Should I ditch my nifty fifty if...

Keep the nifty fifty for backup or experimental video work with the 7D.

natalieerachel wrote in post #15052966
Thanks for the advice Baan, sounds like a plan

Haha I'm working on it..you know I'm busy. Will be setting up photo dates as soon as my camera comes in though!

you're welcome. i try to help an any way i can. although im getting complaints from someone that im being too helpful that he/she is looking into more gears now...

when will it arrive?

Earwax69 wrote in post #15053017
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@skygod44: She want a portrait lens on a tight budget... I dont see why you propose a 30mm or a 17-55 f2.8. The Sigma 85mm idea is good but way out of her budget.

Good points, Earwax, but she's buying a 7D. That body craves better glass, and although Natalie initially talks about a prime lens, in my opinion, the 85mm at this stage might mean she becomes limited (due to it being a pretty long, fixed focal length lens) after which, due to being a poor student, she'll struggle to buy more glass to give her some flexibility again.

The Sigma 30 on the 7D (a combo I use) offers a great focal length for portraits indoors or outdoors, while the Sigma 17-50 OS f/2.8 (not the much-more-expensive Canon EF-S 17-55 IS f/2.8) would give her a very competent lens which encompasses the "30mm" FL of my initial suggestion.

No, these aren't "budget" options, but having looked at Natalie's Flickr photos, in my opinion, she's got talent. So, I think a budget option would end up as a waste of money in the long term.

natalieerachel wrote in post #15052933
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@skygod44 Thanks for your in-depth response and feedback

I have to admit, I really don't know much about lenses, so this forum is helping me quite a bit. I just had the notion that I should upgrade lenses soon. So you don't think the 85mm is worth it?

I took a look at some of those lenses, and I have to say that the last one is my favorite...and of course it's the most expensive one hahaha. But I will definitely be saving up more money for new 'toys'!

Thanks for the response, Natalie.
And I think you've got some good advice in here.
Just remember that it's YOU who will be using the camera/lenses that you buy, so take your time, keep researching and I hope your move goes well!

Regards,
Simon

Well, to each his opinion, but I think that using a 30mm or a 17-50mm f2.8 as portrait lens would unwise. 30mm is too wide, even on a crop sensor and the 17-50mm, while a overall nice lens, will not isolate the subject enough at reasonable distance. As she already have the a 50mm f1.8, the 17-50mm f2.8 is not needed at the 50mm range.

I think I understand what you mean though, that for overall shootings she will need something better. The 17-50mm will serve well there. But if we are talking portrait, trying to get nearest to a "magazine" professional level, there's really not much low budget options and the 85mm f1.8 is the best bet at around 350$. The next upgrade would be the 135L on Full Frame.

Anyway, not big deal!

Earwax69 wrote in post #15059598
Well, to each his opinion, but I think that using a 30mm or a 17-50mm f2.8 as portrait lens would unwise. 30mm is too wide, even on a crop sensor and the 17-50mm, while a overall nice lens, will not isolate the subject enough at reasonable distance.

FWIW, skygod lives in Japan so their sense of how much room you usually have to work with is pretty different.

For this situation, I'd say 50 1.4 or 85 1.8 are the best options depending on how much room the person has to work with generally.

Earwax69 wrote in post #15059598
Well, to each his opinion, but I think that using a 30mm or a 17-50mm f2.8 as portrait lens would be the waste of money. 30mm is too wide, even on a crop sensor and the 17-50mm, while a overall nice lens, will not isolate the subject enough at reasonable distance. As she already have the a 50mm f1.8, the 17-50mm f2.8 is not needed at the 50mm range.

I think I understand what you mean though, that for overall shootings she will need something better. The 17-50mm will serve well there. But if we are talking portrait, trying to get nearest to a "magazine" professional level, there's really not much low budget options and the 85mm f1.8 is the best bet at around 350$. The next upgrade would be the 135L on Full Frame.

Anyway, not big deal!

Too right! "...to each his opinion."

Except that I use a 7D and both the Sigmas, along with a 70-200L f/2.8, for paid portraits - mostly classical singers/musicians - which end up on anything from their business cards, to A4 size flyers, to 2m x 3.5m advertising boards outside the concert halls.

So I think it all comes down to where Natalie is shooting, and therefore how much separation she can obtain between the subject and the background.
But in a nutshell, I'm only concerned that at 85mm, she'll be wanting more space all the time....

Anyway, thanks for taking the time to post a reply, and I'm sure we'll see more of Natalie's photography in the near future!

Regards,
Simon

SoCalTiger wrote in post #15059618
FWIW, skygod lives in Japan so their sense of how much room you usually have to work with is pretty different.

For this situation, I'd say 50 1.4 or 85 1.8 are the best options depending on how much room the person has to work with generally.

Good point! I do live in Japan, but waaaaaay down south, a long way from Tokyo where we actually have a pretty decent amount of space! Hahaha!

Oh, and I sold my 50mm f/1.4 because the bokeh was too "busy". Nice lens, but not up to the right standard for portraits, IMHO.

any reason you went with the 7D? i'd think something like a 5Dclassic may have been a better choice if you're all about portraits....

5Dc, and a tamron 28-75mm would be a good budget option...

Hey, I live in Japan too! not much place indeed. I had to buy the 15-85mm because 17mm was barely wide enough for some small streets here.
Well, then, let just highlights the behaviors of each lenses and it might be helpful for the OP.
Both lenses can do portrait, here what you might need to know:

30mm: semi-wide angle. (standard on a crop). F1.4, good for low light. Can create reasonable amount of background blur. Wide enough for full body shots without being far from your subject. Not expensive but good quality. Excellent walk-around prime lens.

85mm: Medium telephoto. F1.8, good in low light. Can create large amount of background blur. You need to back up before taking a photo, more so if you want a full body. Not expensive but good quality. Not good for walk-around.

2 points to note:

1 - The wider the lens, the more distortion it induce (nose become bigger, ect...). see here for an exemple gif between 50mm and 85mm.

http://blog.sigmaphoto​.com …s/2011/05/compa​rison2.gif

The more long the lens, the more compression you get, the more flattering for people face.

2 - The wider a lens is, the more background you will have in your picture. With a wide lens, you will need to be carefull to find nice places to shoot. With longer lenses, the background area is reduced and most of the time blurred out.

If I were not getting a 6D next year, I would buy the Sigma 30mm right now. It's really a good lens and is pretty cheap here in Japan. For portrait, my choice would be a 135mm!! ;P

Hey Skygod, I'm in the typhoon right now... you got it yesterday in your area? My neighbor pot tree just flew away!!

Thank you all so much for your feedback! I'm so thankful for all of you and this forum, it is definitely helping me to learn a lot

Skygod: I definitely have struggled a little for space with the 50mm, which leads me to be a little worried about the 85mm. However, that's usually indoors...seeing as I live in Hawaii, shooting outdoors with a lens like the 50mm is a breeze. The only problem would be indoors..maybe I'll be able to get both 85mm and a Sigma..eventually haha.
And thank you for your compliments

Earwax:I do agree..$350 is pretty unreasonable for a good lens. I'm hoping to try the lens out at a local camera store, see if I like it and decide from there!

DreDaze: The 7D was because of my budget..I can't afford anything more expensive at the moment and I really wanted to upgrade. T2i's just don't cut it, haha.


And for those of you in the typhoon, stay safe! Praying for you!

Typhoon finish! no problem when you are inland, but still, it was a great storm! There was a traffic cone under our car this morning and lot of random objects in the backyard.

Yeah, 85mm is for outdoor or for very tight portrait indoor. I use the 50mm indoor but the 30mm is definitely the lens you need for indoor! Or a 17-50 f2.8 zoom...

85mm on 7D IMHO is a niche lens. Sports and outdoor tight crops such as head and shoulders.

I used the 30mm 1.4 most on crop. The nifty fifty is a fantastic lens with excellent optics for the price. Why sell a lens you can get 80 bucks for? Sounds like you have limited options I would go for a more general purpose lens or a wider prime. 85 just seems limiting on crop. Just my opinion though.

natalieerachel wrote in post #15062487
Thank you all so much for your feedback!

This forum is great for that! Hope we've been truly helpful.

Skygod: I definitely have struggled a little for space with the 50mm, which leads me to be a little worried about the 85mm. However, that's usually indoors...seeing as I live in Hawaii, shooting outdoors with a lens like the 50mm is a breeze. The only problem would be indoors..maybe I'll be able to get both 85mm and a Sigma..eventually haha.
And thank you for your compliments
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No worries.
If you really get into portraits, I've no doubts you'll need a good selection of lenses, but don't forget that knowing how to light your subjects will boost the final image, perhaps more than putting more and more money into lenses.
Oh, and you're welcome!

And @Earwax, luckily the typhoon centre passed over us, so it was more like "a bit breezy", nothing more!

Cheers for now,

Simon