Canon 85mm f/1.8

I like to shoot portraits (especially close ups) indoors when the light is not that great. Of course, I use some artificial light, but nothing major. Is a 85mm good enough for this? I take outdoors portraits quite often too, but I need something to take care of the indoors as well. Any suggestions?

Thanks.

Good enough? It takes sharp pictures with good colour. Mine's quite sharp even wide open.

How are you measuring good enough? It's nowhere near as flexible as a 24-70, for example. For a short tele prime that's a convenient length for headshots and shoulders on a 1.6x or wider on a FF (YMMV, that's my experience) it's great.

What do you shoot with? More info!

Since you mentioned indoor, I think 50mm is better for your purpose. In my experience, 85mm is too long for indoor shooting, although it is a better lens than 50mm.

Jim G wrote in post #5527998
Good enough? It takes sharp pictures with good colour. Mine's quite sharp even wide open.

How are you measuring good enough? It's nowhere near as flexible as a 24-70, for example. For a short tele prime that's a convenient length for headshots and shoulders on a 1.6x or wider on a FF (YMMV, that's my experience) it's great.

What do you shoot with? More info!

I shoot with a super amateur camera, an Olympus D560Z. I started a thread yesterday on my intention to move on to a semi - professional camera with lenses. I am currently oscillating between a XSi and a XTi. I'm mostly a portraitist photographer and initially I decided to buy a 50mm f/1.4, but a lot of people made better suggestions: 85mm 1.8 and 60mm 2.8 macro.

I really need to know if the 85mm (the lens I favor at the moment, though the 60mm sounds tempting as well) can deliver the same sharpness and IQ if the light is not that great. I'm really a novice in this matter and your advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks

swidjaja wrote in post #5528012
Since you mentioned indoor, I think 50mm is better for your purpose. In my experience, 85mm is too long for indoor shooting, although it is a better lens than 50mm.

Hmm...thank you. I just might end up buying both, but I need to know whether there is a lens to cover for both needs.

Given you main needs are for indoor portraiture in natural light, fast primes are the way to go. You are looking at crop cameras, so in my opinion you will get the most benefit from lenses in the 28-35mm range, and 50mm. The 85mm lens is an excellent choice but unless you have a fair amount of room to back up, you may find it is too long for indoor use.

Faster lenses are best, so I would suggest Sigma 30mm f/1.4 ; Canon or sigma ( not released yet) 50mm f/1.4 - of these two, the Sigma promises HSM and better build quality - to start with. the 85mm is a lens that I want, but have left for the time being, having opted for a 100mm macro for now. the 85 can wait.

For outdoor portraiture, I prefer my 70-200 f/4 which is a stunning lens, the f/4 isn't an issue outdoors, and indoors with a properly bounced and diffused flash the results are excellent too.

I would also suggest getting a decent walk-about zoom lens, primes are somewhat limiting for many people's tastes for general use. The new 18-55 EF-S IS lens is an excellent starter lens, having image stabilisation at an excellent price, and having improved optics over its predecessors.

If you have more cash to spend, the 17-55 f/2.8 IS lens is probably the best walk about lens for a crop camera.

Regarding a body, unles there is a major saving to be made, go for the XSi / 450D - it is a significant step up on the XTi, especially if you take a bundled offer that includes the 18-55 IS kit lens.

Agree with Steve. I have all three (30, 50, 85) and use mostly 30mm indoor and 85mm outdoor. 50mm always stays at home. Of course if money is not an issue I would get 35L

An 85mm f1.8 lens is the best bargain Canon has to offer. The lens is spectacular.

If you can wait a few months, it might help to try out Sigma's 50/1.4.

This is EF 85 f/1.8 @ 1.8 on 30D, taken from about 170 cm. RAW, sharpened for print.

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Define 'Close ups' because as much as I love the 85 f/1.8 the Minimal Focus Distance is rather very poor.

30/50/85 on a cropped body, 50/85/135 full frame. I'd give up the 30/50 before I gave up the 85. I absolutely love the focal length on both full frame and crops, and the 85 1.8 is by far and away my favourite portrait lens.

Tack sharp, mind-blowing autofocus, great bokeh, and cheap. You can't go wrong. If I could have only one lens for all bodies, it'd be an 85mm lens. Unusual, I know, but I love the focal length that much. It's good for more than portraits too - this one was taken today when walking around, check out the sharpness, colour, contrast, and bokeh.

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/perryge/2495102​944/

I am using a 50/1.4 + 100/2.8 (macro) combo. 50 for indoors and 100 for outdoors.

I feel 50 mm is the right focal length for me for indoor portraits. It gives more flexibility than the 85 because it is possible to do tight portraits by getting closer to the subject and wider portraits by moving away. My only complaint would be the somewhat slow AF.
The 85 has a faster AF, but FL is most important parameter in my opinion and AF is not too bad.

The 100 macro works great outdoors.

While the 85/1.8 is a terrific lens I also find it a bit long for general indoor use. I own a 50/1.8 and regret that purchase. Should have gone with the 1.4.

I own both the 50 mm/1.8 and the 85 mm/1.8. I get better pictures from the 85. For me that's the bottom line.