Is there a must have lens for full length portriats on 1.6 crops?

[shaun_carter]

is there a must have lens for full length portraits on a 1.6 crop canon

camera?

[picturesque]

35mm (about 50mm on crop body). Standard 50mm and longer (35mm at the widest) is what is recommended for full length. However, the trend is toward wider now, complete with artistic distortion.

[bdp]

16-35 2.8 would be nice for full length

 

a 50mm 1.8 or faster would be really nice on a crop (about 85mm non-crop) and not that expensive.

[William Michael]

>>> 35mm (about 50mm on crop body). Standard 50mm and longer (35mm at the widest) is what is recommended for full length. However, the trend is toward wider now, complete with artistic distortion. <<< (NO)

 

:)

 

I agree.

 

I use a 35mm on an APS-C for full length and longer portraits: moving only to 20mm to 24mm for some larger group portraits, never usually wider than 18mm, and that would be for a very large group only.

 

I am not that fond of the `Artistic Distortion` as part of the more GENERAL portrait capture: though mastery of the wide angle can achieve incredible results at a Wedding: but do not assume it is easy to do.

 

Lens choice depends largely upon style and coverage, though the more traditional portrait work might be less common in some areas, it is still part of many a Wedding Coverage, and if not, the theory of traditional portraiture is one cornerstone to artistic portrait trends.

 

FYI, read this, especially the discussion at the end, and the links contained in thread.

 

Note the comments in this reference are to a 24mm lens on a 5D, which would be similar to a 14mm on an APS-C body (`1.6 crop`) :

 

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00Oe4A

 

Also: if your Wedding Kit is based on APS-C bodies, then get a quality and fast 35mm lens, (or even a bit wider like 28mm or 30mm), such a lens will also serve as the Available Light lens with a normal FoV, which IMO is critical.

 

WW

[William Michael]

>>> Also: if your Wedding Kit is based on APS-C bodies, then get a quality and fast 35mm lens, <<< (WW)

 

For clarity, I was advising a fast prime: i.e. F2 or, preferably faster.

 

WW

[mendel_leisk]

Yeah, I'm just looking through, and thinking back, to several full length portraits, mostly impromptu, shot with 50mm on full frame 35mm film camera. Translates to 30~35 on crop.

[wedding-photography-denver]

50/1.2 or 1.4

[kiva]

Are the use of fast lenses creating a problem regarding depth of field when used with groups with two or more rows on steps?

[picturesque]

I would think so. However, David didn't say to use the lenses at widest aperture, although a 50mm on a crop camera is equivalent to about an 80mm perspective, which is OK for maybe two people full length, but wouldn't work too well for larger groups. Delanza also didn't specify formals. A full length individual or individuals up to about 4 people are workable for a vertical with a 50mm (non crop). When you get larger and horizontal, a 35mm perspective is more workable.

[William Michael]

Re Tight DoF with fast lenses and groups:

 

Remember the larger the group (width) the greater the Subject Distance.

 

 

EG:

 

 

If we took a 50mm F1.2, as suggested, and used it at F1.2 and put it on an APS-C body to shoot a Wedding Party of Eight People, in TWO tiers of four people each, on the Church steps: we would NEED a Vertical Field of View of about eight feet to accommodate the shot (landscape capture): this actually will be the governing criteria.

 

To get that FoV(v) we need to have a Subject Distance of about 25 feet.

 

At that SD and at Aperture F1.2, there is a DoF of 3feet 8 inches, which is tight, but workable.

 

WW

[kiva]

That's helpful information Nadine & WW, thanks.