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Budget portrait lens?
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 27, 2016 6:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Yashica ML 50/1.7, 95% like it's Zeiss Counterpart, or even the way smaller (Pancake like appearance -flat-) Yashica ML 50/2, can be had for around 10 bucks at ebay - very good IQ. Same for the F1.7 faster speed ML. And also the (very good) C/Y to EF Mount K&F Concept Adapter - get it for 10 Bucks either at ebay, or at Aliexpress. Wink


PostPosted: Sat Aug 27, 2016 11:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
doomed-forever wrote:
Yashica ML 50/1.7, 95% like it's Zeiss Counterpart, or even the way smaller (Pancake like appearance -flat-) Yashica ML 50/2, can be had for around 10 bucks at ebay - very good IQ. Same for the F1.7 faster speed ML. And also the (very good) C/Y to EF Mount K&F Concept Adapter - get it for 10 Bucks either at ebay, or at Aliexpress. Wink


And what about Yashica ML 50/1,9?

ML 50/1,4?


PostPosted: Sun Aug 28, 2016 6:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
On crop format I personally find Helios-44 58/2 and Zeiss Jena 50/1.8 very good for portraits. Both very cheap too, especially the Helios.


PostPosted: Sun Aug 28, 2016 11:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
papasito wrote:
doomed-forever wrote:
Yashica ML 50/1.7, 95% like it's Zeiss Counterpart, or even the way smaller (Pancake like appearance -flat-) Yashica ML 50/2, can be had for around 10 bucks at ebay - very good IQ. Same for the F1.7 faster speed ML. And also the (very good) C/Y to EF Mount K&F Concept Adapter - get it for 10 Bucks either at ebay, or at Aliexpress. Wink


And what about Yashica ML 50/1,9?

ML 50/1,4?



I like the f/1.9 more than the f/2. My copy is sharper and less coma than my f/2.
The f/1.4 is excellent and has a lot of smooth bokeh. But it's pricey. The f/1.7 come in two versions. Early one is radioactive, and has silver rings. Newer version is all black. It's also pricey.


PostPosted: Sun Aug 28, 2016 9:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
WNG555 wrote:
papasito wrote:
doomed-forever wrote:
Yashica ML 50/1.7, 95% like it's Zeiss Counterpart, or even the way smaller (Pancake like appearance -flat-) Yashica ML 50/2, can be had for around 10 bucks at ebay - very good IQ. Same for the F1.7 faster speed ML. And also the (very good) C/Y to EF Mount K&F Concept Adapter - get it for 10 Bucks either at ebay, or at Aliexpress. Wink


And what about Yashica ML 50/1,9?

ML 50/1,4?



I like the f/1.9 more than the f/2. My copy is sharper and less coma than my f/2.
The f/1.4 is excellent and has a lot of smooth bokeh. But it's pricey. The f/1.7 come in two versions. Early one is radioactive, and has silver rings. Newer version is all black. It's also pricey.


Thank you, very much


PostPosted: Mon Aug 29, 2016 12:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Sorry guys, Im late a lil bit. So, yepp, I'm using a Canon DSLR, not eos-M. And, the AF is good to have, but not necessary, so I can live without that. But if you know similar , budget but AF lenses for portrait, that is also good.


PostPosted: Mon Aug 29, 2016 12:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Ezamond wrote:
Sorry guys, Im late a lil bit. So, yepp, I'm using a Canon DSLR, not eos-M. And, the AF is good to have, but not necessary, so I can live without that. But if you know similar , budget but AF lenses for portrait, that is also good.


Yongnuo YN 50mm f/1.8

Mine stays on mf most of the time. I find it easy to mf this lens. I don't like Canon stm mf.


PostPosted: Tue Aug 30, 2016 8:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Another option, into the 50 mm lenses.

Summicron R 50/2 V.2


All at F/4-4,8

Another good images taker.

Ther last isn't a portrait, but a close one.

Last edited by papasito on Wed Aug 31, 2016 7:13 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Wed Aug 31, 2016 9:55 am    Post subject: Re: Budget portrait lens? Reply with quote
Ezamond wrote:
Hi guys, I'm really considering to buy a portrait lens for my Canon APS-C camera. Not for professional using, just to take photos about my girlfriend, and others. So I'm looking for a good but cheap (max. 300$) portrait lens. What would you choose?


I guess that you want to use AF on your Canon DSLR; therefore i would recommend a used Canon EF 1.4/50mm or a used Canon EF 1.8/85mm. Both lenses are very good, and small enough - you won't get tired even during a longer portrait session. And your model will not be distracted by a (too) big lens Wink

If you insist on using MF lenses, you must use glassless converters (those with glass are really deterioring the lens performance). Very easy to use are 50mm MF lenses with M42 thread: Takumar 1.4/50mm, and many other M42 1.4/50mm or 1.4/55mm lenses eg from Mamiya, Ricoh and others. You may also look into MF Nikkors, since there are suitable glassless adaptors (Nikkor Ai/AiS 1.4/50mm, 1.8/85mm, 2.5/105mm and with some luck even 1.8/105mm or 2/135mm).

Stephan


PostPosted: Thu Sep 01, 2016 1:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Ezamond wrote:
Sorry guys, Im late a lil bit. So, yepp, I'm using a Canon DSLR, not eos-M. And, the AF is good to have, but not necessary, so I can live without that. But if you know similar , budget but AF lenses for portrait, that is also good.


I bought a new Tamron AF 24-70 Aspherical back in 1994 for my EOS film cameras, just before taking a trip to Taiwan. I used it almost exclusively while I was there and, I'll tell you what -- the slides I got back from that trip were as nice and sharp and contrasty as I've had from most any other lens. These days you can find this lens occasionally on eBay for very cheap. It's more than worth its selling price, if you ask me.

I just had a look. No EOS mount ones right now, but this is what it looks like, not to be confused with the expensive new model Tamron still makes:

Click here to see on Ebay

I still think that any good normal manual focus lens will serve you well. You've sure gotten a bunch of suggestions, and they're likely all good ones.


PostPosted: Thu Sep 01, 2016 1:04 pm    Post subject: Re: Budget portrait lens? Reply with quote
stevemark wrote:
Ezamond wrote:
Hi guys, I'm really considering to buy a portrait lens for my Canon APS-C camera. Not for professional using, just to take photos about my girlfriend, and others. So I'm looking for a good but cheap (max. 300$) portrait lens. What would you choose?


I guess that you want to use AF on your Canon DSLR; therefore i would recommend a used Canon EF 1.4/50mm or a used Canon EF 1.8/85mm. Both lenses are very good, and small enough - you won't get tired even during a longer portrait session. And your model will not be distracted by a (too) big lens Wink

If you insist on using MF lenses, you must use glassless converters (those with glass are really deterioring the lens performance). Very easy to use are 50mm MF lenses with M42 thread: Takumar 1.4/50mm, and many other M42 1.4/50mm or 1.4/55mm lenses eg from Mamiya, Ricoh and others. You may also look into MF Nikkors, since there are suitable glassless adaptors (Nikkor Ai/AiS 1.4/50mm, 1.8/85mm, 2.5/105mm and with some luck even 1.8/105mm or 2/135mm).

Stephan


Nikkor 105/2.5 is good? I heared mixed opinions about it..


PostPosted: Thu Sep 01, 2016 6:22 pm    Post subject: Re: Budget portrait lens? Reply with quote
Ezamond wrote:
stevemark wrote:
Ezamond wrote:
Hi guys, I'm really considering to buy a portrait lens for my Canon APS-C camera. Not for professional using, just to take photos about my girlfriend, and others. So I'm looking for a good but cheap (max. 300$) portrait lens. What would you choose?


I guess that you want to use AF on your Canon DSLR; therefore i would recommend a used Canon EF 1.4/50mm or a used Canon EF 1.8/85mm. Both lenses are very good, and small enough - you won't get tired even during a longer portrait session. And your model will not be distracted by a (too) big lens Wink

If you insist on using MF lenses, you must use glassless converters (those with glass are really deterioring the lens performance). Very easy to use are 50mm MF lenses with M42 thread: Takumar 1.4/50mm, and many other M42 1.4/50mm or 1.4/55mm lenses eg from Mamiya, Ricoh and others. You may also look into MF Nikkors, since there are suitable glassless adaptors (Nikkor Ai/AiS 1.4/50mm, 1.8/85mm, 2.5/105mm and with some luck even 1.8/105mm or 2/135mm).

Stephan



Nikkor 105/2.5 is good? I heared mixed opinions about it..




In my experience the lens is very good in all apertures.

The center is really good from wide open.

The corners need F/4 to be good and 5,6 to be very good.

But has not the punch in the center like the 3,5/135 has from F/5,6 to 11, nor the center sharpness of the 1,8/85 at F/4 to 11.

It's a small commentary about my experience with Nikkor lenses.


PostPosted: Fri Sep 02, 2016 9:14 am    Post subject: Re: Budget portrait lens? Reply with quote
Ezamond wrote:

...

Nikkor 105/2.5 is good? I heared mixed opinions about it..


There are two different optical constructions of the Nikkor 2.5/105mm for SLRs:

1) early Sonnar type, "inferior" performance, but not necessarily bad for portraiture (lower contrast at close distance)
2) later Xenar type, superior contrast & detail resolution

Details here:
http://www.nikkor.com/story/0005/

Stephan


PostPosted: Fri Sep 02, 2016 3:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
For 300 $ you'll get a lot:
- a 50mm 1.4 or 1.7
- Why not a 35-70 mm zoom (eq. 53-105 mm full frame)? problem is most are f3.5 is not light but you get good portrait flexibility
- a 85 or 100 mm (eq 128-150 mm)
and probably also a tele for close portrait from a distance


PostPosted: Fri Sep 02, 2016 6:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
On APS-C you can't go wrong with KMZ Zenitar-M 50/1.7 - ~80mm, very good bokeh, sharp, unique look can be obtained with flare. It can be obtained for 50-80 USD in Eastern Europe.

@f/1.7, no post-process


PostPosted: Fri Sep 02, 2016 8:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Antoine wrote:
......... also a tele for close portrait from a distance


Which one?

A 135 mm can be useful.

The 180 mm should be so heavy to street photos

The 200 mm something large FL
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