Given the current state of the art, a case could be made that a photographer was there today, with only two goals - a wide angle to moderate telephoto zoom and a short telephoto zoom along. That would be a mistake. They are good and flexible as a zoom lens of today, there are some valid reasons for choosing the first lens on some occasions. I admit it, 90 percent of the time I had a zoom on my rig to be linked, but while researching and shooting photos for this story, which Irediscovered the joy of shooting with lenses with fixed focal length, for the reasons stated below. Follow with me to see why you should consider a couple of lenses to your arsenal. For many of you, you already have!
Let me first explain that this product from us, we have not tried full-frame digital cameras. While the debate on the breaks beyond the scope of this article, is the fact that the 1.5 conversion factor of many cameras are ideal for youPortrait photographers who love the look of lenses with focal length and speed innovation. It can achieve the look at an unprecedented price in the days of the medium format.
So here's what I'm suggesting is an unbeatable cost-butt combo take on it - a 50mm f/1.8 or faster lens and a 80 - 105 mm f/2.8 lens or faster. On my camera Nikon D300, the numbers from a 75mm lens, and a 120 to 160 mm lens than the 35mm or full frame. You can get a lot of damage with this combo. Here's whyyou should consider this dynamic duo for yourself.
One: Results. Let's start at the heart of the matter. If you can't cook the bacon, the stove ain't no good! And the combination of a short to medium length telephoto with a wide opening is a sure fire recipe for super results in the hands of a skilled shooter. One of the cornerstones of professional outdoor portraiture is the ability to separate the subject from the background. By shooting with these lenses wide open or close to it, throwing backgrounds and foregrounds out of focus is almost automatic.
The longer lens partner is obviously easier because of the larger image size at any given distance and narrower angle of view. Remember, all lenses have the same perspective, to change perspective, you must change distance. Also remember, two images taken with two different lenses at the same distance with the same f/stop will have the same depth of field, one will just have a larger image size. That's why we love long lenses - to get further away from our subject for great perspective and have an image we don't have to crop!
Two: Price: Here's the best part - these lenses are free! OK, maybe not for everyone or someone who's new to the game. But for those of us who have been shooting 35mm for years, we may already have these lenses! I know I did. I still have a Nikon 50mm f/1.8 lens (used to have a 1.4, darn) that came with one of several Nikons I used to own. And I bought a Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Macro lens that gets me to 1:1 years ago for shooting flowers and wedding detail shots. Both lenses are excellent performers. I'd guess the Nikon 1.8 glass is better than the 1.4 version, slower lenses usually are, and the Tamron 90 is known for it's sharpness, so this is a great combo.
A little checking found used Nikon 1.8's for about and new ones for about 5. The Tamron lens can be had for about 0 new and 0 used. Nikon also makes an 85mm lens in 1.8 and 1.4 varieties. The fast version is about 0 new, the slower only about 0. For portraits, I'd say the 1.8 is plenty fast, only buy the 1.4 if you do weddings in low light. It's not a price issue, these prices are peanuts compared to medium format, but the super fast lenses usually make sacrifices in quality to attain the speed. Buy new or do some checking around on SHUTTERBUG, KEH, and other sources to find the combo that's right for your shooting needs and equipment.
Three: Availability. Since these lenses I described were originally designed for 35mm film cameras, there are plenty of them around. I found some in the camera store across the street. Other professional will have them laying around, be smart and go buy them cheap off them! As mentioned above check SHUTTERBUG, KEH, EBAY, and others for used lenses, or buy them new from your local camera store (you won't find them at Best Buy!) or one of the SHUTTERBUG advertisers. An important point here. If buying a new zoom lens, it pays to get one designed for digital, I've done my own testing and there is a difference. The fixed focal length lenses I'm discussing here have all performed admirably for me, so don't hesitate to buy them.
Four: Focal Length: As discussed above, this lens combo is ideal for the digital cameras that have a conversion factor of about 1.5. The 85mm focal length will of course be fine with a full frame cameras, but one lens does not a combo make! Full frame shooters may want to consider finding an 85 and 135 lens to approximate the results we're describing here. But those of us with the smaller sensors are able to find great inexpensive lenses in ideal focal lengths for portraiture. The 50 (75) length is great for shooting where space is at a premium and the 90 (135) length is about the ideal combination in terms of length, price, weight and performance.
Five: Weight. Weight is the enemy of pictures taken. Think about it. If you're like me, the thought of hanging a big, heavy zoom around your neck all day doesn't sound like fun. If I ain't having fun, I don't want to take many photos. In the studio is one thing, but running around at a park or beach with heavy lenses and a tripod doesn't appeal to me. I usually shoot with a bare minimum of equipment and rarely use a tripod, so weight is important to me. Will an 80-200mm f/2.8 lens take care of most of my shooting needs? Absolutely! But at over 2.5 pounds, it's an albatross around my neck! Compare that to the 5.5 oz. of the 50mm lens, or the 13.2 oz of the Nikon 85mm f/1.8 lens. Remembering that you must carry backup gear, that allows me to carry a pretty small bag and shoot pretty freely with my subject. See the smile on my face?
Six: Maximum Aperture. Here's one of the best parts - that big old f/stop. Working at f/1.8 was only a dream in medium format and f/2.8 was only on the 'normal' lens. There are of course two big reasons we love the fast lenses - the shallow depth of field and the ability to shoot in low light, even at slower ISO's. The shallow depth creates a great look that sends sharp backgrounds and foregrounds packing. The speed extends my shooting day into the time where the light is usually at it's best - the tail end of the day around and even after sunset.
I prefer not to use flash on my outdoor portraits and beach portraits are very popular in my area (East Coast). The only way I can hold detail in both my subject and the water and sky in the background without a flash is to wait until the brightness range is lowered at the end of the day. (That again is beyond the scope of this article, I'll address it later.) In many cases I'll shoot with my f/2.8 lenses until it's so dark I'll grab the 1.8 and finish the shoot with that. I'll usually start shooting at ISO 100 and end up at ISO 400. When I hit about a 30/th of a second at f/1.8, I'm done, remember I'm not using a tripod unless it's a group. Any darker than that and I'll probably wander into the ocean anyway!
Conclusion: While full frame shooters can play in this group with a few different rules, the cameras with the smaller sensors are a bonanza for portrait shooters who want to be able to assemble a collection of lightweight, fast, and inexpensive lenses capable of producing fantastic results. The two lens combo described above should be capable of handling just about any portrait assignment that doesn't call for a wide angle lens, and most traditional portraits don't. Put together your own combo and have some fun!
