Portrait Photography Lenses: 35mm vs 50mm vs 85mm Compared

Welcome to our exploration of the exciting world of portrait photography lenses! If you’ve ever wondered about the best lens to use for capturing stunning portraits, you’re in the right place. We’ll delve into the fascinating realm of 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm lenses, comparing their strengths and weaknesses to help you make an informed choice. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro, understanding these lens options can elevate your portrait game to a whole new level.

Importance of lens choice in portrait photography

The selection of a lens plays a pivotal role in the realm of portrait photography. It goes beyond simply attaching any lens and capturing an image; it involves choosing the appropriate tool for the task at hand.

The utilization of different lenses can completely transform the appearance and ambiance of your portraits. They have the power to influence the depth of field, perspective, and overall rendering of your subject.

A well-suited lens can assist in achieving that exquisite, velvety background blur, commonly referred to as bokeh, or in maintaining sharpness in the subject’s eyes.

It is the lens that adds that touch of enchantment, which is why we are examining the 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm lenses – three widely favored options for portrait photography.

Photo by Sony

Understanding Portrait Lenses

1- Explanation of what portrait lenses are

Portrait lenses are often overlooked in photography, yet they play a crucial role in capturing the true essence of individuals in their best light. These specialized camera lenses are designed to produce visually appealing and flattering portraits, bringing your subjects to life and making them stand out with exceptional clarity against a beautifully blurred background.

The secret to their success lies in their ability to create a shallow depth of field, which emphasizes your subject while producing a pleasing background blur, also known as bokeh. This separation between your subject and the background draws the viewer’s attention to the main focal point of your portrait, highlighting the person or subject in a captivating way.

2. Key factors that make a lens suitable for portraits

Now, let’s explore the key factors that make a lens suitable for portrait photography. These factors are essential to consider when choosing between lenses like 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm.

Focal Length:

The focal length of a lens greatly impacts the perspective and composition of your portraits. Shorter focal lengths, like 35mm, capture a wider field of view, making them great for environmental portraits or group shots. On the other hand, longer focal lengths, such as 85mm, compress the scene and create flattering, distortion-free portraits.

Wide Aperture:

A wide maximum aperture is a defining feature of portrait lenses. Lenses with apertures like f/1.8 or f/1.4 allow for more light to enter the camera, making them perfect for low-light conditions and creating that beautiful background blur. A wider aperture also enables you to capture sharp subjects with creamy, dreamy backgrounds
Sharpness:

Portrait lenses need to be sharp to capture fine details and produce high-quality images. Whether you’re shooting headshots or full-body portraits, a sharp lens ensures that your subject’s features are well-defined.
Bokeh Quality:

The quality of the background blur, or bokeh, is crucial. Portrait lenses with more aperture blades tend to create smoother and rounder bokeh, enhancing the overall aesthetic of your images.
Autofocus Speed:

In portrait photography, quick and accurate autofocus is essential, especially when capturing moving subjects. A lens with a responsive autofocus system can help you nail that perfect shot.
Image stabilization: Image stabilization

is a feature that helps to reduce camera shake, which can be a problem when shooting handheld in low light or at slow shutter speeds. Image stabilization is especially important for portrait photography, as you will often be shooting at slower shutter speeds to create a shallow depth of field.

Additional factors to consider

In addition to the key factors listed above, there are a few other things to consider when choosing a lens for portrait photography:

Weather sealing: If you plan on shooting outdoors in all types of weather, you will want to choose a lens that is weather-sealed. This will help to protect the lens from dust, moisture, and other elements.
Lens coatings: Lens coatings can help to reduce flare and improve image quality. Some lenses have better coatings than others, so it is important to read reviews before you buy.
Filter compatibility: If you plan on using filters, such as a polarizing filter or neutral density filter, you will want to choose a lens that is compatible with the filters you want to use.

Photo by Helena Lopes

Brief overview of the 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm lenses

Now that we’ve covered the fundamentals, let’s take a closer look at the 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm lenses and see how they stack up in terms of these key factors.

35mm lens

The 35mm lens is a wide-angle lens that is great for capturing group photos and environmental portraits. It has a field of view of 63°, and it also has a relatively shallow depth of field, which can be used to create stunning bokeh effects. However, it’s important to note that the 35mm lens can distort the subject’s features, especially when used up close.

50mm lens

The 50mm lens is a standard lens that has a natural field of view similar to the human eye. It has a field of view of 46°. It is a versatile lens that can be used for a variety of subjects, including portraits, street photography, and travel photography. The 50mm lens is also relatively affordable, making it a great option for beginner photographers.

85mm lens

The 85mm lens is a short telephoto lens that is ideal for portrait photography. It has a field of view of 28°. This narrow field of view helps to compress the background and focus attention on the subject. The 85mm lens also has a very shallow depth of field, which can be used to create beautiful bokeh effects. However, it’s important to note that the 85mm lens can be more expensive than the 35mm and 50mm lenses, and it can be more difficult to use in tight spaces.

Photo by Sony

Portrait Photography Lenses: 35mm vs 50mm vs 85mm Compared

I. 35mm Lens for Portraits

1- Detailed description of the 35mm lens

A 35mm lens is a wide-angle lens with a moderate focal length. It has a wide field of view, which means that it can capture a lot of the scene in front of it. This makes it a great lens for capturing environmental portraits, which are portraits that include the subject’s surroundings. It also excels when capturing Group Shot

35mm lenses are also known for their ability to create a sense of depth in images. This is because they can compress the background, making it appear closer to the subject. This effect can be used to make the subject stand out and create a more dramatic portrait.

2. Effect on Facial Features:

Because a 35mm lens is a wide-angle lens, with a focal length that is shorter than the human eye’s field of view. This wider perspective can lead to perspective distortion.

Nose: A 35mm lens can make the nose appear larger and more prominent, especially when shooting from a close distance.
Eyes: may appear slightly larger towards the edges of the frame, adding a touch of drama.
Mouth: The wider angle may accentuate the mouth, capturing a broader range of expressions.
Forehead: The forehead may appear elongated and larger in proportion to the rest of the face.
Facial Features: Facial features may appear slightly exaggerated and distorted, especially when shooting from a close-up angle.

3. Advantages and disadvantages of using a 35mm lens for portraits

Advantages:

Versatility: A 35mm lens can be used for a variety of portrait photography styles, including environmental portraits, headshots, and full-body portraits.
Wide field of view: The wide field of view allows you to capture more of the scene around the subject, which can add context to the portrait.
Shallow depth of field: A 35mm lens can create a shallow depth of field, which can blur the background and make the subject stand out.
Low-Light Performance: The wide aperture also enhances the lens’s performance in low-light conditions. Whether you’re shooting indoors or during the golden hour, the 35mm lens delivers impressive results.
Affordable: 35mm lenses are relatively affordable compared to other portrait lenses.

Disadvantages:

Distortion: One potential drawback of the 35mm lens is the slight distortion it may introduce, especially when shooting up close. This distortion can affect the proportions of your subject, but it’s often minimal and manageable.
Limited Background Blur: While the 35mm lens can create a pleasing background blur, it may not be as pronounced as with longer lenses. If achieving maximum bokeh is your priority, you might explore other focal lengths.
Not ideal for tight spaces: The wide field of view can be challenging to use in tight spaces.

4. When to Use the 35mm Lens & Sample Photos

Environmental Portraits: Capture subjects within their surroundings, telling a broader story.
Group Shots: Fit multiple subjects comfortably into the frame, maintaining clarity and detail.
Storytelling Photography: Document events and candid moments with a wide-angle perspective.

Photo by Rully Kustiwa

Photo by Ron Lach

Photo by Depositphotos

5. Popular 35mm lenses

II- 50mm Lens for Portraits

1. Detailed description of the 50mm lens

A 50mm lens is considered a standard lens because its focal length closely approximates the human eye’s field of view. This means that when you look through a 50mm lens, the scene appears very similar to how you would see it with your naked eye. This natural perspective makes 50mm lenses ideal for capturing portraits that feel real and authentic.

In addition to their natural perspective, 50mm lenses also have a shallow depth of field, which means that the background is blurred out while the subject remains in sharp focus. This effect is particularly flattering for portraits because it helps to isolate the subject from the background and draw attention to their features.

Finally, 50mm lenses are relatively affordable, making them a great option for beginner photographers. There are many high-quality 50mm lenses available for under $200.