In portrait photography, the lens you choose is crucial to capturing the essence and emotion of your subject. This decision influences everything from the depth of field and bokeh to the sharpness and overall mood of the image, underscoring the importance of selecting the right lens to match your artistic vision and technical needs.
Coming to you from Lindsay Adler Photography, this enlightening video provides an expert breakdown of Canon's popular RF lenses, focusing on which ones are best suited for portrait photography. Adler, a renowned portrait and fashion photographer, explores the nuances of the RF 85mm f/1.2, RF 24-105mm f/2.8 and f/4, and the RF 70-200mm f/2.8, detailing how each lens can enhance different aspects of portrait work. She emphasizes the significance of considering personal style, technical requirements, and budget when selecting a lens. Adler's insights are particularly valuable for photographers seeking to refine their gear to better align with their creative goals, highlighting the trade-offs between versatility, image quality, and cost.
Adler also touches on practical scenarios where each lens excels, from the RF 85mm f/1.2's superior bokeh and aperture, ideal for close-ups and low-light situations, to the versatility of the RF 24-105mm for those who rapidly shift between shooting styles or environments. Her analysis extends to the RF 70-200mm lens, celebrated for its ability to produce tightly cropped beauty shots and its usefulness in compressing subjects against backgrounds in outdoor settings. The discussion is not just a technical overview but a strategic guide for photographers to make informed decisions based on their specific needs, whether in studio settings, on location, or during events like weddings. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Adler.
If you would like to continue learning about the art of portraiture, be sure to check out our range of tutorials on the subject in the Fstoppers store.
This is easy ... dont choose Canon RF lens, choose 3rd party RF lens ... wait you cant because Canon has lost the plot and have no idea how many people dont choose Canon anymore.
After dozens of post’ after a lot of reviews’ I often think of switching- because Canon is almost impossible in this field when it comes to lenses
I use my 85mm 1.4 EF lens with an adapter. I thought about switching to the RF 1.2 but I mainly shoot in studio and never use 1.2 and it's such a heavier lens. Not worth a tiny bit of sharpness for those tradeoffs plus the insane cost. https://www.markschoenfelt.com/cape-coral-headshot-photographer