135-200mm : for bokehlicious outdoor modelshoots with background, headshots better 85mm?

Comming from architecture photography, I'm starting modelshoots, still have to get into the close-up part and not try to put too much invironment in the picture.
So concentrating closer on the model's details, how comfortable are you shooting with your models for headshots, do you prefer 85mm or at further distance 135-200mm ?

Some photographers make stunning bokehshots at 135-200mm, but this is more with the model & background
I wonder if 135-200mm is more used for full body with background, or also for outdoor headshoots.

Do you find the 135-200mm range too far to stand from the model for headshots and better stand closer at 70-85mm?

Considering that a head shot shows a small fraction of the body, it can easily be pulled off with a longer 135-200 lens. Whereas a full body shot might need the 85 if you don't have a ton of room.

With an 85 mm you are just a few feet away for a head shot.

200mm on a 35mm system is the point where I start to see unfavorable perspective distortion for headshots. The ears get bigger, and the eyes get closer together.

135 is my limit for tight headshots.

135 for outdoors, 85 for indoors but that's mainly because of working room. i prefer 135 for head-shots but its hard to get that kind of room indoors to work. i wont do anything less than 85 though for a head-shot.

85, 135, 200, I use all three for bokehlicious outdoor shots with background. They all having their different characteristics,.

I found the 135mm f/2L very favorable for tighter portraits on full-frame, whereas the 85mm f/1.2L felt distorted when moving in for a tighter shot. Good luck OP, whatever you may decide!

You have all three to try so why not just go shoot and see which produces the best images? Generally any of these focal lengths will provide fantastic portraits so I think it's more about what distance you like to work from the model and which lens gives you the desired quality for the look you are trying to capture. I've owned and shot with the Sigma 85, 135L, and 200L and each has it's own look but any of them will give incredible results. I shoot mainly with the 85 because I don't have to worry about having enough room but if I had all three I would use each depending on the location and shot I want. I would say the 85 and 135 would be the most useful for portraits just because the 200 doesn't add much from what you could capture with the 135 and the 85 for when you need to work closer or for the wider FOV. I don't think there is any real right or wrong way, just do what works best for you.

Minimum focus also plays a huge part. Some 85mm s
have very long MFD.


If you really want bokeh go medium format.

Even at F8 i have trouble keeping stuff far away in focus. It just wants to blurr the crap out of everything, I love it.

85 and 100 (both L) in studio.

maverick75 wrote in post #17651999
Minimum focus also plays a huge part. Some 85mm s
have very long MFD.


If you really want bokeh go medium format.

Even at F8 i have trouble keeping stuff far away in focus. It just wants to blurr the crap out of everything, I love it.

Minimun focus has never played a part (let alone HUGE part) in my selection of portrait lenses.

F8 in medium format woud be similar to what? F6.3 in FF?

I don't know anything about medium format, just the unreachable prices of the Hasselblad
Maybe there are cheaper models, but aren't they working with old film rolls and maybe the Hasselblad with memorycards ?
What would be an affordable mediumformat with memorycard slot ?

I always found this link to be of interest with regards to the subject.
http://stepheneastwood​.com/blog/?p=35

I think the 135mm FOV is my sweet spot for headshots. I shoot a crop, and my 50-150mm gets set to about 85mm most of the time.

For a face portrait, on 7D2, I also use 85mm, in this case the 85mm f/1.8. But I also like the 100mm f/2 for this same purpose, offering an even tighter view for the same working distance. Actually, I had the 100mm first, and it really is a very nice prime lens. But, I had to work a bit farther away in the studio, so I thought I'd see if the 85mm f/1.8 "sister" lens would deal with that, and it sure did. Both lenses are gorgeous, nice for tight portraits on a 1.6x FoVCF camera.