first headsots with my new 30

i was told that this lens would not take very good headshots because its such a short focal length. i think they turned out great. its not the sharpest wide open but these are at f2 until i get it micro adjusted perfectly. What do you guys think (other than needing to stand really close to the subject)? both taken with natural light

Not the best lens for headshots, that much is true. Nice milky backgrounds, though.

thanks. it was between this and a 85 1.8, 85 is better but i can do more fun stuff with the 30 since the 85 is long inside and long for a walkaround. this 30 seems like a good walk around if i could find the time to actually walk around with it.

i will probably stick to my 50 more for headshots and portraits but the 30 doesnt seem too shabby

You dont see the perspective distortion in the headshots? Stick with the fifty and save for the 85.

i see it but dont think its that bad honestly. its not as exaggerated as say doing a headshot with a 16-35 @ 16mm

Granted its not as bad a 16mm, but its far from flattering which is sort of the point of a headshot.

the distortion will be more noticeable on people with big noses that extend closer to the lens. but i agree that 30mm is perfectly okay as a portrait lens, and on a crop body it's not an issue.

thanks for the feedback yall. looking forward to doing a few shoots with it. hopefully it doesnt cause too much of a problem since i have to get so close for headshots. but its not like i only do headshots

I like to use longer lenses for portrait for a couple of reasons; lots of people do not feel comfortable having a camera and lens 3-feet away from them, and I have found better background blur over all with longer lenses. Speaking of which; I need to get the 85 1.8 next…

The stray hair across the face in the second photo bugs me; I would clone it out

yea my next lens is either going to be a 70-200 f4 or if i cant get all my money together ill have to rethink and do something else

Brian_R wrote in post #12831013
yea my next lens is either going to be a 70-200 f4 or if i cant get all my money together ill have to rethink and do something else

After I sent my 70-200 F4 in to Canon for calibration, I love it for shooting people now. Get enough light in and it's a fantastic lens.

I would have gone for the 50 1.4.

But i've seen good portraits shot with shorter focal lengths. Just step back and keep your subject in the middle of the frame where distortion is the least significant. The only downside is that they will appear as if they are off in the distance.

charro callado wrote in post #12831441
I would have gone for the 50 1.4.

But i've seen good portraits shot with shorter focal lengths. Just step back and keep your subject in the middle of the frame where distortion is the least significant. The only downside is that they will appear as if they are off in the distance.

i can always crop as well. i want a 50 1.4 but cant justify having 2 50's since my 1.8 works fine

Brian_R wrote in post #12831845
i can always crop as well. i want a 50 1.4 but cant justify having 2 50's since my 1.8 works fine

Ditch it! they sell like hotcakes on ebay.

im keepin it lol. its not worth THAT much. trying to sell 28-135 right now instead