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Posted by Doug Clifford on August 03, 1999 at 08:39:20:
In Reply to: Lens choice posted by Joe on August 03, 1999 at 06:13:57:
: I have a Canon eosa2e and 2 different lenses. One is a 75-300 Zoom, while the other is a 28-80 zoom. 3.5 I would like to do some portraits of the wife but as I read on I see I should have gotten a fixed 85 mm with 1.8? Is there anything I can do with the lenses I have now. I want a narrow depth of field to blur the background. I bet everyone is gonna say get a fixed lens right? Please help
Joe,
There really isn't much difference between using your f/3.5 28-80
zoom at the 80mm setting and using an 85mm f/1.8 lens - except
that the single focal length lens has a much larger maximum
aperture (hence a greater ability to work in lower light levels
and somewhat less depth-of-field than the f/3.5 lens. You can
reduce the depth-of-field by using the 28-80 zoom at it's
greatest focal length (80mm), it's largest maximum aperture
(f/3.5) and by getting close to the subject. (The rule is, the
closer you are to the subject, the more shallow the depth of
field is.) I recommend using the 28-80 lens for portraits because
of it's favorable weight when compared with your larger lens and
the ability to use it handheld with slower minimum shutter
speeds. (The rule here is 1/focal length of lens is the slowest
handheld shutter speed you should be using - in this case 1/80
puts you between 1/60 and 1/125 of a second - I'd choose using
1/125 to reduce the risk of camera shake.
The reason photographers prefer using the 85mm focal length for portraits is it produces the most flattering rendition of the human face, slightly compressing prominent features like long noses and jutting chins. Also a short telephoto lens allows you to do a close-up of a person's face without invading their space. I would only recommend buying a single focal length 85mm lens if you plan on shooting lots of portraits. I do indeed have an 85mm f/1.8 lens (Canon FD manual focus) and I love using it, but you can do quite well with the equipment you already have. Many photographers obsess over the equipment they don't have while failing to fully take advantage of the equipment they already own.
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