Best lens option for portrait photography with cropped sensor DSLR's

[elmo_2006]

Hello...


Since we got back from vacation and managed to post some of those pics on flikr, I have been offered photography duties wherein I would be the *go to* guy for the engagement photos. I did inform them that they should deal with a *real* photographer but in the end they *twisted my arm*.


Herein lies the dilema, what lens to use/get!? I

[neuroanatomist]

Should I go for the member of the *Holy Trinity* 50 1.2 or the newcomer Sigma 85 1.4?

Actually, the 50mm f/1.2L is not part of the 'holy trinity' of primes, maybe merely a disciple (the 'holy trinity' usually refers to the 35L, 85L, and 135L).


What is the planned venue for this shoot, and how much working room will you have? What is the separation from the background you'll want to blur out? If you have a little bit of working distance, the 85L is an amazing lens, but if there's decent subject-background separation, the 70-200 (assuming I recall correctly that you have the f/2.8 IS II) will do well, and give you a lot of flexibility for framing.


If you really need the lens only for this session, have you considered renting?

[elmo_2006]

Opps, you are right!


Planned venue would be an engagement photo-shoot at a lovely park probably in July or August. I

[Daniel Browning]

I was thinking of renting however with a minimum of a 4 day rental in Canada at roughly 400+, I'd rather dish out the additional 500 smacks and purchase the Sigma 85 1.4.

400+ CAD for a four-day rental? Is it packed with gold-plated styrofoam?LensRentals.com will go to Ontario for 110 USD (round trip included). If you're cheap, just do what I do: make friends with local photographers and borrow their gear. Perfect strangers let me wander off with their their very expensive gear and manhandle it for hours just because we share the bond of photography.

[elmo_2006]

Ok that was strange, at Canada Lensrentals when I hit checkout the total was over 400CAD, but I tried again and it

[Fast Glass]

I