Nikon lens advice>>>>>>>(plz)

[lancemountain]

<div>Hello!</div><div> </div><div>What would be recommended for portrait shots?</div><div> </div><div>Thinking of the Nikkor 85mm. Am I on the right path here?</div>

[Landscaper]

If you have a film camera, that or a 105mm would be excellent portrait lenses. However, if you have a DSLR, then you might want to consider a 50mm, which will function like a 75mm on your Nikon DSLR. That's on the short end of the portrait range, but the 85mm will equate to 127mm on a film camera, and that's generally thought to be a little longer than ideal for portraits.<br><div></div>

[dinged]

The 85 MM f1.8 is widely regarded as an excellent portrait lens. Its focal length is a drawback only if you have no room to back up for a photo.<br><div></div>

[lancemountain]

<div>Thanks dudes!</div><div> </div><div>I have a D80, so digital. I also have a sigma 50mm <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sigmaphoto.com/lenses/lenses_all_details.asp?id=3252&amp;navigator=5">http://www.sigmaphoto.com/lenses/lenses_all_details.asp?id=3252&amp;navigator=5</a> that I don't find to be good, cause I gotta get to close of there is too much crap in the shot that I don't want there.</div><div> </div><div>Any suggestions? </div>

[lancemountain]

<div></div><div><br><blockquote><div><hr>dinged wrote:<br>The 85 MM f1.8 is widely regarded as an excellent portrait lens. Its focal length is a drawback only if you have no room to back up for a photo.<br><div></div><br><hr></div></blockquote><br><div>Please expain what you are saying if you could :) Are you saying the shooter would need to be far from the subject?</div></div>

[RABaker]

<div><blockquote><div><hr>dinged wrote:<br>The 85 MM f1.8 is widely regarded as an excellent portrait lens. Its focal length is a drawback only if you have no room to back up for a photo.<br><div></div><br><hr><br>Please expain what you are saying if you could <img border="0" width="16" height="16" src="http://forums.popphoto.com/i/smilies/16x16_smiley-happy.gif"> Are you saying the shooter would need to be far from the subject?</div></blockquote><div> </div><div>What Dinged meant was that in order to get the same image content (say - head &amp; shoulders) you will have to be somewhat farther back with the 85mm vs. the 50mm. If you get the image content you want at 6' with the 50mm, you will need to be about 10' away for the same content with the 85mm. The distance factor between these 2 lenses is 1.7 - arrived at by dividing the 85mm focal length by 50mm. This added distance often works to put the subject more at ease - and sometimes the photographer also prefers to be a little farther away. </div><div> </div><div>Good luck,</div><div>Richard Baker</div></div>

[zapp]

Backing up changes perspectice which is the reason why people prefer a certain focal length. Everything between 70 and 105 mm is typically used for protraits with 35 mm film, but even longer or shorter focal lengths may be used with great success. The 1.8/85 is a pretty good portrait lens.<br><div></div>

[pixeldawg]

<DIV></DIV>
<DIV><BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV>
<HR>
zapp wrote:<BR>Backing up changes perspectice which is the reason why people prefer a certain focal length. Everything between 70 and 105 mm is typically used for protraits with 35 mm film, but even longer or shorter focal lengths may be used with great success. The 1.8/85 is a pretty good portrait lens.<BR>
<DIV></DIV><BR>
<HR>
</DIV>
<DIV>This also greatly depends on the composition you're using for the image as well. Generally, when people speak of "Portraits" and "Portrait lenses" they mean a head and shoulders shot. Generally speaking, the 70-105 focal length is desirable because it gives the subject correct proportions. Even on digital, I still use this range for head and shoulders shots and find little, if any difference between these images and film shots using the same focal lengths. Also, this "range" was decided upon because it's twice the focal length needed for covering the diagonal area for 35mm film, which can again go back to the most desirable perspective for the image. If I were to buy a lens strictly for portraits it would be either the 85mm or the 105mm. Of the two, I would gravitate toward the 105mm simply because you can do more with it, since it's an excellent macro lens as well.</DIV></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>
<DIV></DIV></DIV>

[hlesterjerome]

<div>You may want to take a look at Sigma's 70mm 2.8 macro also.</div>

[moltogordo]

I used a Nikkor 85mm f2 on a Nikon F3 as my main portrait lens for 25 years. There is nothing better, anywhere. If I was to buy a specific portrait lens for a Nikon digital camera I would buy the 85mm Nikkor, or the 70mm Sigma f2.8 macro. There is nothing better, anywhere.<br><div></div>