p.1 #1 · FOUND ONE. Thank you : Recommend a Portrait lens for Nikon D810
I am leaving Medium format digital and staying with my trustee D810
I am looking for a portrait lens and I dont shoot wide open. I normally shoot f4-f5.6
1/2 body length to head shots which I can move in closer to do so.
I shoot with Soft Box Strobe.
Thank you. I am sure I will get a variety of suggestions. TY
p.1 #2 · FOUND ONE. Thank you : Recommend a Portrait lens for Nikon D810
For the D810 and later my D850, I loved three lenses for portraits. Once was the 105mm f/1.4E ED and the second was the 85mm f/1.8G and the 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VrII. All deliver excellent results.
p.1 #3 · FOUND ONE. Thank you : Recommend a Portrait lens for Nikon D810
Have to agree here the 105 is a beautiful lens, and the 70-200 FL is fantastic. The 1/2 length body shots make me think more like a 50mm but probably workable at 70mm.
p.1 #5 · FOUND ONE. Thank you : Recommend a Portrait lens for Nikon D810
If you shoot stopped down, and don’t need wide aperture performance, there are lots of lenses that will work, from 70-200 zooms to 85mm primes. Given the stopped down note, I don’t think it’s worth spending the extra cash for something like the 105/1.4, so I’d look at the 85/1.8G, which can be had used on the cheap.
p.1 #8 · FOUND ONE. Thank you : Recommend a Portrait lens for Nikon D810
Keeping a faster lens in your lens kit is a good tool if you shoot a lot on location. Sometimes the background can be very busy or downright ugly. In that case, using f/1.4, f/1.8 and even f/2.0 can obliterate the background sufficiently to get a decent image. I’ve had this happen a few times with outdoor senior sessions. The 105mm f/1.4E ED was my go to lens for single headshots, even at smaller apertures. It was also very handy for low light portraits.
p.1 #9 · FOUND ONE. Thank you : Recommend a Portrait lens for Nikon D810
I use my af-s 105 micro f/2.8 at f/4 - f/5.6 and get ultra sharp results with my D850 and Z5 with FTZ. It is much easier to soften a shot that is too sharp than to sharpen one that is too soft.
p.1 #11 · FOUND ONE. Thank you : Recommend a Portrait lens for Nikon D810
batushka_bata wrote:
Since you don’t shoot wide open, I’d suggest the 70-200 f4. Sharp, pleasing bokeh, fast autofocus, versatile, good MFD and lighter than the f2.8.
Agreed. It's an awesome performer for portraits and agile in the hand. When stopped down, the 70-200/2.8E doesn't add anything except weight, so I don't use it for portraits.
p.1 #13 · FOUND ONE. Thank you : Recommend a Portrait lens for Nikon D810
I can share a personal experiences. I started with 55mm, and 85mm prime lenses. I couldn't settle on a single one. After a few years, I realized I don't shoot wide open anymore and am depending more on off-camera flash to isolate subjects instead of solely relying on depth of field. Then, I finally figured out the value of the trinity and why pros depend on them. From f/2.8 and beyond, a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens yields more than enough sharpness. I sold my expensive primes afterward and now happily shoot with a 24-70mm f/2.8 and 70-200mm f/2.8 combo.
