What Type of Lens is Best for Portrait Photography? – A Comparison
Welcome to our video series on choosing the best lens for portrait photography! With so many options available, how do you decide? In this series, we’ll compare popular portrait lenses like the 35mm, 50mm, 85mm, 135mm primes, and the versatile 70-200mm f/2.8 zoom lens. We’ll explore their strengths, ideal use cases, and how they affect your portraits. Plus, we’ll touch on other lenses to help you find the perfect fit for your style and needs!
These videos are from our Portrait Photography Course.
Which is the Best Lens for Portrait Photography? – Part 1
This video provides a budget-conscious guide to prime lenses for portrait photography. It recommends the 85mm f/1.8 as the best value for money due to its excellent background compression, sharpness, and lack of distortion. The 35mm and 50mm are also reviewed as good for environmental portraits and versatility, but not ideal for the best “bang for your buck.” The 135mm offers superior results but is expensive, and macro lenses (e.g., 100mm f/2.8) are highlighted as surprisingly effective dual-purpose options. The video advises beginners to avoid the much pricier f/1.4 or f/1.2 lens versions due to the difficulty of achieving focus with such a shallow depth of field.
Which is the Best Lens for Portrait Photography? – Part 2
This video analyzes premium zoom lenses for portraits, focusing on two popular models. The 24-70mm f/2.8 is versatile for environmental portraits and video but offers limited background compression for tighter shots. The presenter’s top recommendation is the 70-200mm f/2.8, hailed as a “champion” lens. It provides a telephoto range (up to 200mm) for strong background compression and subject isolation, while maintaining a wide f/2.8 aperture for light gathering and bokeh. The key advantage over prime lenses is the flexibility to zoom and compose without physically moving, making it ideal for portrait work despite its higher cost. The video notes an even more expensive 200mm f/2 prime as a rival, but argues the 70-200mm zoom offers superior value and versatility for most photographers.
