Best Pet Portrait Lens for the 7D? 35, 50 or 85?

[jod10]

What's the best pet portrait lens for the 7D (having regard to the crop factor?)

I expect to be anywhere from 3-6 feet from my pet subject

[ckckevin]

What's the best pet portrait lens for the 7D (having regard to the crop factor?)

I expect to be anywhere from 3-6 feet from my pet subject

Well, if it is a pet, how big is the pet will determine what focal length you need. If it is a small pet, I'll go for higher FL. But at the end, it depends on what effect do you want with the lens. You like to shoot a head shot , or just faceshot, or a full body shot? They make a big difference as well.

[jod10]

Planning on shooting cats and dogs and the effect I'm going for is that close-up, dreamy look where the animal looks angelic :D

[jod10]

So I would say, head and face mainly. Will have a standard zoom for body shots.

[ckckevin]

Well, I'd go for a 85mm. 35mm is way too wide for a cat for headshot unless you are really up close. 50mm is a good candidate, but at 3-6ft, I'd go for a 85mm. That's my take. Others may have their opinions. Some may even think of a 100mm for a even tighter frame.

[jod10]

thanks, I have been leaning towards the 85mm having regard to the beautiful images but was afraid it would prevent me from getting up close and personal.

Is your 500D a crop or full frame sensor?

[ckckevin]

500D (T1i) is a crop body. =)

You said you will be at least 3ft away, the minimum focus distance is 2.79', so as long as you are at least 3', you should be good. If you need to be close, add an extension tube, will drastically reduce that distance.

Or if you really want a close up (more personal) distorted image of your pet, then a wider angle one would be used, but at that point, you will be much closer than 3ft.

[jod10]

which tube would you recommend - the 12 or the 25?

[ckckevin]

For that purpose, use a 12. Using an extension tube to reduce focus distance is really hard to be used. You will loss a good range of focus when you use it, so I don't really recommend using it until you really have to. BTW, if you don't need to be at least 3ft away, 50mm may bring you some fun, since the minimum focus distance is 1.5'. You can also take a look at 100mm macro as well if you really want to play with some creativity.

[Meanderthal]

At around 2 ft from a full head of a medium size dog I'm around 50mm with a APS-C, so for shallow DOF on a still dog I use Canon 50mm f/1.4. I do like the perspective of the 85mm 1.8, and it gives a nice background blur. For dogs that move, I prefer a zoom lens.

[jod10]

I ordered the 85mm but based on what both of you have said, i should also have the 50mm. The thing is, how close I'm able to get, and therefore the choice of lens to use, will depend on the particular dog's temperament so it is perhaps best to have both lenses on hand.

[Meanderthal]

Congratulations, you'll l find many uses for the 85 and like the results. Send some pictures!

[Yanzibar]

Let us know how you get on with the 85mm :) I have the Canon 50mm f/1.8 and have used that for a lot of my pet portraits. It's a good lens for being so cheap! I'd like to know how you get on with it, I was planning one not that long ago!

[rick_reno]

i've used my 100mm macro, 70-200 2.8, 300mm f4 and 85L. It depends. Best dreamy look is with the 85L, next best is the 70-200.

[Meanderthal]

Rick, that's a nice set of lenses. If I "average them out", I get around 85-100mm FL, likely on FF camera. Are you generally near that on the 70-200 as well? So on a 7D, OP would get the equivalent with 50 or 85mm FL. Your dreamy background would then be from the IQ of the 70-200 lens, aperture, the distance to the subject, and the subject-to-background distance. Do send us a sample.

The choice of lens would, of course, depend on the artist's choice of perspective, and the venue. The preferred long FL on a beach, shorter FL of necessity in a small back yard.

[NoelM]

I really like using my 35mm Macro by tokina, It can Get reaaaaally closee! Its an awesome FL for 1.6x.

[SEK5Y]

I've been using the 50mm Sigma 1.4 for awhile. It took some getting used to but a 35mm would definitely be handy at times.

[SEK5Y]

Here are some candid shots of my dogs w/ the 50mm at 1.4

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j103/S3K5Y/c.jpg

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j103/S3K5Y/book.jpg

[RPCrowe]

A "dreamy" look can be done with post processing, with a diffusing filter, or even using a Canon 135mm f/2.8 Soft Focus lens. Resuts with the SF lens vary according to the f/stop and whether you have the lens in the 1 or 2 position for soft focus.

The problem with shooting the image as "dreamy" you are pretty well stuck with an image no sharper than it was shot. Doing the "dreamy" look in post processing, you have control...

[ceegee]

thanks, I have been leaning towards the 85mm having regard to the beautiful images but was afraid it would prevent me from getting up close and personal.

I'd be interested to know how the OP likes his new 85 f1.8. I actually don't like mine at all for the kind of use he was proposing. The long MFD is a real pain, and I much prefer my 60 macro for headshots of pets - you can get closer if you need to, and it doesn't flip out if you get too close. I also prefer the focal length of the 60 - it's a bit more versatile when shooting in close quarters.

[dunkman23]

i have used a 35mm and a 50mm. i think the 50mm is perfect.

[Zweihaender]

85mm/FF (about 50mm on APS-C) are ideal. I own lenses from 16 to 600mm focal length. With wide angle lenses you can see in the final image that the camera was too close to the dog. All tele lenses make the faces look flat.