💡If you want to know more about objectives, types, terminology, acronyms, focal lengths and more, don’t miss the mega guide we’ve prepared for you.
A portrait is much more than a photo. It is the image of a person with a soul, with feelings, with so much to tell! And it doesn’t matter what camera you use, it’s you who has to know how to transmit it. And the goal…does it count? It is important? When you finish reading this article with the portrait lenses that I recommend, you will agree with me that it is.
The lens is more important than the camera.
It is not that it is essential to use one or the other, in the end, as I said, you are the one who transmits and the person portrayed is the one who counts.
However, the lens can contribute or distort more than we imagine.
And it is that the tool does matter, it is not the same to use a thin brush than a thick one, right? Or a soccer ball than a tennis ball depending on what for. Well, the same here.
That is why I am going to give you a lot of options, so you can choose based on your camera, your needs and your budget.
Before continuing, if you are interested in this discipline, I have to tell you that you cannot miss the mega guide that we have left you on the blog. where we tell you all the tricks, tips and inspiration for photograph the most spectacular portraits.
INSIDE THIS ARTICLE… 📖
How should a lens be for portrait photography?
Focal length for portrait photography
If when you see these images notice the difference between the different portraits, this section interests you. Get comfortable and keep reading, I’m going to tell you what these differences are due to and how they affect you, and therefore, what are the recommended lenses for portraits.
Before I would like to underline the word “recommended”, and I say this because in the end, as I mentioned before, it is you who takes the photo and decides how to transmit and how to create.
For this reason, although I tell you that a fisheye, for example, is not among the recommended ones, you may want to make a different, original portrait and you are precisely looking for the distorting effect produced by the fisheye.
In that case you have the last word and who decides, of course. You already know that the rules are there to break them, although for this you must know them and know with what intention you break them.
In case you don’t know what I mean by the term that gives title to this section and with all this that I’m telling you, I leave you the following summary scheme, because they say that a picture is worth a thousand words 😉 .
If the diagram does not clarify you completely, do not worry, here we explain in detail what the focal length of your lens is.
The important thing is that you know that the suitable focal length for portraits It is between 50mm and 135mm.
If you look at the pictures again that I told you before, you will be able to observe how the face is distorted below 50 mm.
The shorter the focal length, the closer you will have to get to the person you are photographing. This is an important factor that you have to take into account.
Perhaps you are one of those who hide behind a “tele” out of shyness, but if that is the only reason why you shoot “from afar”, your portrait can also be a little “far” from what the subject has to count.
That is why I recommend that you lose your shyness and if you want to photograph strangers, do not necessarily hide behind a telephoto lens, a smile will always help you overcome that shyness and obtain the permission (almost always) of that person.
Another reason to use a telephoto lens is its ability to isolate the subject from the background. This is indeed a good reason to use them, but for that you don’t need to hide 😉 .
In short, if you want medium shot portraits, you can use a 35mm, for example. If you want something closer, between 50mm and 85mm is ideal. With a 105mm you can get more intimate close-ups.
With telephoto lenses you get very impressive portraits in which you completely isolate the subject from the background.
With macro lenses, you can magnify some details of the face, such as photographing an eye with all the details of the iris or the mouth of a newborn.
Important note!!!: I know you are going to ask 😉. When I talk about these focal lengths I’m talking about their 35mm equivalent. If you have a camera with a crop sensor, you have to apply the conversion factor to it.
That is, with an APS-C sensor camera, a 50mm is equivalent to approximately 70mm (the conversion factor depends on the brand of camera).
When we talk about this equivalence it is only because of the distortions in terms of focal length, something else is the blurring of each lens and other aspects, in those matters a 50mm is a 50mm. And there is no more 😜.
Fixed or variable focal
Focals can be fixed or variable. The fixed ones are those that, as their name indicates, you cannot vary, with them you cannot do any type of zoom. The variables, by contrast, span different focal lengths.
The former are more suitable for portraits because they achieve greater sharpness, are brighter and allow a shallower depth of field, they are also cheaper (as long as we are talking about the same maximum aperture, of course 😉 ).
The drawback is that they are less versatile and to reframe they force you to move from the site (the latter does not have to be a disadvantage).
Variable focal lengths also have their advantages, and that is that they are very versatile. They allow you to capture different shots without having to move from the site, sometimes it is a matter of comfort, but there are times when you cannot move from the site (a fashion show, a sporting event, a performance or a show…).
The drawback is that they are usually larger and heavier and therefore less discreet. This can intimidate subjects in front of you.
In the end, choosing one or the other will depend on the type of portraits you usually do. Needs and tastes rule.
Recommended aperture for portrait photography
A really important element in a lens is the aperture of the diaphragm. The larger the aperture, the greater the brightness and blur. Larger aperture lenses allow you to further isolate the subject from the background and focus on certain details (you can even isolate the eyes from the rest of the face).
If you are not very familiar with the term, you should know that it is indicated by the “f” number, but the smaller the “f” number (or depth of field), the larger the aperture.
But come on, if this sounds like Chinese to you, you should read the guide that we have prepared for you to learn photography. It is that this is a basic basic aspect and this guide will help you a lot.
If you know what I’m talking about, continue.
In short, the brightest lenses are the ones that will give you the best opportunities when shooting portraits.
Recommended lenses for portrait photography
Now that you know the most important elements to take into account when choosing a portrait lens, here is a list of some of them.
35mm
For medium shot portraits or to use on cropped sensor cameras (not full frame) when you want a 50mm, it’s an excellent choice. With a 35mm you can place the viewer on the spot and make them feel in the same place as the person portrayed.
With this type of focal you have to be careful with distractions and elements that can dirty the scene or steal the limelight from the subject.
You have to watch out for distortion when you’re too close, especially around the edges. It is important not to get too close.
Depending on the brand you will find them with one opening or another, here I leave you the ones that, in my opinion, are the best for portrait photography.
- Canyon. For Canon there are several 35mm lens options, depending on whether you have a full frame camera or not, if you want a branded or compatible lens, etc. I tell you in the article of the link in detail. Also, for RF Mount there is the Canon RF 35mm F1.8 Macro IS STM. The best Canon angle for portraits that is also macro.
- Fujifilm (X-Mount). 52mm equivalent, an excellent lens with a maximum f/2 aperture, 130g weight, stabilizer and autofocus.
- Nikon. Although if you want something more professional, this Sigma f/1.4 it’s a pass
- Olympus. For Olympus Micro Four Thirds there is a super cheap option from the Meike brand, for €79.99 you have a 35mm f/1.7 lens, yes with manual focus, only suitable for studio portraits or very posed, for everything else, better something like this sigma. If you are looking for something compatible with Olympus OM-D & Pen, Panasonic G-Series, there is this onesomewhat more expensive but also of higher quality, with autofocus and equivalent to about 60mm.
- Pentax. Good and cheap, what more could you ask for? Here you have a complete guide to Pentax cameras and lenses in case you want more information of any kind.
- Sony
Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM
50mm f/1.4
The king of goals. A marvel. A fixed lens, super bright and with the least distorting focal length, that is, the one that offers a vision more similar to that of a human and, on top of that, very versatile, it is Mario’s favorite for a reason. It is true that it is not cheap, but it is worth what it costs.
Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm F1.4G
If you don’t have the budget and you don’t want to miss out on the benefits of a fixed, versatile and bright lens, you can go for the next lens I’m talking about.
50mm f/1.8
He is not the king, but he comes very close. A step less of light is more than it seems, but it is not enough reason not to be able to take impressive portraits because it does not reach your pocket.
In fact, it is one of the most recommended lenses to start in photography in general and portrait photography in particular 😉 . And it offers a lot for very little.
Let’s see what options you have. For Canon and Nikon we comment on them in their day in the corresponding articles.
- Olympus. It is not 50mm but its equivalent. Highly rated by users and compatible with all MFT cameras (Olympus OM-D & Pen, Panasonic G Series).
- Pentax. Very bright, high quality and quite cheap.
- Sony.
- E-mount. Very bright, light and for a price that you cannot refuse.
- A-mount. More of the same but for A-mount.
Canon EF50mm F1.8II
85mm
With an 85mm the plane is more closed, you don’t have to worry so much about the backgrounds or the surrounding elements. If they don’t tell anything about the person portrayed and all they do is get in the way, you can eliminate them by taking them out of the shot with this 85mm focal length.
Although you can also zoom out and have a more general shot including part of the context with a nice bokeh. The 85mm for portraits is a classic that everyone falls in love with.
- Canyon
- Fujifilm X. This Viltrox lens compatible offers excellent quality at a much more affordable price than those of the brand.
- Nikon
- Olympus. There is this Samyang (135mm equivalent) with f/1.8 maximum aperture and the Meike f/2.2
- Pentax. The brand has this Pentax 85mm f/1.4,…