Prime lens question

Here is my thinking. I have the 100mm macro L and the 85mm 1.8 and love both lenses. I was always a crop shooter (7d mark II) but now I also have a 5D mark IV added to my kit and have been trying to make up my mind on getting a few more prime options and was looking at the 50mm 1.2L to add to my kit. The problem is I also like the idea of getting the 135 too. Based on what I have now which would make more sense is my problem. My thinking was to get the 50L and the 135mmL and ditch the 85 1.8. With the two glasses and the full frame and crop body I could flipflop the glass between the two bodies and get four focal lengths. Thought and recommendations.

What is the issue? If you get rid of 85mm and buy 135mm, you have FOV equivalent to FF with 50, 85, 100, 160, 135, 216mm
(You failed to say what you would be doing with 100mm lens, although you did mention selling the 85mm.)

My goal was to use only two primes for portrait the 50 and the 135 but using both a full frame and crop to fill the gaps depending on the amount of compression I may want. Coming from shooting crop only there were times indoors I wanted something a little wider and feel that now also having the full frame using the lens choices I just stated would cover the wider need along with the 85mm range depending on which body I was using. My question mainly is does this seam to be a good portrait kit.

8-10' shooting distance provides for pleasing subject perspective.

A 50mm on FF makes for a good standing portrait on FF, a 135mm on FF makes for too long of a shooting distance for anything other than a tight 'headshot', both at 9'

Putting the 50mm on APS-C provides a good FL for 'waist-up portrait'.

If you keep the 100mm, you can use it well on FF for 'head and shoulders' portraiture, and a 100mm on APS-C makes for a tight 'headshot', both at 10'.

So a 50 and 100 prime would be a better choice to carry with both bodies?

I have a 50, 85, 100 macro, & 135. I use them on 80D, 6D, 1DIV. I'm not seeing a problem with any of that. OK, the macro only gets used for macro, and only on the 6D. Not seeing any of this as a problem.

jlstan wrote in post #18221821
So a 50 and 100 prime would be a better choice to carry with both bodies?

Well, AOV of 50 (FF) 80 (APS-C) 100 (FF) and 160 (APS-C) sounds fine.

I find 100 f/2 to be terrific for available light shooting during weddings!

sounds like a lot of redundancy. what are you trying to accomplish

ed rader wrote in post #18221946
sounds like a lot of redundancy. what are you trying to accomplish

I agree about redundancy if 80mm was kept in the kit, but OP is getting rid of his 80mm. I agree the real question for OP to answer first, is "What are you trying to accomplish?"

80mm 8' on FF will frame 2.3' x 3.5', but 100mm on APS-C at 10' also frames 2.3' x 3.5'
80mm at 10' on FF will frame 2.9' x 4.4' and 50mm on APS-C at 10' also frames 2.9' x 4.4'

I think 135mm for both bodies broadens the application for longer range shooting, with FF or especially for APS-C (216mm FOV)

Lol ..not quite sure any more. I've been shooting wildlife for the most part with long glass and also started shooting more and more people shots so I started buying EF-S glass to use with my 7d mark ii. However I've also wanted to try full frame and with the resent increase in requests for people I figured now is as good a time as any to jump in head first so I bought the 5d mark iv and now have a bag of EF-S glass that I'm wanting to change over for full frame. I'm trying to start off with a few prime pieces of glass for my 5D

So we know a bit about what (people) but we still have no idea if standing portraiture, seated portraiture, environmental portraits, inside shooting only, or outside shooting and from what distance?

Let me put it in different light...if I ask you, "I want to have two cars, would a Fiat 500 and a Porsche Cayman be a good combination?" what goes thru your mind?

"For doing what?!"
"For carrying how many people? How much luggage? Do you experience the need to park in NYC or San Francisco with it?

Well I shot one wedding early this summer....will I do more, maybe otherwise most of my shooting has been out door Sr. pics and family shots with the occasional indoor. Still learning my way around people portraits which was not my direction when I first got into photography. I love shooting wildlife and landscapes however with more and more people approaching me I figured maybe I should change my direction some to include people shots.

why not get the other two and wait it out a bit before getting rid of the 85mm...you'll see which ones you're using more than the others...the value of the 85f1.8 on the used market right now isn't that great anyways...so is it worth getting rid of to save $250 or so?

i mean at that price, i'd probably hold onto it just in case...but i've got lenses i don't really use, so that's probably not the best idea

I will keep it I use it for indoor Basketball

Here are two examples from this fall. Both shots were with my 100mm L macro on my 5D. Shooting outdoor I am not quite as concerned with the lenses I have currently, its when I get in doors with low light where I feel I need more options for my 5D to which I love how it handles low light and iso compared to my 7D. As I move forward I see myself picking up my 5D for portrait and my 7D I will continue to use for my wildlife. So all my EF-S glass I want to replace with EF glass preferably primes. I love to move around to get my perspective rather then zoom.

Glass I will continue to use on my 7D markII and 5D
Sigma 150-600 sport
Canon 100-400
Canon 85mm 1.8 (my indoor sports go to glass)
Canon 100mm 2.8L macro


EF-S glass I am looking to sell
Sigma 18-35mm Art
Sigma 50-100mm Art