Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned portrait photographer looking for a new Canon portrait lens this video is a great resource. Join wedding & portrait photographer and Canon Explorer of Light Vanessa Joy, as she discusses portrait photography, the differences between the Canon RF85mm F2 Macro IS STM and the Canon RF50mm F1.8 STM lens, and some tips for taking portraits in a natural light setting.
RF50mm F1.8 STM:
RF85mm F2 Macro IS STM:
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Comments
22 responses to “Canon Portrait Lenses for Natural Light Photography”
Great video, very helpful! I really enjoyed the images used with the 85mm!
* Side note would love to know where and what camera strap you’re using??
Thanks for sharing !! Have you tried these lenses on a crop RF like the R7 as example? If so, what. did you find?
85 to 100 mm lenses are good for portraits as demonstrated here. These longer lens have more blur in the background thus placing attention on the subject although the photographer must pay more attention to where the zone of sharp focus is. Also, when the subject's face fills 50% of the frame, the 85 mm is more flattering to the facial form than a 50 mm lens. With any new lens, the photographer should check his setup for vignetting at the corners before going on a shoot. A long lens hood may be a mismatch and darken the corners of the image. A lens hood does help minimize stray, off axis light, from entering the lens and bouncing off the barrel to fog the image, although professional grade lenses do take care with internal design to minimize this problem. (I once had an inexpensive 200 mm lens that was terrible in this regard.)
By the way, I did like the way this photographer posed and handled these children. She's great!
Thank you so much Mrs. Joy.
Actually becoming a big fan of the 50mm 1.4 now that I have a camera body with eye focus (R6 mkii) I had previously used my 5D mkiii and the 1.4 at 1.4 would produce soft focus (probably because I was moving and the focus point didn't!).
** I own the Canon 6D Mark II DSLR with a 50mm lens, and I just added the Canon 85mm L lens. It's a great combinations and thanks for the tips **
Awesome video!
Very nice comparisons. Well done. I have a 85mm f1.2 and a 50mm f1.2 with my 5DMIV, and use them similarly. I am wondering if I should get lenses made for the mirrorless cameras when I get one. Cheers.
Vanessa, this is great. Thanks for it. Kiddos are crazy cute!
Can you tell me what camera bag you're using there?
Thanks,
Mary
General rule of thumb for me, 50-85 for full body, 85-135 for torso, 135-200 for headshot. 50 is also great for environmental portraits.
Can u post this again as an actual video it doesn’t show up in my history plz thanx your little girl is pretty
I recognize the two little ones but, who’s the big one 😂😂😂. Not a kiddo
Nice family video!
the 50 is $100 on BH right now with a coupon code. the value for the money is unbeatable
It’s always good to see you photograph but the love for the family is great. blessings!
I have them both. The 85mm is perfect for headshots. Next up is the 70-200mm.
Anyone can take a picture but you need skills to edit.
The lens is ok but Vanessa is good at editing
I have no problem supporting you Vanessa you help me a long time ago. I’m just one little photographer, but you took the time out to reply to my messages and I’m truly grateful for that. Thank you again and Great Job video!
Thanks for sharing!!! another great example to demonstrate that we do not need the most expensive equipment to get outstanding photos. Have you ever used the 85 mm Macro to photograph wedding rings?
I've see some photos of wedding rings with the 85 Macro and they look fantastic
Cool comparison! I have the 50mm and love how light it is. And I didn’t realize that the 85mm in this line had image stabilization!
Great reviews. Beautiful ladies. Beautiful shots! Thanks Vanessa.