Home

Please support mflenses.com if you need any graphic related work order it from us, click on above banner to order!
SearchSearch MemberlistMemberlist RegisterRegister ProfileProfile Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages Log inLog in

What is your favourite portrait lens ?
Post new topic   Reply to topic
Home   Manual Focus Lenses
View previous topic :: View next topic  


PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 8:51 pm    Post subject: What is your favourite portrait lens ? Reply with quote
My order is:

1) Pancolar 80mm f1.8 MC

Superb from every aspects, I can't imagine better lens.

2) Pentacon 135mm f2.8

Number one for portraits, "bokeh" monster perfect soft.

3) Helios-40 85mm f1.5 (Both version)

Superb optical quality , but a bit heavy.

4) CZJ Biometar 75mm f1.5 (Both version)

King of lenses , but too sharp for human portraits

5) Jupiter-9 85mm f2

Pretty unbeatable lens one of my favorite.

6) Nikkor-H 85mm f1.8

Was one of my dream lens,but now I have Pancolars and Biotars ...

7) Pentacon 100mm f2.8

Optically superb, mechanically pretty weak.

Cool Meyer Primoplan 75mm f1.9

This is my latest lens I have not enough experience...

Last edited by Attila on Tue Oct 30, 2007 8:56 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 8:57 pm    Post subject: Re: What is your favourite portrait lens ? Reply with quote
Attila wrote:
2) Pentacon 135mm f2.8

Number one for portraits, "bokeh" monster perfect soft.



Which Pentacon.. with interchangeable mount (zebra)...


PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 8:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Pentax FA* 85mm f1.4 sound exciting can you show me some links ?


PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 8:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
1) Helios-40-2 1.5/85

2) Summicron-R 90 2/90

3) Planar 1.4/85

4) Nikkor-H Auto 1.8/85

5) Nikkor AI 2.5/105

The jury is still out on the Planar 2/100 (I have not tried portraits yet) but I suspect it will rank very high.

I have left out 135mm lenses as they're not usually considered true portrait lenses.
-


PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 9:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I forgot to mention 105mm f2.5 Nikkor.

Pentacon 135mm f2.8 any variant is superb for portraits especially on Nikon , effective focal length will be lot shorter around 75-85mm. I beleive the best Pentacon is "zebra" with interchangeable end (Meyer-Orestegor), the latest MC version also a superb lens for portraits, difference is little.


PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 9:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Attila wrote:
I forgot to mention 105mm f2.5 Nikkor.

Pentacon 135mm f2.8 any variant is superb for portraits especially on Nikon , effective focal length will be lot shorter around 75-85mm. I beleive the best Pentacon is "zebra" with interchangeable end (Meyer-Orestegor), the latest MC version also a superb lens for portraits, difference is little.


How can be shorter than 135mm???

I just got my Pentacon 200mm f4 with M42 (interchangable) mount. Now I will be able to use my Pentacon 135mm f2.8 lens (had different mount). It took more than a month to reach from UK (to US).


PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 9:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Exceptional! On the third lights on his eyes wonderful!


PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 9:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Last one also excellent, clearly show for a good portraits quality lens is the last one what really need.


PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 9:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
niblue wrote:

I've also found that in the studio you can get good results with most lenses because it's only the centre sharpness that matters, plus you're often stopped down to F11-F16 anyway. This one was done with the Pentax 18-55 kit lens, which is a fairly poor lens generally.


That's true, especially on small size prints. And I would add the flash to the picture (metaphorically!): all lenses used with flash (and with low ambient light) seem very sharp, or at least, much sharper than they would look in natural light.


PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 9:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
With the Olympus 4/3 2x crop camera:

1. Helios 44-2
2. J37A
3. Meyer Trioplan 100/2.8 (I'm hoping!)

The Trioplan may become my all time favorite portrait lens, especially
in the right setting, shooting wide open, or perhaps stopped-down a
little bit.

Bill


PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 9:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Very difficult question. I prefer all my lenses from 50 to 85 (80-135 FF)
I really cannot order them.


PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 10:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
niblue wrote:

True. Do you think that's due to the contrast that the flash provides, or because the flash stopping the action means there is no camera shake?


It's certainly due to the flash light increasing the microcontrast.

You can shoot at 1/2000 in normal light on a tripod and never come even close to that crispness.


PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 10:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Helios-40-2 1.5/85 - what else? Very Happy

Michael


PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 10:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Jupiter-9 ! I can't make difference between them in portrait action, both are just superb


PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 10:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Don't makes me cry !!! Mad

I can't wait no more for my J-9 & J-37AM to arrive and still hunting for a so near to my hands H-40-2...

Actually I like Helios-44-2 for portraits.


PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 10:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
J-9 and J-37AM I believe your best purchase in your life at least was in mine.


PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 11:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Nikkor 85/2 AI
Nikkor 105/2.5 AIS
Nikkor 105/1.8 AIS


Maybe I will try the Pentacon route after all this dialogue


patrickh


PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 11:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Your lenses are unbeatable Patrick Smile ,but nice to try a different lines. I love Pentacon 135mm because soft enough to hide skin problem and bokeh simple amazing and !? very cheap Smile I have at least 10 copies from this lens. Same story than Industar-50 I can't left them in the shop , because price still so cheap around 20-30 USD.


PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 11:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
A couple snapshot portraits that I took with the Summicron-R 90 wide open, after the sunset, with almost non-existent available light. The ISO was high so I had to denoize and this subtracted further detail.
Early members have already seen these, but maybe newer members have not.





-


PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 11:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
WoW! This is a Leica ! Superb!


PostPosted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 12:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Orio, I never get tired of seeing these two shots! The colors, the focus,
just stunning!

Bill


PostPosted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 12:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I agree with Bill!


PostPosted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 12:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Those pictures are stunning Orio ! Perfect DOF, sharpness and colors!


PostPosted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 1:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks guys!

Both images (especially the second) are crops from larger originals. It is not common of all lenses to do this kind of heavy crop and still have useable portions. This is one of the factors (the ability to crop from a 35mm frame) that can really justify the price of a lens in the 135 format.

Medium format users are of course much more used to cropping, because the large size allows. But for 135 format, a lens detailed enough to allow for serious cropping is a real advantage factor especially for those who make money from photography.
-


PostPosted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 4:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
@ Attila

I think my next exploration is going to be pentacons, since it seems I shall be able to keep the infinity focussing.

@Orio

Leica is a byword for anyone who has taken photography at all seriously. Your photos do justice to the legend.


patrickh
Post new topic   Reply to topic
Home   Manual Focus Lenses
Goto page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6  Next
Page 1 of 6