Feeling the need for a prime portrait lens

Looking for a lens for portrait shots of the grand kids. I do ok with my 70-200 but thinking I could get better looking shots with a prime. Thinking 85 1.8 or 50 1.4. Appreciate your suggestion. Lens would be used on my 5D3.

I love my 85 1.8 on my 7D, but from what I've read and seen, it's even better on a full frame body.

Would say ditto on the 85mm f1.8 or the 100mm f2.

The 70-200 is a pretty good portrait lens, though - I think the primary upgrade you'd be seeing is the use of a wider aperture (better bokeh at same focal lengths), or saving a lot of carrying weight (both primes are extremely light and compact). In terms of sharpness, I don't think you'll see much, if any, of an improvement.

200 F2 , 135 F2 , 85 F1.2 in that order.

For kids, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm, and so on in that order.

For portraits on a 5D III, look no further than the 85 L f/1.2 L II. On a budget, the 85 f/1.8 would also make a good choice.

35mm

Grandkids, outdoors 85mm, indoors 35mm.

85L or 85/1.8. If you can stand back, the 135L is even better.

35mm is great for its shorter minimum focus distance and it's a bit wider --- you can shoot at across a dining room table with it, but, it isn't a classic portrait lens (i.e., a telephoto that flatters the face and completely blow out the background.

I'm not that crazy about the 50mm focal length as a "portrait lens". Hence, my two main primes are a 35L and 85L.

Personally outdoor 70-200f2.8II, indoor 35/50mm.

I always feel using a short lens such as a 35mm outdoor is counter productive and brings in unwanted and unnecessary distortion.

The 85mm 1.8 or the 60mm 2.8 are both fantastic portrait lenses.

For kids I'd consider a 35 or 50 - they both have perspective distortion that is unflattering for an adult, but can give a "fun" look to kids portraits.

LostArk wrote in post #15810696
For kids I'd consider a 35 or 50 - they both have perspective distortion that is unflattering for an adult, but can give a "fun" look to kids portraits.

Agree. Some folks here thinking shooting models instead of grand kids.

Although much less expensive than most of the suggestions here, I have the 135 f2.8 sf and love it. I don't use the soft focus feature, but get great shots with very nice creamy background wide open.

24 and 35 is great for environmental portaits. Downside is you have to contend with distortion, so you don't want to use this when a persons face is within a large portion of the frame.

135 and 200 are great for close ups, as its a more flattering perspective. Downside is that it takes the background/environment completely out of the context of the shot. I'm not too fond of the longer focal lengths because of this.

50 and 85 are a perfect happy medium, IMO.