If you are fond of photography and want to master the art, then it is advised that you invest in the best portrait lens you can get. Whether you are an amateur who’s just starting or an experienced photographer, having a good lens is always a good thing.
With so many great portrait lenses available in the market, it often gets hard to choose the right one. Each product comes with different apertures, focal lengths, and each one has a unique build.
To help you make an informed decision, here is all you need to know to make the right choice.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks for Lenses For Portraits
Comparison Chart of the Best Lenses For Portraits
| PRODUCT | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Our Top Pick | Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM |
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 | Sigma 60mm F2.8 EX DN |
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 | Nikon AF S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G |
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 | Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G |
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 | Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G |
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 | Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM |
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 | Canon EF 24-70mm f/4.0L IS USM |
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 | Sony SEL85F18 85mm F/1.8-22 |
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 | Sony - FE 50mm F1.8 |
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 | Fujinon XF56mmF1.2 R |
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What is a Portrait Lens?
Portrait lenses are essential for any camera. They come with a unique focal length and the right aperture to take amazing portrait pictures. Contrary to popular belief, a portrait lens is not always used for portrait mode. It is basically any lens used with a camera. The many variations of the portrait lens include a prime, telephoto, or a zoom.
The best features that make any portrait lens great are a good focal length and compatible aperture. A good focal length is one that ranges from 70mm to 135mm. To top it off, a maximum wide-range aperture should be used. Together, these two provide an amazing and shallow depth of field. The light performance is also enhanced when these two features are congruent with each other.
Perks of Getting a New Lens for Portraits
Everyone keeps suggesting how to get the perfect portrait lens for an unparalleled photography experience. Lenses don’t only enhance the image quality, but they also help in developing and honing your skills. Here are all the perks involved in getting a good lens for portraits.
More Light
This feature is completely dependent on the aperture size of the lens. The wider your aperture, the more light will be able to enter the sensor. This will, therefore, allow you to shoot comfortably without any flash. Although it requires significant practice to shoot in low light using a good aperture, when your lens has a strong build too, the works become significantly easier. This also ensures that you have better control over how much you want to focus.
Sharp Images
Getting sharp images is a priority for almost all photographers. When your photo is sharp, the contrast between the field and image is clear. With a good portrait lens, you can get clearer and deeper pictures. Compared to a prime lens, a zoom lens has a more complicated build that involves more glass. Hence, in order to get sharper images, always opt for a prime lens.
Better Skill Development
There are a lot of people who simply buy a good portrait lens to hone their photography and ensure greater skill development. For this purpose, you can buy a prime lens that will not only require less time to perfect but will also help you retain your skills for a longer time. Although a zoom lens might seem more convenient at first glance, it makes you lazy in acquiring new skills. On the other hand, a prime lens allows you to move around and get creative with photography.
Greater In-Depth Field
When it comes to photography, everybody wants an in-depth field of view. A good portrait lens ensures this by providing a wide-angle. This is an essential feature for street, environmental, and landscape photographers who want to capture images with more clarity and precision.
What Makes a Great Portrait Lens?
There are many people who want to buy a good portrait lens, but they aren’t sure exactly what makes a lens stand out. There is a common assumption that expensive lenses will somehow give better results, but that’s not true at all. Each individual has a unique usage for the product, and hence, you should also look for a portrait lens that fits your needs. Here is a list of common features that any great portrait lens should have.
Type of Zoom
There are two main types of portrait lenses; one which comes with a zoom feature and the other without.
- Zoom lenses are very versatile and can have a range of different focal lengths. This property allows you to have a variety of different perspectives and styles. It is also more beneficial for beginners to get a zoom lens first before switching to prime.
- Prime lenses, on the other hand, are simpler and have only one focal length. They are recommended by most professional photographers who say that these ensure better and sharper images. They are also lightweight and faster in their usage. There is only one major drawback to them, which is their higher cost.
Size of Sensor
Sensor size also plays an important part in determining how good your portrait lens is. Your camera and its body affect the focal length and sensor size of the lens. If you are using a crop sensor entry-level camera, then a 50mm lens might act like an 80mm lens. Likewise, if you use a camera with a full-frame, then the 50mm lens will work just fine. So make sure you understand your camera’s body before you opt for the right sensor size.
Good Focal Length
The focal length is also crucial in ensuring the clarity with which you capture your images. A telephoto is often considered to be the best focal length for most photographers. This will be around 56mm on the camera. However, it is also important to note that the focal length is largely dependent on how close you are to your subject.
Quick Take -Best Lenses For Portraits
Before we dive into our review, here are the best lenses for portraits:
Review of the Best Lenses for Portraits
We have already established how important portrait lenses are to any photographer. But with so many variations in the market, it is always hard to get your hands on the most suitable product. Here is a list of the best portrait lenses for you to choose from. Compare them against their pros and cons and decide which one fits your exact needs.
Best Overall:
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
When it comes to recent buyers, the Canon portrait lens has everything that makes it desirable. Consumers are particularly fond of its amazing focal length that allows the photographer to concentrate and get the best possible portrait picture. Not just that, but buyers also like that it is lightweight and compact hence, making it highly portable.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This portrait lens has been given the title of the best overall, and rightfully so. The feature that makes it stand out is its 80mm focal length that not only allows for clear imagery in daylight but also at night. Its nighttime photography is as superb as at any other time of the day. Not just that, but the adequate aperture also aids this feature.
Who Will Use This Most
The portrait lens is suitable for all photographers, whether professionals or amateurs. The 80mm focal length is best suited for low-light photography. This means that people who capture scenes outdoors will love using it. Moreover, it also works well at night, making it a suitable choice for street photographers.
Bottom Line
This Canon lens has a strong build, which allows for a smooth finish. Its focal length and aperture size are kept just right so that your photography experience can be amplified. In addition, it is also known to be flexible in nature by providing an edge for creativity for all passionate photographers.
Runner-up:
Sigma 60mm F/2.8 EX DN
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Recent buyers were all praises when it comes to this Sigma portrait lens. They are particularly impressed with its higher focus length that allows for clearer and more colorful pictures. Not just that, but it also comes with a carrying case that not only makes it highly portable but also adds to the convenience of the consumers.
Why it Stands Out to Us
It is hard to name one feature that stands out when it comes to this Sigma lens, mainly because every feature is amazing. The large and fast aperture particularly stands out because it works best with a mirrorless camera. The perfect aperture also allows you to take a good view of the scene before you capture the image.
Who Will Use This Most
This lens works well with all kinds of photographers. This is mainly because it comes with a 50cm focusing distance, which is great for photography. Not just this, but it also has a higher magnification. This means that people who want to capture landscapes and unique buildings that are far away will not have any problem working with this superb Sigma lens.
Bottom Line
Convenience and greatness come together in this super-amazing lens. It comes with a highly focused and centered magnification which allows for blur-free photography. The large aperture also adds to the appeal and makes this Sigma lens the runner-up on our list.
Best for the Money:
Nikon AF S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Fans love that this Nikon lens works brilliantly under any light condition. They praise that, regardless of how low the light is, its performance is not at all hindered. Moreover, another feature that appeals to them is the blur that comes with all-natural backgrounds. This not only enhances the contrast between background and image but also helps you to capture the real essence of the whole scene.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This lens stands out among all others because of its features. The higher focal length of 85mm allows you to magnify the image to the fullest, thereby capturing minute details of the scene. The focal distance is also perfect because it allows you to see the shot clearly before you take it. To aid this feature, the lens is also lightweight and hence, more portable.
Who Will Use This Most
The aperture size of the lens needs to be used in order to decide whether it is suitable for indoor photography or outdoor photography. The lens comes with a fast medium-sized aperture, which means that the aperture allows ample light to enter the lens. Hence, this allows better outdoor photography.
Bottom Line
The camera lens has a longer focal length and a medium aperture. Together, these two features allow for great outdoor photography. Not just that, but it has a strong build and is lightweight. It also allows for better contrast between background and image, making your pictures clearer and more colorful.
Best Nikon Portrait Lens:
Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
This Nikon lens differs a great deal from the other Nikon lenses with a higher focal length. Recent buyers who have tried this one have praised it highly for its focused photography. They stated that the shorter focal length allowed for perfect magnification that they needed to capture images in an indoor setting.
Why it Stands Out to UsProfessional photographers, especially wedding and event photographers, will love using this amazing portrait lens. This is because the smaller focal length allows you to capture the blur of the natural background in indoor settings. This, in turn, captures beautiful pictures that are brighter and more colorful than ones taken without this lens.
Who Will Use This Most
Unlike most portrait lenses, this one comes with greater diversity. It comes with a focus mode switch filter that allows for both autofocus and manual focus. People who have used both modes understand how essential both of them are in different settings. Autofocus adds convenience to your experience, while manual focus allows you to get creative with your pictures.
Bottom Line
This Nikon lens comes with a great and shiny black and silver leather finish, but that’s certainly not the only great thing about it. Its smaller focal length, combined with its medium aperture size, captures the perfect photographs. So whether you are alone or with a group of friends, rest assured it will not embarrass you.
Best Nikon DX Portrait Lens:
Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Recent buyers are extremely impressed with the beautiful and intricate way that the camera captures the image. The lens has a small focal length known to isolate the blur from the natural background, thus creating a dramatic effect in your imagery. In addition, it also provides an in-depth field of control, thus allowing you to create extremely beautiful and stunning portraits.
Why it Stands Out to Us
Photographers are often bothered by the inefficient low-light performance of most lenses, but that is certainly not an issue with this one. With the perfect-sized aperture, it allows ample light in that allows it to deliver outstanding photography in extremely low-light conditions. This makes it suitable for indoor and outdoor photography.
Who Will Use This Most
The lens will work best for people who want to get creative with their photography. The medium-sized aperture allows for a significant amount of light to enter, thus making it suitable to be used in low-light settings. It also allows for soft and blurred backgrounds that enhance the contrast between the image and its background, thus, making it suitable for scenic photography as well.
Bottom Line
The bottom line for this Nikon lens is simple, it is perfect for indoor photography and suitable for outdoors. The amazing autofocus feature, combined with the right-sized aperture, helps deliver stunning images. Moreover, this model is also relatively less expensive than most other models. This means that photographers can now capture beautiful pictures without worrying about the money.
Best Canon Portrait Lens:
Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Recent buyers have complimented the simple, yet efficient design and build of this lens. They also like that it is made with advanced technology that allows them to take ideal portrait pictures in any setting. Moreover, they also like that its price is kept to a bare minimum, which makes it extremely affordable for amateur photographers, too.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This Canon lens differs significantly from most others from the same brand. The front lens group cannot rotate, thus making the imagery more focused. This special feature also retains the unique filter effects that are otherwise produced with Canon lenses. Moreover, the angle of view is amazing, thus allowing you to capture the real essence of the picture.
Who Will Use This Most
Photographers are always looking for newer and better designs when it comes to portrait lenses. This model by Canon comes with a larger focal length. This is a feature that is much desired by professional photographers who want to capture scenes and buildings in low and medium light conditions. Aiding this feature is the medium aperture size, which further makes the product a great choice for street photographers.
Bottom Line
If you are looking for a portrait lens that produces a beautiful blur, this is definitely the right product for you. A strong build is combined with the right focal length and aperture size, thus, making this model suitable for all kind of photographers. Moreover, the images captured with it have better contrast than normal pictures.
Best Canon 6D Portrait Lens:
Canon EF 24-70mm f/4.0L IS USM
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Recent buyers have applauded the advanced construction of this Canon lens. They also like the high resistancedit provides against both water and dust. This not only allows you to capture images in rainy weather, but it also makes it easier to capture scenes of rugged buildings. Moreover, buyers also like its higher compatibility.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This Canon lens often stands out because of its association with a highly reliable brand, Canon, but that’s not all. This model has introduced a beautiful feature that allows for greater image stabilization. This means you will be able to capture clearer and better pictures with it. The higher magnification also allows you to capture pictures in both daylight and nighttime.
Who Will Use This Most
The use of this lens is not at all limited to professional photographers. The focal length has a wide range, which makes it suitable for capturing images in both indoors and outdoors. It has also been widely used by professional photographers to capture wedding events. The image stabilization that is achieved can be used to hone their skills and produce brilliant images.
Bottom Line
Most Canon lenses come with higher compatibilities, but the unique feature of this one is its four shutter speed stops that allow you to use it with both shift types and angular cameras. Not just that, it also works amazingly well in low-light situations. To top all this off, its highly resistant against both water and dust.
Best Sony Portrait Lens:
Sony SEL85F18 85mm F/1.8-22
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Recent buyers have never been this happier with another lens by Sony. The wide aperture allows for maximum light to enter and hence, allows for better imagery. Moreover, fans also like how it is resistant to both dust and water, thus allowing them to take stunning pictures in rugged surfaces. A lot of users also believe that this model is the best by the company so far.
Why it Stands Out to Us
Internal focusing is by far the best feature of this Sony lens. It not only allows the optical system to achieve greater focus, but it also doesn’t require the overall length to change while focusing. This comes in extremely handy while shooting for videos. Aiding this feature is the efficient filter thread that is situated in the front of the lens. This does not rotate, hence, making it easier to use a polarizing filter.
Who Will Use This Most
Photographers are always looking for newer and better ways to hone their photography skills and this is precisely where this Sony lens comes in. It is powered by a motor system with double linear technology that allows for very focused and precise shooting. This is a huge advantage for professional and outdoor photographers who want to capture faraway scenes and buildings with higher precision.
Bottom Line
This lightweight and compact Sony lens has completely impressed photographers. It has some brilliant features like quiet and fast camera settings and perfect aperture size. The focal length is kept larger in order to ensure greater magnification for your images. Lastly, all these features, coupled with adequate cost and an internal focusing mechanism, makes it the perfect fit for any photographer.
Best Sony A6000 Portrait Lens:
Sony - FE 50mm F/1.8
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Recent buyers love the added durability and strength that comes with this Sony lens. The metal mounts are known to add a higher level of sophistication to the design. Not just that, but the advanced construction also allows it to withstand tough conditions, hence making it much more reliable according to recent consumers.
Why it Stands Out to Us
Its fast and agile focusing has really made this Sony lens stand out in the market. It comes with an efficient autofocus mechanism that frees you from the hurdle of manually adjusting the aperture. Moreover, the DC motor actuator system allows for more focused photography and increases precision.
Who Will Use This Most
This lens has a very innovative and special optical design that is used to create very high-quality images. It is therefore, recommended for people to whom precision and clarity matter a great deal because it produces the kind of clarity that is not otherwise obtained with other models. For amateur and on-the-go photographers, it is advised that they buy a cheaper lens.
Bottom Line
Lenses that have a smooth design often lack other features such as a good focal length, but that is certainly not the case with this ultra-smooth Sony lens. It not only has a very good focal length for higher magnification, but it also comes with an adequate aperture that is just right for indoor photography. So if you want to get clarity with precision, then this one should be the top choice for you.
Best Fuji Portrait Lens:
Fujinon XF56mm F/1.2 R
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Recent buyers like this lens due to a number of reasons. They have frequently praised the added convenience that it ensures with its simple yet efficient design. Buyers state that it is easier to mount and dismount, thus making it a good option for them. Moreover, they also believe that the image clarity it promises is great.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This lens stands out because of its smooth and durable build, but that’s not all there is to this incredible Fuji lens. The seven blades not only allow for greater compatibility but also add an extra level of smoothness to the whole design. The higher magnification is also an added benefit for consumers.
Who Will Use This Most
Since the lens is easy to mount and dismount, it is suitable for use by any photographer regardless of their experience. However, street photographers will get the most benefit out of it. This is because it comes with higher magnification and an in-depth field of view. When combined, these features allow you to capture the real essence of images, even in low-light conditions.
Bottom Line
With low levels of light dispersion and fewer distortions in images, this lens achieves results like no other in the market. It is extremely easy to use and handle. The focal length and aperture are just the right size, which makes it a good option for any photographer. So if you want to develop your skills with ease, then this is definitely the right choice for you.
What Type of Lens is Best for Portrait Photography?
This is one of the most common questions asked by most people interested in portrait photography. Since there are so many variations of the type, it is important to understand which lens is best suited for portrait photography.
Fisheye Lens
As the name suggests, a fisheye lens comes with one of the widest focal lengths. It is between 4.5mm and 14mm, making it wider than most others. This feature allows you to see the half side of a maximum full rotation. These are most popular for wide panoramas. One downside of these is that they cram a lot of information in the sensors and hence, suffer from distortions.
Wide-Angle Lens
Fisheye and wide-angle lenses are similar in most of their features. The major difference between the two is the width of the lens. The wide-angle lens ranges from a focal length of 14mm to 35mm. The angle of its view is mostly between 64° to 84°. These aren’t free from distortions either. Since they provide a larger perspective, they can face excess distortions. These are mainly used for architecture and interior purposes.
Standard Lenses
These are the closest to the human eye, and hence, they come with the most accurate angle of view. It has a 50mm lens that comes with an angle of view of 58°. These are considered to be the most versatile. They are used mainly for street photography, but they also provide good results for landscape and portrait photography.
Telephoto
Telephoto lenses are primarily used for subjects that are very far away from you. A standard telephoto lens has the focal length between 70mm and 300mm. Super telephoto lenses, on the other hand, range from 300mm to 600mm. The best thing about these is the clarity they give with portrait photography. They are super easy to use and work well with action photography.
Conclusion
After looking at all the information above, it is quite evident that anybody who wants to revitalize their photography experience completely needs to get themselves a good portrait lens. They are not only highly efficient, but they give you sharper and clearer images that you won’t be able to get otherwise. But before you decide which one to buy, make sure you are ready for a truly thrilling photography experience.
People Also Ask
Since portrait lenses come in so many shapes and sizes, people are always asking unique questions in regards to these. For your ease, we’ve decided to answer a few common ones. Here is a brief and satisfactory answer to each.
Which Focal Length is Best for Portraits?
Getting the right focal length makes all the difference when it comes to portrait photography. The most loved focal length is the short telephoto. It ranges from 56mm on a camera with an APS-C sensor to 85mm on a camera with full-frame. The focal length is also heavily dependent on the amount of distance between you and your subject.
What is the Best Lens Size for Portraits?
Like focal lengths, portrait lenses come with a variety of lens sizes. The standard lens has a 50mm focal length and an f/1.4 aperture size. These features are perfect for photographers who want to do portrait photography with prime lenses. There is also another fraction of photographers who believe that a slightly higher focal is better for portrait photography.
Is a Wide-Angle Lens Good for Portraits?
Whether any lens is good for you is highly dependent on the sort of photography you want to do with it. Landscape and architecture photographers will obviously have different needs than interior photographers. However, most photographers prefer either an 85mm lens or a 105mm lens. These focal lengths not only give you a realistic and clear view but will also help prevent distortion in your images.
What is the Best Aperture for Portraits?
Apertures are important when it comes to portrait photography. For better results, it is important that you set a wide aperture for yourself that falls between the range of f/2.8 and f/5.6. This allows you to capture a much more shallow depth of field. Not just that, it also ensures that the background of your subject is relatively blurred, making your prime subject stand out in comparison.