K i t Z o n e
hink portraiture, and
you’re probably thinking
an 85mm prime lens
would be good. And
you’d be absolutely
right. Mounted on
a full-frame body,
the 85mm focal length gives a
flattering perspective and enables
a comfortable working distance,
so you’re not crowding your subject
and invading their personal space,
but you’re still close enough to
engage and give direction.
Even if you’re shooting with an
APS-C format body, an 85mm
lens works brilliantly for tight head
shots and for head-and-shoulders
portraiture. However, a shorter focal
length is certainly preferable for
Micro Four Thirds. Meanwhile,a ‘fast’ aperture rating enables a
tight depth of field for blurring the
background, literally focusing all
the attention on the main subject.
There are some fabulous top-end
lenses from around £1,500/$1,600,
including the Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L
IS USM, the Nikkor AF-S 85mm
f/1.4G and the Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 G
Master, plus the sensational Canon
RF 85mm f/1.2L USM at £2,799/
$2,699. But let’s face it: most of us
are not purely portrait photographers.
We like to shoot all sorts of subjects.
Without a lottery win or two under
the belt, it doesn’t make much sense
to blow a fortune on a ‘portrait’ lens
we might only use infrequently. So
here are the best buys for gaining
great portraiture performance at
reasonable prices. Matthew RichardsT
The contenders
1 Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM £365/$369
2 Fujinon XF56mm f/1.2 R APD £1,049/$1,499
3 Nikkor AF-S 85mm f/1.8G £429/$477
4 Nikkor Z 85mm f/1.8 S £799/$797
5 Olympus 45mm f/1.8 M.ZUIKO Digital £279/$399
6 Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A £899/$1,199
7 Sony FE 85mm f/1.8 £599/$598
8 Tamron SP 85mm f/1.8 Di VC USD £749/$749120 DIGITAL CAMERA^ DECEMBER 2019We’ve rounded up some lenses that are
perfect for portraiture. But, as you’ll see,
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Portrait lenses