Best zoom lens for portraits

What would be the best zoom lens for portraiture on an outdoor location?

I tend to use primes for portraits (85mm f/1.2 or 50mm f/1.2) if not available I would go for my 24-70 f/2.8

24-70 is pretty good in the right hands, 70-200 2.8 is too. Personally I'd go the prime route for portraits if it's in a controlled setting.

like jo said.70-200mm 2.8,prime much better =)

Well... if you're absolutely insisting on a zoom then I'd guess the 70-200 f/2.8 would be as good as any. But like everyone else has said so far, a fast prime would be preferable, 85mm L would be the best closely followed by the 135mm L.

I'd try 50mm f\1.4 because of the price. With a crop body the focal distance isn't too bad either. But mentioned earlier, outdoors gives you a greater amount of area to move around in, so I'd lean towards more length such as the 85mm f\1.8

try using the new 55-250 IS lens......at least u got something wider than the 70 and a descent zoom

lindagorin wrote in post #4865173
What would be the best zoom lens for portraiture on an outdoor location?

WHAT CAMERA do you want a lens for?

Nobody can properly recommend a focal length for a task without knowing the format of the camera body. "Format" refers to the size of the film frame or digital sensor in the camera.

You should ignore all the responses that did not include a camera format along with the lens recommendation.

A question about the 85mm. I'm considering one for a full-frame camera. Considering the larger sensor crop, would a 100mm work better as a portrait lens? /Dan

Anything 50mm and upwards on a crop body is good for portraits.

SkipD wrote in post #4869148
WHAT CAMERA do you want a lens for?

Nobody can properly recommend a focal length for a task without knowing the format of the camera body. "Format" refers to the size of the film frame or digital sensor in the camera.

You should ignore all the responses that did not include a camera format along with the lens recommendation.

neil_r wrote in post #4865197
I tend to use primes for portraits (85mm f/1.2 or 50mm f/1.2) if not available I would go for my 24-70 f/2.8

Don't ignore that one, as in answers to your question I told you what I use and I know what cameras and crop sizes I have.

I just love my Tamron 28-75 F/2.8 for portraiture..