When it comes to portrait photography, most people will reach for a lens with a focal length between about 85mm and 135mm, maybe a little longer or wider for certain applications or creative exploration. But there is no rule that says portrait photography has to be shot at those focal lengths; you can easily push into more extreme options for a bit of fun and creative invigoration. This short video will show you some of what you can create when shooting portraits with a supertelephoto zoom lens.
Coming to you from Miguel Quiles, this fun video follows him as he shoots portraits with a Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens. Shooting with these ultra-long focal lengths can produce some very interesting images, as telephoto compression is at its extreme and facial geometry is rendered in a unique manner. Perhaps the trickiest part is simply the working distance. I have shot portraits at 200mm, and that can be a bit of challenge, especially in a busy or noisy environment. Shooting at 600mm, I might have to employ a pair of two-way radios! Certainly, in a genre in which interaction with your subject is paramount, it will require some careful adjustments to your approach, but if you can pull that off, you will be rewarded with a fun experience and interesting images. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Quiles.
I'm with you, I use a 200-500mm for most of my landscapes, love the look and the unique perspective. I was concerned with using a smaller aperture for portraits but as you point out, studio portraits like the range offered up by a super telephoto. Will give it a try, thank you!
Excuse the interruption on subject, not a pro portrait just a walkabout photographer capturing what catches the eye. The FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS and the A7RV or any camera it is on will give great DOF and bokeh/blur fore and aft. As I look at Youtube videos talking up lenses and the cameras they are on I have to just wonder at results. Everyone talks about the widest aperture giving the best everything. Reality is it is all about focus area used, a small square at the center will get it everytime! The 200-600 even using the 2X teleconverter and in APS-C = 1800mm gives great narrow DOF and with eye AF for most anything will get the sharpest image at 200 yards or all by itself (like what you were doing) at close range. The donkey image was with the 24-240 in APS-C 36-360 at 360 the same happens (this would be a lighter lens. The 70-200 f/2.8 is another favorite. To help with the 200-600 please use the the bracket when holding for support not hanging from the camera. There are two anchor points on each side use a little red device looped in them, you then can use a camera strap but the best for a long walkabout is a heavy duty binocular harness attached to those loops and a bungee cord attached to waist belt and lens bracket - You become the tipod with little overall effort. This will let the lens lay on your chest with camera attached and at the ready and yes a tall walking stick with a arca swiss plate on top so you can again us the foot bracket to steady in place. Also the lens is white for cooling in the sun but camo skins will cool more and will not make you a target for two legged wildlife. The handiest is a photographers vest with lots of pockets but instead of in a gear bag and on your chest the camera/lens can be under the vest. You can even get in and out your car not stopping to store in a bag having two legged wildlife come from behind. And as always have a can of bear spray on a rope good for gators/bear and two legged things.
Again small square focus point at center of frame or on a face with most any lens will give the blur balls everyone wants.
One of my favourite portrait lenses might be a bit of a surprise. It's 1,000mm equivalent reach! The amazing OM Zuiko 500mm ƒ/8 on Micro Four Thirds lets you do "stealth portraiture."
Although 13lbs is nothing to sneeze at I do like what the original Canon 400mm f2.8L does with portraits, heres one with that and one with the less amazing 200mm f1.8L.