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Best focal length for party portraits?

thespirit3
Posted 27/07/2011 - 14:42 Link
Hi All,

I'm looking for a reasonably fast budget prime for head & shoulder portraits at a party (indoors in a normal sized house). I don't want to be in peoples faces (or suffer from the weird pespective this can create) but I also don't want to be backing up half way across the room and getting in other peoples way.

I've tried playing with my kit 18-55 and figure somewhere around 40-50mm would be sufficient. For this reason I've been considering the 50mm SMC f/1.4 and the 40mm SMC DA f/2.8 'pancake'. The 40mm seems better suited as it should be capable of framing couples without me backing up too much.

However, some guides online suggest anything less than 50mm is not recommended due to the exaggerated perspective issue. Some recommend 70+mm, but many articles neglect to state if this relates to 35mm or APS-C sensor size.

So, those with experience - is 40mm too short? I'm looking to spend £300 on an autofocus prime that will produce natural looking (flattering) portraits. Low light ability is a bonus.


Thanks,


Steve
Edited by thespirit3: 27/07/2011 - 14:53
Don
Posted 27/07/2011 - 15:01 Link
I'd go with the forty.. Just because I don't have that one. I have the 35 and the 50....

the wide angle distortion perspective is minimized or exaggerated by how far you are from the subject.... so the 35 is fine for couples shots, by the time you're back far enough to get them both in, the perspective is fine.... 50mm is gonna be too tight I suspect.

I even shoot a lot of indoor stuff with the 16-45 which is my main workhorse for that type of work.

just remember back away as far as you can, then zoom in with the lens, if using a zoom, or choose the focal length that works if using primes...
the 35 2.4 is the one prime, I feel everybody should have in their bag....
Fired many shots. Didn't kill anything.
Edited by Don: 27/07/2011 - 15:05
matwhittington
Posted 27/07/2011 - 15:05 Link
Both lenses you mention are fine lenses in my view... However i think it's also worth considering the sigma 30mm f1.4. It's a great lens and many folk on here use it for portraits to great effect. Good for low light with its wide aperture. Although that is less of an issue if you were going to use a flash. I would have thought you should be able to pick one up for your budget.

Just a thought

Regards
Mat W

My Flickr: link
claudefrog
Posted 27/07/2011 - 15:08 Link
Hi,

I have a fast f2.8 Sigma zoom that covers both the 35mm & 50mm focal lengths and the SMC FA 50mm f1.4

The 50mm f1.4 beats the Sigma at every aperture, indoors with the K-5 ISO bumped up a little the nifty fifty is an absolute gem. It's around the £300 mark and well worth it IMHO.

You say you want flattering, at f1.4 it is admittedly a little on the soft side, however, from f1.8 onwards its super sharp and wide enough to allow light in for the AF to work without issue.

I love mine and it goes everywhere with me.
Pentax k-5
Metz 50 AF-1
Pentax SMC 50mm 1.4
Sigma 70mm 2.8 MACRO
Sigma 17mm-70mm F2.8 - 4
Pentax 18mm-55mm f3.5-56 DA WR
Pentax 50mm-200mm f3.5-5.6 DA WR
mattox
Posted 27/07/2011 - 15:09 Link
I use an 35mm prime fa lens. A little bit orthodox some might say but 1.5x hitting close to 50mm gives it a real perspective with no distortion. This lens is very reliable and reasonably priced on ebay. I have found that for weddings and parties this focal length makes you move toward your subjects and around them adding a somewhat hidden edge to your final product. The versatility of the lens is that indoors you can shoot at f2 without using a flash. Good luck. Hope this helps
thespirit3
Posted 27/07/2011 - 15:33 Link
Thanks for your comments - the 40mm is tempting as it's in the centre of all your recommendations. However the great comments regarding the 50mm 1.4 (both here and elsewhere) are difficult to ignore. I just worry it may be a little long.
Frogfish
Posted 27/07/2011 - 15:44 Link
matwhittington wrote:
Both lenses you mention are fine lenses in my view... However i think it's also worth considering the sigma 30mm f1.4. It's a great lens and many folk on here use it for portraits to great effect. Good for low light with its wide aperture. Although that is less of an issue if you were going to use a flash. I would have thought you should be able to pick one up for your budget.

Just a thought

Regards

+ 1 for the Sigma 30/1.4 - it's a very sharp lense so not a problem cropping anything and that 1.4 gives sweet portraits (just softens up a tad). Absolutely perfect for low light, singles, couples, triples !

#1 would be a 43 Ltd or 31 Ltd but they are just a little beyond the budget

I assume you are only interested in AF ?
http://frogfish.smugmug.com/ Pentax. Pentax DA*300/4, Cosina 55/1.2, Lens Baby Composer Pro & Edge 80, AFA x1.7, Metz 50 af1.
Nikon. D800. D600. Sigma 500/4.5, Nikon 300/2.8 VRII, Sigma 120-300/2.8, Zeiss Distagon ZF2 21/2.8, Zeiss Distagon ZF2 35/2.0, Sigma 50/1.4, Nikkor 85/1.8, Nikon TC20EIII, Nikon TC14EII, Kenko x1.4, Sigma 2.0
Pentaxophile
Posted 27/07/2011 - 16:11 Link
I find the 50 a bit long and think the 35 f2.4 is perfect for family snaps and portraits. I tend to use it wide open.
[link=https://500px.com/will_brealey/[/link]
thespirit3
Posted 28/07/2011 - 16:03 Link
I've picked up a 35mm f2.4 (at just £140 it seemed crazy not to!) - I'll see how I get on with this then consider if I need anything further. The 50mm f/1.4 does seem a likely candidate for a future purchase

Thanks again for all your advice!

Steve
Posted 28/07/2011 - 18:48 Link
I think the 35mm should serve you well. The 50mm might be a bit long (I find the 43mm to be a bit long at times when used indoors). With the 35mm you can take wider shots if the need is there, and you can always crop down for head and shoulder shots to avoid getting too close and introducing perspective problems.
You will only prise my 43Ltd from my cold, dead hands...
Pentaxophile
Posted 28/07/2011 - 20:27 Link
These are with the 35mm f2.4, all wide open, of course. 35mm is not especially wide, especially on APSC - there isn't really any distortion like you would see with the 16-45mm. I know proper portrait photographers use longish lenses to 'flatter their subjects' but I don't mind a very slight exaggeration of facial features (brings out character and looks more 3-dimensional). It's just adifferent look from the 50mm, and lets you get close to your subject.

These are quick family snaps which I think this lens excels at. It's so small and quick to focus.


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[link=https://500px.com/will_brealey/[/link]
Edited by Pentaxophile: 28/07/2011 - 20:37
MrCynical
Posted 28/07/2011 - 23:00 Link
I use my 35 Limited for indoor shots of family and friends and there is no noticeable distortion. The 40mm has the advantage of much faster autofocus (compared to my 35) - in fact it's probably the fastest focusing lens in Pentax mount - so it should be ideal for you.
RioRico
Posted 29/07/2011 - 15:56 Link
I'm all over the place here.

My Kiron 24/2 or Komine 28/2 CFWA are great for small groups but not for individual headshots. 35mm doesn't do much for me -- but maybe I'll change my mind after modding my Nikkor 35/2 for PK. My cheap pancake Chinon 45/2.8 is nice in the right space. My FA50/1.4 (my only AF prime) is indispensable. And a modded Nikkor 85/2 grabs faces from across the room.

In brighter spaces with larger party scenes, I like my cheap F35-70 -- screw-in a +1 dioptre closeup lens to shoot thin-DOF headshots at about 1m distance. If I could find a +1/2dpt lens, 'twould be even better, with working distance of 1.5-2m.
:
: Too many film & digital cameras & lenses, oh my!
:
Posted 30/07/2011 - 11:25 Link
Hello every body, I think 85-135mm focal length range is ideal for portrait photography (field of view crop factor included). I generally agree with this teaching. I will often use a wider focal length for full body portraits and group pictures and a longer focal length range for tighter-framed portraits such as head shots.

Regards,
Peter Langone

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