12-28-2011, 10:41 AM
Where to begin? Portrait photography. You can use any focal length for portraits, but the most beautiful portraits get made with short to medium tele focal lengths. In FF terms that means the 85-135mm range. In APS-C terms that means the 50-90mm range.
The general photography area... 35mm to 50mm is fine (on FF). For APS-C that translates into the 20-35mm range.
For a 35mm lens, the 35mm f2 has quite good optics. It has quite smooth bokeh (for a 35mm lens... they never really shine, especially not with lots of light through leaves type of situations, and that is an area where its 5 sided aperture when closed down can get very distractive too). I find something a tiny bit lacking, in difficult bright light situations but can't put my finger on it. Either contrast or vivid colour wise. But, nothing severe and nothing that post processing can't help.
The 50mm f1.4 lens is a nice lens optically, but it has to be babied as its AF mechanism can be damaged.
For street photography, on FF the 35mm f2 would be a fine choice. Also indoors shots of people doing stuff. For APS-C, I would rather go for a shorter lens for this purpose. Like the manual focus Voigtlander 20mm f3.5 SL II, or the lovely Canon EF 24mm f2.8. Lower light choice: Sigma 24mm f1.8 DG Macro. Best and most expensive choice: Canon EF 24mm f1.4 L USM II, and for FF Canon EF 35mm f1.4 L USM.
The 50mm... a nice standard natural perspective standard lens on FF. For APS-C, the Sigma 30mm f1.4 EX DC HSM (APS-C only) Canon EF 35mm f2, Tokina 35mm f2.8 macro (APS-C only, also for upto 1:1 macro).
For portraits, I perfer longer than 50mm on APS-C... almost never looks "right", the portraits shot with the 50. I blame both the wider view angle and the bokeh of the 50mm's. So for me, I would look at the 60mm f2 macro from Tamron (APS-C only) and the 85mm f1.8 USM from Canon (lovely portrait lens on APS-C). 85mm indoors is long, though.
Not very helpful, all this, for you... as a lot of it is personal.
But this is what I would do:
APS-C:
Canon 24mm f2.8, Canon 35mm f2 or Sigma 30mm f1.4, Canon 85mm f1.8.
FF:
Canon 35mm f2 (or 35mm f1.4, or manual focus Zeiss 35mm f2), Canon 50mm f1,4 (or expensive Canon 50mm f1.2 L USM), Canon 135mm f2 L USM.
The general photography area... 35mm to 50mm is fine (on FF). For APS-C that translates into the 20-35mm range.
For a 35mm lens, the 35mm f2 has quite good optics. It has quite smooth bokeh (for a 35mm lens... they never really shine, especially not with lots of light through leaves type of situations, and that is an area where its 5 sided aperture when closed down can get very distractive too). I find something a tiny bit lacking, in difficult bright light situations but can't put my finger on it. Either contrast or vivid colour wise. But, nothing severe and nothing that post processing can't help.
The 50mm f1.4 lens is a nice lens optically, but it has to be babied as its AF mechanism can be damaged.
For street photography, on FF the 35mm f2 would be a fine choice. Also indoors shots of people doing stuff. For APS-C, I would rather go for a shorter lens for this purpose. Like the manual focus Voigtlander 20mm f3.5 SL II, or the lovely Canon EF 24mm f2.8. Lower light choice: Sigma 24mm f1.8 DG Macro. Best and most expensive choice: Canon EF 24mm f1.4 L USM II, and for FF Canon EF 35mm f1.4 L USM.
The 50mm... a nice standard natural perspective standard lens on FF. For APS-C, the Sigma 30mm f1.4 EX DC HSM (APS-C only) Canon EF 35mm f2, Tokina 35mm f2.8 macro (APS-C only, also for upto 1:1 macro).
For portraits, I perfer longer than 50mm on APS-C... almost never looks "right", the portraits shot with the 50. I blame both the wider view angle and the bokeh of the 50mm's. So for me, I would look at the 60mm f2 macro from Tamron (APS-C only) and the 85mm f1.8 USM from Canon (lovely portrait lens on APS-C). 85mm indoors is long, though.
Not very helpful, all this, for you... as a lot of it is personal.
But this is what I would do:
APS-C:
Canon 24mm f2.8, Canon 35mm f2 or Sigma 30mm f1.4, Canon 85mm f1.8.
FF:
Canon 35mm f2 (or 35mm f1.4, or manual focus Zeiss 35mm f2), Canon 50mm f1,4 (or expensive Canon 50mm f1.2 L USM), Canon 135mm f2 L USM.