# Best Canon portrait lens



## Bryant (Dec 13, 2009)

Hey my girlfriend is looking to buy a portrait lens for herself, she has a 50d, money is no option. What are the best portrait lenses for a crop body that are all primes. My thoughts were the 50mm 1.2L and the 85mm... what other lenses as I don't do fashion photography, I'm into sports.

Thanks


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## TJ K (Dec 13, 2009)

85mm 1.2 and 50 1.2 would probably be nice for sports if money is no option 400 2.8 or 300 2.8. and a 70-200 2.8
TJ


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## Bryant (Dec 13, 2009)

TJ K said:


> 85mm 1.2 and 50 1.2 would probably be nice for sports if money is no option 400 2.8 or 300 2.8. and a 70-200 2.8
> TJ



I do sports and I long lenses and don't know much about portrait lenses... which is what I'm interested in.


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## CW Jones (Dec 13, 2009)

well on a crop body... maybe something wider? I have no real suggestions other than maybe a wider lens. Just depends on what she like to shoot, mostly portraits?


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## Dao (Dec 13, 2009)

If I am going to choose between the 50mm F/1.2 and the F/1.4, I believe I will choose the F/1.4.  If it is for portrait type shots, I think I will seldom use F/1.2 anyway.

And according to lens review sites, F/1.4 seems better in terms of optical performance.

Quoted from Photozone:
"Technically the resolution results are very good to excellent but not really superior to its cheaper cousin - the EF 50mm f/1.4 USM. The center performance is generally stellar but the borders can´t quite follow although they remain easily in very good territory beyond f/1.2. The vignetting is quite  high at maximum aperture and CAs are unusually pronounced for a fix-focal."

For outdoor type portrait shots, I like my 85mm F/1.8 better than my 50mm f/1.8 Mk1.


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## usayit (Dec 13, 2009)

IMO, the extra cost of the 50mm f/1.2 over the f/1.4 is pointless for portraiture.  For really fast glass (sub f/1.4), you are paying huge amounts of money for the extra stop (or two) for available light shots but not necessarily gaining anything in terms of sharpness, corner to corner IQ, etc..  The cost is in the design to handle issues introduced at those wide apertures.

For Canon, my portraiture lenses of choice would be the 50mm f/1.4 and 85mm f/1.8 (or 100mm f/2.8 macro).  For the cost of the either the 50mm or 85mm f/1.2, you can buy both.

In the Leica world, there is a reason why most 50mm Noctilux shooters also own another 50mm of some sort.  The other 50s are a better tool for 90% of the time...  Very fast lenses are very specialized tools...


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## iolair (Dec 13, 2009)

I have read good reviews of the Sigma 50mm 1.4 over the Canon 50mm 1.4 though.

I use the Canon 50mm 1.8 as a portrait lens on a crop body, and the focal length works out great for me... (If I had the money, I'd have the Sigma version though).

Outdoors where you have a bit of distance to work with, yes get the 85mm 1.8 or 1.2 depending on how much you want to spend.


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## KmH (Dec 13, 2009)

There is no one *best*, unless you can answer: Best for what kind of portraits? Head shots, groups, full, 3/4, head and shoulder, inside, outside?............35mm, 50mm, 85mm, 105mm, 200mm are the usual prime suspects for portraiture.


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