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conor12
Joined: 18 Apr 2008 Posts: 129 Location: Dublin
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Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 7:27 pm Post subject: Best portrait lens on APS-C (ie 50-60mm) |
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conor12 wrote:
I was wondering what all you crop camera users like to use for that traditional portrait length of 80-90mm. On canon's 1.6 aps-c a 50mm lens effectively becomes an 80. Pretty much perfect for portraiture.
It seems that the Zeiss Planar 1.4/50 and the Leica Summicron 2/50 are around the same price at 170 euro or so, but which makes for a better portrait lens? Ive read about the amazing micro contrast and sharpness of the planar and that it beat out the Summicron in an international photo-journalist vote as the best "normal" lens. Im just worried that this will not translate into the most flattering of portraits.
Are there any more choices for the best portrait 50 (and less than 200 euro ) Thanks for any advice you can give....
Conor _________________ Yashica: 2.8/24
Leitz: Summicron-R 2/35, Summicron-R 2/50
Zeiss: Biotar 1.5/75, Contax Vario-Sonnar 4/80-200
Asahi: SMC Takumar 1.4/50
Zenit: Helios 44-M |
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Chiti
Joined: 09 Apr 2009 Posts: 78 Location: La Coruña,Spain
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Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 7:48 pm Post subject: |
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Chiti wrote:
The Planar 1.4 it's a very good lens, but a 'exc' unit can be quite expensive (arround 250 bucks)
If you will use it only for portraits, I would try the Planar 1.7. It will be cheaper than the 1.4 and it's a little sharper.
Regards _________________ D-SLR: Canon 5D II | Panasonic GH1 | Canon 24-105L | Panasonic 14-140
SLR: Contax RX, Ricoh KR-10X, Canon AE1, Praktica MTL-3.... and more
Lenses:
Carl Zeiss (Contax): Distagon 28/2.8 | Planar 50/1.7 y 85/1.4 | Sonnar 135/2.8 | Tele-Tessar 200/3.5
Tamron: 28-70 (44A) | 70-210 (46A) | 60-300 (23A)
Pentacon: 135/2.8 preset | 300/4 | 50/1.8
Rikenon: P Macro 105/2.8 (Kiron) | 50/2
Asahi Takumar: STak 55/1.8
Samyang: 14/2.8
Helios: 44-3 |
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conor12
Joined: 18 Apr 2008 Posts: 129 Location: Dublin
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Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 10:17 pm Post subject: |
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conor12 wrote:
Thank you for the suggestion but I'm not really after ultimate sharpness. I'm more looking for mood. Something to put a little stamp of mystique in the image, especially for female portraiture. I know this is mainly achieved through artistic merit rather than just strapping on a great lens, but every little helps (especially when your lacking much artistic merit). _________________ Yashica: 2.8/24
Leitz: Summicron-R 2/35, Summicron-R 2/50
Zeiss: Biotar 1.5/75, Contax Vario-Sonnar 4/80-200
Asahi: SMC Takumar 1.4/50
Zenit: Helios 44-M |
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Orio
Joined: 24 Feb 2007 Posts: 29545 Location: West Emilia
Expire: 2012-12-04
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Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 10:36 pm Post subject: |
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Orio wrote:
Leica lenses have a slightly cold colour cast which gives better skin tones (for my taste, as I don't like ham-red faces) so they are preferable in colour portraits.
In B&W the thing is different and I would always choose Zeiss for B&W portraits (and B&W whatever, for that matter...) _________________ Orio, Administrator
T*
NE CEDE MALIS AUDENTIOR ITO
Ferrania film is reborn! http://www.filmferrania.it/
Support the Ornano film chemicals company and help them survive!
http://forum.mflenses.com/ornano-chemical-products-t55525.html |
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Orio
Joined: 24 Feb 2007 Posts: 29545 Location: West Emilia
Expire: 2012-12-04
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Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 10:38 pm Post subject: |
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Orio wrote:
conor12 wrote: |
Thank you for the suggestion but I'm not really after ultimate sharpness. I'm more looking for mood. Something to put a little stamp of mystique in the image, especially for female portraiture. |
if you are looking for "mystique" then try a Helios-40-2
sure it's longer (85mm) but it has a unique and very "mystique" bokeh wide open
by the way I am selling one (but I am not writing because of this).
Other lenses that are particularly suited for females in my opinion are the M42 Takumars. I have both the 1.4/50 and 3.5/135 and they render very pleasing smooth portraits. _________________ Orio, Administrator
T*
NE CEDE MALIS AUDENTIOR ITO
Ferrania film is reborn! http://www.filmferrania.it/
Support the Ornano film chemicals company and help them survive!
http://forum.mflenses.com/ornano-chemical-products-t55525.html |
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Attila
Joined: 24 Feb 2007 Posts: 57865 Location: Hungary
Expire: 2025-11-18
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Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 11:57 pm Post subject: |
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Attila wrote:
I use Olympus E-1 and perfectly satisfied with 80-85mm lenses. _________________ -------------------------------
Items on sale on Ebay
Sony NEX-7 Carl Zeiss Planar 85mm f1.4, Minolta MD 35mm f1.8, Konica 135mm f2.5, Minolta MD 50mm f1.2, Minolta MD 250mm f5.6, Carl Zeiss Sonnar 180mm f2.8
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hk300
Joined: 30 Oct 2008 Posts: 1041 Location: Hong Kong
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Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 4:13 am Post subject: |
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hk300 wrote:
i would recommend to also consider 80 - 90mm lenses, a lot of these still fall in the below usd200 price range.
i personally prefer this range on my Canon 40d. _________________ No longer member , please don't try to contact to him |
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LucisPictor
Joined: 26 Feb 2007 Posts: 17633 Location: Oberhessen, Germany / Maidstone ('95-'96)
Expire: 2013-12-03
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Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 9:58 am Post subject: |
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LucisPictor wrote:
My favs for portraits are:
- Leica Summicron-R 2.0/50
- Nikkor-H 1.8/85
- Rollei Planar 1.8/50
- Steinheil Culminar 2.8/85
- Volna-3 MC 2.8/80
- Takumar 2.8/105
- Nikkor-S.C 1.4/50
Each of these lenses show another character, but show a very nice personality for portraits. _________________ Personal forum activity on pause every now and again (due to job obligations)!
Carsten, former Moderator
Things ON SALE
Carsten = "KAPCTEH" = "Karusutenu" | T-shirt?.........................My photos from Emilia: http://www.schouler.net/emilia/emilia2011.html
My gear: http://retrocameracs.wordpress.com/ausrustung/
Old list: http://forum.mflenses.com/viewtopic.php?t=65 (Not up-to-date, sorry!) | http://www.lucispictor.de | http://www.alensaweek.wordpress.com |
http://www.retrocamera.de |
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luisalegria
Joined: 07 Mar 2008 Posts: 6602 Location: San Francisco, USA
Expire: 2018-01-18
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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 4:14 pm Post subject: |
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luisalegria wrote:
Off-the-wall cheap lens suggestions -
Meyer Primoplan 1.9/58
Not sharp, especially wide-open, but nice bokeh. May be good for the ladies.
M42 1.4/55 sold by Ricoh/Mamiya/Yashica/Sears/Porst/Revue/etc. Possibly made or designed by Tomioka. When I need to do a portrait, this is the one I grab (mine is Sears).
Nikkor-E 1.8/50
About as sharp as anything wide open, in the center anyway. _________________ I like Pentax DSLR's, Exaktas, M42 bodies of all kinds, strange and cheap Japanese lenses, and am dabbling in medium format/Speed Graphic work. |
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nemesis101
Joined: 25 Mar 2008 Posts: 2050 Location: Oregon USA
Expire: 2015-01-22
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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 7:05 pm Post subject: |
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nemesis101 wrote:
I'd second the suggestion about the Planar 1.4 - I use one but I have the 4/3 sensor on the Pana L-1 so that's now a 100mm with the 2x crop.
It's got GREAT colour and contrast but maybe a bit too sharp if the lady has anything but perfect complection?
The mainstream APS sensors actually vary a bit between 1.3x to 1.6x so that would make for 67mm (a bit short if the ideal is 85 - 90mm in 35mm film terms) to about 80mm for the 1.6x?
Why don't they make a 60mm which would be just right? Oh hang on they do - the 60mm macro-planar! Hmm
Anyone robbed a bank lately?
Doug. _________________ Lenses and cameras:
Amateurs worry about equipment
Pros worry about money,
Masters worry about light. |
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Krisgage
Joined: 16 Mar 2009 Posts: 681 Location: Singapore
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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 7:33 pm Post subject: |
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Krisgage wrote:
Okay for me will be
Zeiss Planar 50mm f1.7
Superb sharpness, details and colour.
Nikon Series E 50mm f1.8
Nice sharpness, colour and bokeh
I am in favour of this 2 for now. The rest of lenses I used are various brand 28mm, Nikon 105mm f2.5.
Just to add, Helios-81N 50mm seem like a good lens to take portraiture too. So far I had tried on non human stuff like flowers, the colour and saturation, sharpness is there and good. Another lens worth to experiment for portraiture will be Industar 61 L/Z, same things goes, colour, saturation, sharpness. _________________ Photos and Lenses Journal
http://krisgage.livejournal.com |
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poilu
Joined: 26 Aug 2007 Posts: 10472 Location: Greece
Expire: 2019-08-29
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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 7:46 pm Post subject: |
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poilu wrote:
contax lenses are sharp, better send the girl for makeup before capture
the Helios 44-2 is softer with a nice bokeh |
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Krisgage
Joined: 16 Mar 2009 Posts: 681 Location: Singapore
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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 7:49 pm Post subject: |
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Krisgage wrote:
poilu wrote: |
contax lenses are sharp, better send the girl for makeup before capture
the Helios 44-2 is softer with a nice bokeh |
I totally agreed to that about the contax lenses ! It is the first time I am complaining about a lens being too sharp ! At 100% crop, I could see her flaws on her face even with the makeup on ! _________________ Photos and Lenses Journal
http://krisgage.livejournal.com |
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aoleg
Joined: 22 Feb 2008 Posts: 1387 Location: Berlin, DE
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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 8:07 pm Post subject: |
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aoleg wrote:
I recommend Super, S-M-C, or SMC Takumar 50/1.4. It can produce nice, soft portraits wide open, while getting very sharp by f/2.8 if you're after sharpness. You can also use any Super or SMC Takumar of 50/55mm, f/1.8 or f/2. I have a Super Takumar 55/2, and it produces very nice images on both cropped and full-frame bodies.
BTW, Super/SMC Takumar 50/1.4 and Zeiss 50/1.7 (C/Y) do hit the mirror on some full-frame bodies. They're fine on cropped cameras. _________________ List of lenses |
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Screamin Scott
Joined: 13 Oct 2007 Posts: 1014 Location: Dallas, Georgia USA
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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 8:17 pm Post subject: |
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Screamin Scott wrote:
This thread is all so subjective...What one person likes, another may not. As for "sharp" lenses for portraits, be prepared to do extensive PP to smooth away wrinkles & other blemishes. Yeah, you can add a filter to cut down on the sharpness a bit, but why add another 2 glass surfaces? As for crop sensors, the perspective given by a lens doesn't change because of a crop sensor, only what portion on the image is captured as opposed to a full frame...Best FL for portraits has always been from 70-135mm depending on one's taste... Personally, I prefer the 100-105mm range myself but with crop sensors, you will need to have room to back up a bit... _________________ Cameras-Nikon D300, D7100,D610,FE2,FTN ,FT2,N90s, Olympus Pen EP-3 & Olympus OM-D E-M10
Nikkor AF Zooms=28-105/3.5D,28-70/3.5D,35-135/3.5, et al
Nikkor AF //50/1.8,//Nikkor MF//50/2ai,50/1.8ais 50/1.4ai,24/2.8ais,28/2.8ai,28/3.5ai,55microAis/2.8,105/2.5ai,200/4ai,300/4.5ai35-135/3.5Ais,et al
Kiron /Kino made lenses//70-210/4ai,28-105/3.2ai,30-80/3.5ai,Viv 28/2ai,35-85/2.8aiVivS1,105/2.8Ais Dine,24-48/3.8ai VivS1,50-150/3.8aiViv,28-85/2.8aiViv,100/2.8Nai Viv,70-210/3.5Nai Viv,28/2.5ai Viv Komine made Viv//24/2Ais,135/2.8aiCF,28-50/3.5ai,28-90/2.8ai Viv S1,80-200/4.5aiCosina made Viv 19/3.8 Ais...Also Sigma 24/2.8 Ais Tokina made24/2.8ai VivAF Sigma 21-35/3.5,& other lenses... A link to some of my Flickr albums...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/screaminscott/albums |
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luisalegria
Joined: 07 Mar 2008 Posts: 6602 Location: San Francisco, USA
Expire: 2018-01-18
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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 8:51 pm Post subject: |
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luisalegria wrote:
Hi Scott,
Thats right, the traditional idea in portraits is a "pictorial" effect, and not absolute sharpness.
Thats why the Primoplan is interesting. _________________ I like Pentax DSLR's, Exaktas, M42 bodies of all kinds, strange and cheap Japanese lenses, and am dabbling in medium format/Speed Graphic work. |
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Piotrek
Joined: 27 Apr 2009 Posts: 45 Location: Warsaw/Poland
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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 9:21 pm Post subject: Re: Best portrait lens on APS-C (ie 50-60mm) |
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Piotrek wrote:
conor12 wrote: |
It seems that the Zeiss Planar 1.4/50 and the Leica Summicron 2/50 are around the same price at 170 euro or so, but which makes for a better portrait lens? |
I see you have Macro-Elmarit 60. My personnal opinion after few months of using both Summicron 50/2 and Macro-Elmarit 60/2.8 is that second one is better for portraits and it is not only because of focal length. I think that it has better bokeh than Summicron. Elmarit will stay with me for long. Summicron probably will not because I have better 50mm - Pentax SMC A50/1.2. _________________ Piotr
www.pbase.com/piotreks |
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Attila
Joined: 24 Feb 2007 Posts: 57865 Location: Hungary
Expire: 2025-11-18
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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 9:24 pm Post subject: |
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Attila wrote:
In my experience not many woman love the pin sharp lenses in portrait action. _________________ -------------------------------
Items on sale on Ebay
Sony NEX-7 Carl Zeiss Planar 85mm f1.4, Minolta MD 35mm f1.8, Konica 135mm f2.5, Minolta MD 50mm f1.2, Minolta MD 250mm f5.6, Carl Zeiss Sonnar 180mm f2.8
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nemesis101
Joined: 25 Mar 2008 Posts: 2050 Location: Oregon USA
Expire: 2015-01-22
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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 9:56 pm Post subject: |
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nemesis101 wrote:
Good Grief..
You are sooo much braver than I!
Flaws.. they are character, if I said flaws to any of the women that I have photographed, I'd be experiencing a medium format tripod across the back of my head!
Doug
Krisgage wrote: |
poilu wrote: |
contax lenses are sharp, better send the girl for makeup before capture
the Helios 44-2 is softer with a nice bokeh |
I totally agreed to that about the contax lenses ! It is the first time I am complaining about a lens being too sharp ! At 100% crop, I could see her flaws on her face even with the makeup on ! |
_________________ Lenses and cameras:
Amateurs worry about equipment
Pros worry about money,
Masters worry about light. |
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