouse Express and Canon fit is £169.99.

I have no experience of the quality of this lens, perhaps other members do.

Don

I've used a Tamron 28-200 in the past (on 35mm film body) and found it's a bit compromised on quality. Something with not such a wide zoom range would probably be more suitable for portrait work. The "classic" portrait lens would typically be something in the 90mm focal length (on 35mm film). Assuming you are using a digital body with a sensor that gives about 1.5x crop factor, you would be looking at about a 60mm lens for portrait work. Perhaps look at something in the 50-200 range to compliment your 170-500.

Duncan.

[Canis Vulpes]

I mainly use zooms for other photographic applications however for portraits and pets I use 50mm f1.8. 50mm is about right considering the DLSR crop factor and equates to 75mm in 35mm full frame terms. Canon 20D has a 1.6 crop factor so a 50mm lens will be equivalent to 80mm. A fast lens is ideal for portraits creating an out of focus background using a wide aperture. I am sure Canon do a great 50mm at a very low price. I can only comment on Nikon where pricing is around £100-120 new and £50-75 used.

[jseaman]

Not recommending a particular lens ... but something in the 35-100mm range (zooms in this range can be ok) and f/4 or better (f/1.8 is nice). A low light capable lens is very nice for portrait work.

[steveps]

Thanks for all the advice lads. I think I'll go down the 50mm prime route as suggested by Stephen.
I will then come back and badger you all on flash equipment/ technique, especially when to use it out doors, for "fill in".

_________
Steve

[postcardcv]

The Canon 50mm f1.8 is supposed to be an excellent portrait lens and at about £80 new it's not a bad price either. I show say that I've not used this lens myself, but have read lots of good things about it and plan to get one in the near future.

[robski]

Originally Posted by postcardcv

The Canon 50mm f1.8 is supposed to be an excellent portrait lens

I have one of these lens and it is very good optics for the price. On par with lens costing in the hundreds. The let down is the noisey focus motor but what do you expect for the price. I would consider selling it if your interested Steve PM me.

[Tannin]

Another lens that people often recommed for this purpose on the 20D is the Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 macro. It's a lot more expensive than the almost give-away EF 50mm f/1.8, but if you have a need for a macro lens too, it is dual-purpose. I can't really comment on its suitability as a portrait lens (humans are not my thing) except to report what others say. Does the macro work and a bit of general purpose landscape work very nicely for me. But it's a lot more expensive.