Next Portrait Lens: 85L or 70-200 2.8 IS II?

[Keith B]

One of my favorite quotes;


"If Your Pictures Aren't Good Enough, You're Not Close Enough" - Robert Capa


From my experience on FF, The 85L lets you get closer, subjects tend to have more 3-d effect, like you could rotate around them. When you start shooting past 135 subjects flatten out and starts to look 2-d. I think you have to really look at what each lens does and what your using it for before you worry about the DOF at this or that. You can get a really nice bokeh but your subject may start to look like cardboard cutouts.


Want to see the magic of the 85L walk into Victoria Secrets or open up their catalog. The photographer, Russell James, uses the 85L almost exclusively.

[Richard Lane]

Keep in mind, that professional models are used to having a camera in their face. Regular people, not so much.


Rich

[Keith B]

I usually am at least 6 feet away with the 85. If that is in the face then I digress.

[Richard Lane]

<span style="font-size: 11.6667px;"]Want to see the magic of the 85L walk into Victoria Secrets or open up their catalog. The photographer, Russell James, uses the 85L almost exclusively.

<span style="font-size: small;"]Hey, if I were shooting Victoria Secret Models, I would want to be closer too! [:P]





Rich

[scalesusa]

Your 24-70mm L should make fantastic portraits. It sounds like you just started using the camera and are probably only using it to a tiny feaction of its capability. A new lens will probly not improve your images, you need to master lighting and composition.

[Daniel Browning]

Your 24-70mm L should make fantastic portraits.

I kindly disagree. While it's great for environmentals, three quarters, etc., At 70mm, tight headshots are going to violate the subject's personal space (by American standards, anyway -- other countries have different norms for personal space). More importantly, the perspective will enlarge noses, which isn't flattering for many subjects.

It sounds like you just started using the camera and are probably only using it to a tiny feaction of its capability. A new lens will probly not improve your images, you need to master lighting and composition.

This part of the post struck me as a bit rude.

[realityinabox]

Your 24-70mm L should make fantastic portraits.

I kindly disagree. While it's great for environmentals, three quarters, etc., At 70mm, tight headshots are going to violate the subject's personal space (by American standards, anyway -- other countries have different norms for personal space). More importantly, the perspective will enlarge noses, which isn't flattering for many subjects.

It sounds like you just started using the camera and are probably only using it to a tiny feaction of its capability. A new lens will probly not improve your images, you need to master lighting and composition.

This part of the post struck me as a bit rude.

Glad I'm not alone in thinking that. I might be mistaken, but I don't think you've ever seen my work, so maybe you shouldn't be so quick to judge.


I shot an event today (60thanniversaryparty) and the 24-70is great for certain things, like picking up detail shots and wide portraits, but it is too short to get a tight portrait, at least on a FF.I'm sure my subjects wouldn't have enjoyed me sticking a 24-70 2 feet from their nose to get a candid headshot, especially considering what that does to a subject's nose. I don't see why you have a problem with me needing a longer lens.



<meta charset="utf-8" />



Anyway, I am still super torn about what lens to pick up. Keith, the way you talk about the 85L makes me want to drive to the store right now and buy it, but I'm afraid it won't beversatileenough. I was super glad to have a zoom while shooting that party today. Then again, most of my shoots are portraits where I have more control and time to capture a shot.

[Keith B]

Anyway, I am still super torn about what lens to pick up. Keith, the way you talk about the 85L makes me want to drive to the store right now and buy it, but I'm afraid it won't beversatileenough. I was super glad to have a zoom while shooting that party today. Then again, most of my shoots are portraits where I have more control and time to capture a shot.

Event shooting is definitely a place for zooms. I shot an event a couple months ago with with the intentions of solely using a 5DII w/35L and a 7D w/85L. I did occasionally throw the 70-200 on the 7D to get shots where I couldn't get closer. Events aren't my main gigs so I sold the 70-200 to help pay for the 85L. I sold it to a buddy that will let me borrow it when I need it.


A little warning though, once you shoot with the 85L you may not want to use zooms ever again. My 24-70 use to be my most used lens but after shooting with the 35L and 85L I had a hard time pulling it out of the bag. I added the 50L and will probably sell the 24-70 and the 35L. The only zoom lens I've used lately is the 16-35.

[ddt0725]

A little warning though, once you shoot with the 85L you may not want to use zooms ever again.

Keith, you sure are makin' it hard for me to get over my obsession with this lens! I have bought two lenses since you first got me hooked on wanting this baby thinking they were much better suited for me but I STILL WANT THE 85L! [:'(] I was going to rent it to see if it was really true love or just infactuation but I was afraid I wouldn't want to part with it! [:P]

Denise

[realityinabox]

A little warning though, once you shoot with the 85L you may not want to use zooms ever again. My 24-70 use to be my most used lens but after shooting with the 35L and 85L I had a hard time pulling it out of the bag. I added the 50L and will probably sell the 24-70 and the 35L. The only zoom lens I've used lately is the 16-35.

Don't say stuff like that! It only make it worse!


I've contemplated going only primes before. After looking at my exif data from this shoot (and most other shoots), I'm still considering it. 299 of my 650 shots were at 70mm (most of which I wished were a bit longer, say around 85mm []), and 120 were at 24mm (been eyeing the 24 1.4L also). Too bad primes are so darn expensive...okay, L's in general.


Why must I have lens lust?