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Hi All,

Firstly apologies for the lack of involvment lately, I just checked my profile and the last post was on the 15/11 !!!! I have just been insanely busy with work, family and renovating a house

Anyway I'm back and what better way then to ask what you all would recommend for a great portrait lens.

I don't want to spend to much money so nothing to elaborate just a great, sharp lens.

Start the recomendations...

Look forward to catching up with you all again.

W00DY

50mm F1.8 is a stunner for portraits. Use window light and shoot at f4 or f5.6 at shutterspeed of around 1/60.

Nikon 50/1.8 is AU$180.00
Nikon 50/1.4 is AU$400.00/ Geoff picked one up today and he's a happy camper!

Hey Matt,

Thanks for the recomendation.

Birddog - Thanks for the pricing info, I think I remember another thread on the comparison of those two lenses. I'll have to look it up.

Am i right in saying that a 50mm lens on the D70 becomes a 75mm lens?

W00DY

Yep! but save you bucks and get the 85/1.8 or 1/4.

Woody, I'll second the 50mm suggestion. Portraits of willing subjects will work very sweetly with 75mm effective focal length. For candids or times when you want some extra distance or not have your subject know they're having their photo taken, the 85 or even 105mm would work.

I second what Onyx said. I picked up the 50MM F1.4 today and I'm very happy with it.

Hi Woody - welcome back. I am typing without my left index finger tonight as I cut it this evening with a rather sharp knife (still intact but big dressing on it)..hehehe..anyway..although I haven't had it long, I am impressed with the 50mm 1.4, take a look at http://members.iinet.net.au/~geoffyates ... ember4.jpg to see!


Geoff.

Birddog114 wrote:Yep! but save you bucks and get the 85/1.8 or 1/4.

Are you recommending the 85 more Birddog?

What is the price of the 85's?

I can understand that the longer focal length would work better for candids but my subject will mostly be my kids and niece (who love getting their photo taken)

W00DY

Woody... Birddog would most certainly be recommending the 85/1.4 as it is the most recognised portrait lens.

On a budget I would get the 50/1.8... I did and can say that I'm more than happy at the price (about $200AU). The 50/1.4 is also nice but at twice the price you need to consider whether you really need it. Gary has the 1.4 but is taking shots in pubs and clubs in very low light. I'm not sure that's what you'll be doing?

I will say that having played with the 85/1.4 I have a serious lust for this lens... simply beautiful for serious portrait work... but then so it should be for the price. I have to be spending far more time actually capturing images before I can decide my next acquistion and make sure its a match for a high percentage of the pictures I desire to create.

Michael.

Folks where are these prices from?
I am new - so still a little lost navigating
Gerard

Gerard,

Prices used here will often probably be grey market, ex-HK, to your door, through HKSupplies. Look at the thread under traders for some history of who HK Supplies are, and the experiences of some members here with them.

Look under the Bargains section for more references to prices, from local, HK, and US sources, to gain a greater perspective of where people here are buying from.

Finally, if you're in Sydney and can make it to our dinner this coming Friday night, apart from meeting about 20 odd memebrs from here, you'll also get to meet Mr Poon from HK Supplies.

Any other questions, please feel free to ask; we don't like lost souls here.

Love your avatar, and welcome to the group.

Thanks for that Gary
Brisbane here though otherwise would have come on friday night
Ta Gerard

For portrait lens here's my choice:

1/ 85/1.4
2/ 85/1.8
3/ 105DC/2
4/ 70-200VR
5/ 50/1.4
6/ 5/1.8

I mainly used 85/1.4 for hafl body portrait and 70-200VR for distance.
I have 50/1.4 but hardly put in on my camera since I got the 85/1.4

Birddog114 wrote:For portrait lens here's my choice:

1/ 85/1.4
2/ 85/1.8
3/ 105DC/2
4/ 70-200VR
5/ 50/1.4
6/ 5/1.8

I mainly used 85/1.4 for hafl body portrait and 70-200VR for distance.
I have 50/1.4 but hardly put in on my camera since I got the 85/1.4

In that case you don't want to sel your second hand 50/1.4 do you

W00DY

W00DY wrote:

Birddog114 wrote:For portrait lens here's my choice:

1/ 85/1.4
2/ 85/1.8
3/ 105DC/2
4/ 70-200VR
5/ 50/1.4
6/ 5/1.8

I mainly used 85/1.4 for half body portrait and 70-200VR for distance.
I have 50/1.4 but hardly put in on my camera since I got the 85/1.4

In that case you don't want to sel your second hand 50/1.4 do you

W00DY

Woody,
Rarely I sold anything I purchased, especially with the lenses, why you're looking for a second hand 50/1.4 lens? it's so cheap at AU$400.00 brand new. As my post ealier, save up your pennies and buy the 85/1.4 new and use it to take protrait. or buy the 50/1.8.

Birddog114 wrote:

W00DY wrote:

Birddog114 wrote:For portrait lens here's my choice:

1/ 85/1.4
2/ 85/1.8
3/ 105DC/2
4/ 70-200VR
5/ 50/1.4
6/ 5/1.8

I mainly used 85/1.4 for half body portrait and 70-200VR for distance.
I have 50/1.4 but hardly put in on my camera since I got the 85/1.4

In that case you don't want to sel your second hand 50/1.4 do you

W00DY

Woody,
Rarely I sold anything I purchased, especially with the lenses, why you're looking for a second hand 50/1.4 lens? it's so cheap at AU$400.00 brand new. As my post ealier, save up your pennies and buy the 85/1.4 new and use it to take protrait. or buy the 50/1.8.

Yeah I will buy Brand New....

How much are the 85/1.4 & 1.8???

W00DY

Yeah I will buy Brand New....

How much are the 85/1.4 & 1.8???

Will check and revert with Grey import pricing.
Maxwell stock
85/1.4 $2160.00
85/ 1.4 $780.00
How many 85/1.4 do you want?

Birddog114 wrote:

Yeah I will buy Brand New....

How much are the 85/1.4 & 1.8???

Will check and revert with Grey import pricing.
Maxwell stock
85/1.4 $2160.00
85/ 1.4 $780.00
How many 85/1.4 do you want?

Hmmm let me think.... an 85/1.4 or my marriage....

Woody... I suggest that you have a play with some of the options at the next get togther before jumping in... nothing like actually taking a few pics and checking the results for helping in the decision process.

Mind you I played with a pretty complete set of lenses on Saturday and have decided the only sensible decision is to get one of each

Sensible... hehehe....

relating lens purchases to sensibility... Delusional

Mj wrote:Woody... I suggest that you have a play with some of the options at the next get togther before jumping in... nothing like actually taking a few pics and checking the results for helping in the decision process.

Mind you I played with a pretty complete set of lenses on Saturday and have decided the only sensible decision is to get one of each

Yep, good idea.

W00DY wrote:

Mj wrote:Woody... I suggest that you have a play with some of the options at the next get togther before jumping in... nothing like actually taking a few pics and checking the results for helping in the decision process.

Mind you I played with a pretty complete set of lenses on Saturday and have decided the only sensible decision is to get one of each

Yep, good idea.

MJ, you forgot: and bring with you a handful of cash too

Birddog114 wrote:MJ, you forgot: and bring with you a handful of cash too

Only a handful ?

Yep... need the other hand to keep hold of all the toys !!!

Found a new lust the other day... tamron 300/2.8 + tc2pro ... haven't yet seen up close and personal but sounding like a nice combination for those inconspicous candids....

Matt. K wrote:50mm F1.8 is a stunner for portraits. Use window light and shoot at f4 or f5.6 at shutterspeed of around 1/60.

Call me stupid but...

In the situation you have described above you have the lens at 50mm and the F-Stop at 4 or 5.6 and shutter at 1/60...

Couldn't I do this with the kit lens?

Why would purchasing the 50mm lens give me a better image than if I used the kit lens (in the example above)?

Cheers,

W00DY

Woody,

You can, but the 50mm might be a tad (or more) sharper. You're using the kit lens pretty well wide open, which may not be in its sweet spot, whereas by stopping to prime down a little, you probably are in that lens's sweet spot.

And the 50 might give you better bokeh.

gstark wrote:Woody,

You can, but the 50mm might be a tad (or more) sharper. You're using the kit lens pretty well wide open, which may not be in its sweet spot, whereas by stopping to prime down a little, you probably are in that lens's sweet spot.

And the 50 might give you better bokeh.

Oh ok. Does anyone know what the "sweet spot" on the kit lens is? Or does this really depend on the image and other settings you are using?

This is probably opening up a huge thread but what is "bokeh"? I have heard / seen the term but never understood what it is.

Cheers,

Andrew

Andrew, here's a Luminous Landscape essay on boke(h).

Andrew, there have been some lively threads on boke(h). Seach "bokeh" and read away...

Then put bokeh in google.

Then marvel at the detailed analysis and range of strongly held and expressed opinions of what used to be known as the blurry bits.

woody,

The sweet spot can vary, depending upon the focal length and aperture setting in use.

I'd suggest shooting the same subject at a given focal length, modifying the aperture, and then examine the resulting images along with their EXIF data. A couple of the images should stand out as sharper, more contrasty .... you'll know them when you see them. Typically one or stops away from fully open, but not always.


Then redo the test, with a different focal length. Then redo it again, using yet another focal length, and so on, until you have the common focal lengths that you lens provides covered.

You'll then start to learn and understand your lens's characteristics.