best option for portrait lens

[ksporry]

Hi guys,

So, I got myself a hasselblad H1 with a p30 back and

standard 80mm lens. Now I'm looking at getting a

second lens for portraits and headshots.

The prime contenders are the 100/2.2, the 120/4 macro,

and the 150/3.2. With 35mm/full frame cameras I just

lived the 100 and 135 primes, which would suggest the

120/4 or 150/3.2. However, the wise aperture of the

100/2.2 quite appeals to me :)

I haven't found many comparisons (but I only just started

looking), so if people could help point me in the right

direction or maybe provide their own experiences, that'd

be grand!

[JDMvW]

<p>"Brokeh", as someone here felicitously miscalled it, from wider aperture is nice if the lens is pleasing wide open.<br>

So that may be a factor.<br>

80mm (normal) is not bad, but I'd personally go, and did, with 120mm; but on that camera that is an f/2.8, ....<br>

Lots of people like a longer tele for portraiture, especially if their subject has a large proboscis<em>.</em><br>

<em> </em><br>

The "traditional" portrait/headshot focal length is more in the 100-120mm range on 120 film, but huge numbers of portraits in the day were done on non-interchangeable 80mm TLRs and nobody complained.<em><br /></em></p>

[ksporry]

Are you saying some of these lenses have s not so nice

bokeh?

[JDMvW]

<p>Re: Bokeh<br>

Lenses and lens designs can vary in the 'smoothness' of their out-of-focus highlights. Some have more nearly circular shape when stopped down, others hexagonal, or other blocky shape. Wide open, nearly all of them are circular, of course.<br>

The only way to tell is to try them since some lenses that don't look likely can work just fine.</p>

[ksporry]

Yep, I know bokeh is very personal. Thought about it a

lot and compared the options to what I normally shoot

with on an SLR.

Usually I shoot with a 135/2 which I just love to death! I

also like the 100/2.8 macros on SLRs. Taking into

consideration the crop for a 645 with a P30 back, the

150/3.2 comes closest. I heard the 120/4 is one of the

best in sharpness and bokeh (latter again personal

taste), that one would be my second choice, with the 150

being nr one for now.

[john_narsuitus]

<blockquote>

<p>"... I'm looking at getting a second lens for portraits and headshots."</p>

<p>"... if people could help point me in the right direction or maybe provide their own experiences, that'd be grand!"</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I used my standard 80mm f/2.8 lens for full-length, 3/4 length, half-length, and environmental portraits.</p>

<p>I used a 180mm f/4.5 lens for my head and shoulders, head, and face portraits.</p>