Canon Prime for Portraits

[mitchcook]

I'm looking for a Canon Prime Lens for portraits.
It will most likely be used on my 5D MKii and also on my 40D. One is full frame, the other is subframe.
I am not interested in the 50mm focal length. Although I'm not sure of the other options (85, 135? i believe).
What does everyone think.

It may also be used for video experiments. As a prime makes shooting video a lot easier.

I believe my current lenses are 24-105L. and the 17-85 on my 40d. along with the 55-200mm
All these are great lenses, not amazing, but they do me well. However, looking to provide more pop to my portraits i think this would be the answer

[LoveDSLR]

Sounds like you haven't developed your style for portrait photography. Otherwise, you already know the focal length you lust for.

With FF, you can consider the classic focal lengths (within Canon's system). The 85, 100 and 135mm. Some likes to shoot portraits with a macro lens while others prefer a soft-focus lens. Which one to buy will depend on your style and budget.

You can check out pbase for sample photos.

Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM Lens Sample Photos and Specifications
Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L USM II Lens Sample Photos and Specifications

BTW, I have the 85 f/1.2 L II.

[mitchcook]

You're right.
What I'm looking for is the right equipment to get me on the right track to grow LOTS in the future, as I have some spare cash now and won't have much extra in the future.

My budget is up to 1000 dollars.

I'm looking into those lenses. I am browsing all of these ranges of lenses on the-digital-picture at the moment too.

[inkista]

You could also go the gonzo route, and grab (and adapt) a CZ Planar 100/2. (The newer ZE Makro-Planar version is out of your price range).

Nothing "pops" quite like Zeiss glass.


Canon 50D. C/Y Zeiss Planar 100/2 [AEG version]. iso 3200. f/4ish. 1/100s.

Of course, you are giving up autofocus and shooting in anything but M or Av modes...

[mitchcook]

I'm not sure on the benefits of a zeiss lens over canon? Please explain.
What are thoughts on the 70-200L?

[inkista]

Originally Posted by mitchcook

I'm not sure on the benefits of a zeiss lens over canon? Please explain.

Zeiss glass simply looks different from Canon glass. Some people prefer it (I'm one of them). Some people can't even see it. The pebbleplace review I linked to states that to them, the Planar 100/2 beats the 85L and 135L as a portrait lens. Whether you agree or not is a matter of personal taste.

There are definitely disadvantages to using Zeiss glass: it's all manual focus. It's expensive new, and if you use an adapted Contax/Yashica-mount lens, there's no electronic communication between the body and the lens.

But you can pick up a C/Y 135mm f/2.8 Zeiss lens for $200. The Planar 100/2 is about $700-$1000, depending on the version you find. And Zeiss lenses tend to give a 3-d "pop" that few Canon lenses do. While Canon lenses will do a thin DoF, there's a more gradual transition between in and out of focus than with Zeiss lenses, where the transition is sharper, you pick up a few extra depth cues, and the subject just tends to "pop" out from the background.

What are thoughts on the 70-200L?

Which one? There are now five.

• EF 70-200 f/4L USM
• EF 70-200 f/4L IS USM
• EF 70-200 f/2.8L USM
• EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS USM
• EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS USM II

[mitchcook]

I've been thinking and I may have decided upon a solution.
Since I have a full frame and a cropped body..
I could go with the 85mm 1.8. On the 5D it would be 85mm, whereas on the 40D it would be equivalent to 135mm. (Personally I don't see a true reason to up myself to the 1.2L)
I guess that would be why so many people love the 50mm on their crop bodies. It would be similar to 85mm. This way I could have both grounds covered, and then if I were ever interested in macro's. I could get the 100mm (I believe that is the 'true' purpose of that lens?)

and in other news, I meant the 2.8L IS either 1 or 2.

[LoveDSLR]

Originally Posted by mitchcook

I've been thinking and I may have decided upon a solution.
Since I have a full frame and a cropped body..
I could go with the 85mm 1.8. On the 5D it would be 85mm, whereas on the 40D it would be equivalent to 135mm. (Personally I don't see a true reason to up myself to the 1.2L)

It would be a right solution if you only concentrate on focal length and aperture. inkista picks the Zeiss 100mm for better micro-contrast and "pop" while I prefer the 85 f/1.2 for AF, lower contrast and smoothness.

My other portrait prime is the Nikon 105 f/2.5 and would like to get the Nikon 24 f/1.4, Nikon 58 f/1.2 NOCT, Nikon 135 f/2 DC and Nikon 200 f/2 to complete my collection.

As I mentioned before, you pick the lens according to your style and budget.