[BATMON]

I always hear that the most recommended focal lengths are in the 70-100mm range....like the Sigma 85mm, Pentax 70mm, 77mm, etc.

But is this for Full Frame sensors and APS-C is "better" at 50mm?

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Last edited by BATMON; 12-15-2016 at 10:39 AM.

[jatrax]

"better" does not mean much. Just as "portrait" means very little. Are we talking head shots? Shoulder? Full body? Environmental? Are you in a studio with distance limitations so you cannot move much? Or outside with a lot of freedom of movement?

Do you want the person in focus or just their nose? If you want someone to actually recognize them then you are shooting at f/4 or so. For nose shots then you need f/1.4 or f/2

In general take a focal length that is suggested for FF and adjust by the "crop factor" to suit the portrait environment you are in. 50mm works fine, so does the DA 70 Ltd. A 100mm macro also works. I have used the F 135mm as well for tight shots.

[Huy]

The range 50-135 mm as of DA* 50-135mm? It covers the equivalent 70-200mm full frame.

[zapp]

DA* 55 is the designated portrait lens for Pentax APS-C.
43-100mm lenses are fine as well. It is upon you personal taste and style whether 77mm is fine or 100 mm and what aperture you prefer f/1.4 or f/2...

[D1N0]

There is loads of old 50,55,58mm glass out there for very little.

[BATMON]

I already have the 50mm, 55-300, I was just wondering if jumping up to an 85mm prime is really needed if its "for FF".

[Cambo]

I always hear that the most recommended focal lengths are in the 70-100mm range....like the Sigma 85mm, Pentax 70mm, 77mm, etc.

But is this for Full Frame sensors and APS-C is "better" at 50mm?

Quite magical...and I used to own an FA*85 F1.4!

Handheld, available light, ISO 3200





Studio lighting (purposefully dark), tripod, mirror lockup, F10 or so, ISO 100





Cheers,
Cameron

[hcc]

On APS-C, the FA77mm is superb with beautiful colour rendering, especially for portrait.

Full stop......

[aaacb]

It's a special kind of portrait, but I like the DA 70 a lot for concert photos focused on individuals. I do not prefer razor thin depth of field for portraits, and in this particular case it's actually nicer to get both the musician and their instrument (if any) in focus.

[rrstuff]

You can take a portrait with any lens.The reason why people talk about mid-telephoto being good for portraits, because it tends to give flattering appearance, exemplified here:

http://www.lesjones.com/www/images/posts/stepheneastwood-tile1.jpg

You have a 35mm F2.4, you can take nice full body potraits with it, when used wide open.

I found an olympus zuiko 45mm F1.8 to be an excellent portrait lens. MFT has a very accurate and quick autofocus which is helpful.
For Pentax I use 50mm F1.4, which works well, especially in live view. F2.8 on APS-C is a bit too slow for blurred backgrounds, so I would get something faster if possible.

[clackers]

I always hear that the most recommended focal lengths are in the 70-100mm range....like the Sigma 85mm, Pentax 70mm, 77mm, etc.

But is this for Full Frame sensors and APS-C is "better" at 50mm?

Yeah, for headshots, the classic ranges on FF are like 85mm, 105mm, 135mm, and a pro uses a 70-200mm zoom.

For APS-C, the Pentax equivalent was the DA*50-135 f2.8 zoom. The DA*55, DA70 and FA77 are examples of headshot primes for the cropped sensor.

But you will need not just to do headshots - they will be a minority of your people pics.

More likely will be two or more people at an event, or in a street scene or an individual at half-body, sitting, or full-body, or in their work or home environment, etc, so it's a foolish portrait photographer who doesn't also pack their 24-70 zoom on FF (or 17-50 on APS, et al).

[boriscleto]

Do you want the person in focus or just their nose? If you want someone to actually recognize them then you are shooting at f/4 or so. For nose shots then you need f/1.4 or f/2

Or F/1.2 if you only want a nose hair.

[Saltwater Images]

A zoom offers flexibility that you may or may not need depending on your level of experience with primes. I usually carry a bag of primes and the two lenses I use most often for portraits are the HD DA 70 and HD DA 40. Both fulfill the role very well.

In addition to the 40 and 70 - I have shot portraits with the FA 50 f/1.4, D FA 100 Macro f/2.8 WR and HD DA 21. At one time the FA 50 was my go-to portrait lens but I sold it off after experiencing the HD DA 70. For me the 70 has more atmosphere (AKA Pixie Dust).

If you get very serious about lighting with radio control and multiple flashes / multiple modifiers then you will be less likely to shoot wide open. Using available light or a single flash with diffuser - I prefer 70 hands-down. Here are a couple of links to check out...

HD DA 70: PENTAX : Select a PENTAX interchangeable lens camera or a lens model

HD DA 40: PENTAX : Select a PENTAX interchangeable lens camera or a lens model

[Wheatfield]

I always hear that the most recommended focal lengths are in the 70-100mm range....like the Sigma 85mm, Pentax 70mm, 77mm, etc.

But is this for Full Frame sensors and APS-C is "better" at 50mm?

The 70mm is a gorgeous classic portrait lens for APS-C. It's a bit slow, which increases DOF a bit, but it's rendering is nearly identical to the 77mm,

[HudsonShooter]

The proper portrait lens is the 55mm lens,
I love my DA70 so that would also be nice for portraits, but the true prime with the proper focal length for aps-c is 55.
you also can use zooms to get that 55mm.