In this video, I want to show you my 3 favorite prime lenses, and how to best use them for portraiture. If you are looking to buy, these are the lenses I’d start with first.
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Prime lenses are wonderful for their low light capabilities, bokeh aesthetic, sharpness, and overall quality. However, they aren’t necessarily the fastest lenses when it comes to versatility and focus speed. This makes them ideal for portraiture, rather than sports and quick moving subjects. In fact, take a look at our last video, the first two lenses you need to buy, because as a wedding or event journalist, over 90% of your images will come from zooms.
That said, nothing can beat primes in terms of their overall aesthetics. Obviously, they can shoot at very wide apertures which gives us a nice bokeh aesthetic, but beyond that, they are great for shooting in low-light scenes, they are extremely sharp, and they often sell at a lower price point since there are less moving parts. Let’s group these lenses into categories and breakdown that characteristics and benefits of having certain focal lengths and why I have my favorites.
[REWIND: The 24-70 And 70-200 Creative Reference Guide: The First Two Lenses You Should Buy]
24/35mm Focal Length
If you are looking to purchase a wider prime lens choose between the 24mm or 35mm focal length. They will give you similar results and it isn’t necessary to have both considering the images produced aren’t going to look that varied. Here are some of the characteristics you’ll achieve with a wider prime lens:
- Wide w/ Shallow DoF
- “In-the-Action” Focal Length
- Foreground Elements + Special FX
- Watch distortion! (Center Compositions)
24/35mm Prime Lens Recommendations
- Canon 24mm f/1.4 L
- Canon 35mm f/1.4 L
- Canon RF 35mm f/1.8
- Nikon 24mm f/1.4 G
- Nikon 35mm f/1.4 G
- Sony 24mm f/1.4 GM
- Sony Distagon 35mm f/1.4
- Sigma Art 24mm f/1.4
- Sigma Art 35mm f/1.4
- Tamron 35mm f/1.4
50mm Focal Length
- Versatile Portrait/Anything Lens
- Good DoF/Bokeh Aesthetic
- Wide Shots Require Working Space
- Favorite for Detail/Storytelling Elements
- Great with Foreground Special FX
- Distortion with Close-Ups/Headshots
50mm Prime Lens Recommendations
- Canon 50mm f/1.8
- Canon 50mm f/1.4
- Canon 50mm f/1.2 L
- Canon RF 50mm f/1.2 L
- Nikon 50mm f/1.8
- Nikon 50mm f/1.4
- Sony Planar 50mm f/1.4
- Sigma Art 50mm f/1.4
- Tamron 45mm f/1.4
85mm/+ Focal Length
- Great for Portraits, but Least Versatile
- Exaggerated DoF/Bokeh Aesthetic
- Great for Close Up Portraits
- Ideal for Background Control
- Requires Working Space
- Slow to Focus
85mm/+ Prime Lens Recommendations
- Canon 85mm f/1.8
- Canon 85mm f/1.4 L
- Canon 85mm f/1.2 L
- Canon RF 85mm f/1.2 L
- Canon 100mm f/2.8 (Macro)
- Canon 135mm f/2
- Nikon 85mm f/1.8 G
- Nikon 85mm f/1.4 G
- Nikon 135mm f/2
- Sony 85mm f1.8
- Sony Zeiss Batis 85mm f/1.8
- Tamron 90mm f/2.8 (Macro)
- Sigma Art 85mm f/1.4
- Sigma Art 105mm f/1.4
- Sigma Art 135mm f/1.8
What are you favorite primes to use and why? Let us know in the comments below!
Prime lenses are wonderful for their low light capabilities, bokeh aesthetic, sharpness, and overall quality. However, they aren’t necessarily the fastest lenses when it comes to versatility and focus speed. This makes them ideal for portraiture, rather than sports and quick moving subjects. In fact, take a look at our last video, the first two lenses you need to buy, because as a wedding or event journalist, over 90% of your images will come from zooms.
That said, nothing can beat primes in terms of their overall aesthetics. Obviously, they can shoot at very wide apertures which gives us a nice bokeh aesthetic, but beyond that, they are great for shooting in low-light scenes, they are extremely sharp, and they often sell at a lower price point since there are less moving parts. Let’s group these lenses into categories and breakdown that characteristics and benefits of having certain focal lengths and why I have my favorites.
[REWIND: The 24-70 And 70-200 Creative Reference Guide: The First Two Lenses You Should Buy]
24/35mm Focal Length
If you are looking to purchase a wider prime lens choose between the 24mm or 35mm focal length. They will give you similar results and it isn’t necessary to have both considering the images produced aren’t going to look that varied. Here are some of the characteristics you’ll achieve with a wider prime lens:
- Wide w/ Shallow DoF
- “In-the-Action” Focal Length
- Foreground Elements + Special FX
- Watch distortion! (Center Compositions)
24/35mm Prime Lens Recommendations
- Canon 24mm f/1.4 L
- Canon 35mm f/1.4 L
- Canon RF 35mm f/1.8
- Nikon 24mm f/1.4 G
- Nikon 35mm f/1.4 G
- Sony 24mm f/1.4 GM
- Sony Distagon 35mm f/1.4
- Sigma Art 24mm f/1.4
- Sigma Art 35mm f/1.4
- Tamron 35mm f/1.4
50mm Focal Length
- Versatile Portrait/Anything Lens
- Good DoF/Bokeh Aesthetic
- Wide Shots Require Working Space
- Favorite for Detail/Storytelling Elements
- Great with Foreground Special FX
- Distortion with Close-Ups/Headshots
50mm Prime Lens Recommendations
- Canon 50mm f/1.8
- Canon 50mm f/1.4
- Canon 50mm f/1.2 L
- Canon RF 50mm f/1.2 L
- Nikon 50mm f/1.8
- Nikon 50mm f/1.4
- Sony Planar 50mm f/1.4
- Sigma Art 50mm f/1.4
- Tamron 45mm f/1.4
85mm/+ Focal Length
- Great for Portraits, but Least Versatile
- Exaggerated DoF/Bokeh Aesthetic
- Great for Close Up Portraits
- Ideal for Background Control
- Requires Working Space
- Slow to Focus
85mm/+ Prime Lens Recommendations
- Canon 85mm f/1.8
- Canon 85mm f/1.4 L
- Canon 85mm f/1.2 L
- Canon RF 85mm f/1.2 L
- Canon 100mm f/2.8 (Macro)
- Canon 135mm f/2
- Nikon 85mm f/1.8 G
- Nikon 85mm f/1.4 G
- Nikon 135mm f/2
- Sony 85mm f1.8
- Sony Zeiss Batis 85mm f/1.8
- Tamron 90mm f/2.8 (Macro)
- Sigma Art 85mm f/1.4
- Sigma Art 105mm f/1.4
- Sigma Art 135mm f/1.8
What are you favorite primes to use and why? Let us know in the comments below!
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