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View Full Version : 50mm lens any good for portraits on FF?


adrianp
16th of October 2008 (Thu), 08:45
Tele lenses are more flattering for portraits than wide angle lenses due to the perspective they give - i.e. the tele lens flattens the depth, where a WA lens seems to add depth.

I also understand that a fixed focal length lens (e.g.50mm) on a crop body has exactly the same perspective when used on a FF body, but is simply a crop of the FF bodies image when you take an image from the same position on both bodies?

A 50mm lens on a crop body is considered to be an excellent portrait lens. However it is not on a FF body. Is this simply because to fill the frame to on a FF body you need to be closer to your subject which distorts the perspective of the person more and therefore is less flattering?

I guess I could shoot a portrait in the position I would have shot it with a crop body and then crop the image, though that would loose image resolution.

bobbyz
16th of October 2008 (Thu), 10:06
People just make a big deal of what an ideal portrait lens is.

If you have 50mm and FF camera, why not try it yourself. if you like it you don't need to worry of the others like it or not.

eddie1
16th of October 2008 (Thu), 15:13
50mm is brilliant for portraits

see the work of celebrated british photographer jane bown
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/review/page/0,11821,1009693,00.html

and many of the great portraits by capa, cartier bressos etc were taken with a simple 50mm lens