chiron
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duncang wrote:
I don't shoot people much and was wondering lens folks would recommend for people shots, typically indoors but also in outdoor settings. Mostly portraits rather than groups.
The 24-105f4 is great but I prefer the 85f1.8 because it gives more separation. However it is a bit long for use indoors.
So options I am thinking about are the 24-70f2.8 or 50f1.8 or 35f1.8. The f1.4s are a little overkill for me.
The 24-105 is about as big physically as I would be prepared to go - it seems the 24-70f2.8 is much the same size and weight.
Another option is the Tamron 35-150 f2-f2.8 - I have the 70-200f2.8 - and I think both will be too big physically to be unobtrusive for this type of use.
So I am undecided over the 35/50 or the 24-70. I think that perhaps the lack of flexibility of the primes may be a pain in the *rs* long term and I will end up regretting trying to use the primes.
On the other hand the 50mm is so cheap it probably doesn't matter and might well prove to be better than the 85, at least indoors.
Will I find the primes to inflexible or can one 'make do', and if so which is the better focal length to use.
Thanks
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The lens/camera combination that I currently prefer for my own family pictures is the Sony 40/2.5 G mounted on an A7CII body. In what follows, I am thinking of pictures of one's own family--if you are talking about paid shoots of other people's families, then the following advice is probably not pertinent for you.
The 40/2.5 G is a very fine lens optically with very lovely rendering. It is wide enough to capture group interactions indoors but does not distort faces/bodies as much as a 35mm is prone to do, and so it can be effectively used for individual portraits that appear natural but have also have contour and unflattened space. It focuses quickly and quietly. I personally prefer a prime for candid social situations because I find the endless adjusting of a zoom tends to make me pay too much attention to the lens and not enough to the very fleeting moments and expressions that make a family picture more than a snapshot. I save my zooms for landscapes and other images whose subjects don't change quickly.
The 40/2.5 G is also a very small and light lens, which makes it ideal for mounting on a smaller camera body. In my experience, family members really do find a smaller lens/body less intrusive and less intimidating than larger gear, and the smallness/lightness makes it easy for you to keep it with you and to take along as family activities unfold. Mounted on an A7CII, the lens/body combination is small, light, has very fast and reliable autofocus, smooth handling, excellent colors, is good at higher ISOs, and gives a healthy sized file.
I do vary my lenses and cameras for family shooting, but this is the combination I have been happiest with and have gotten excellent candid shots from.
I also like the 50/2.5 G, which has similar characteristics but, obviously, is tighter and brings you in more intimately. But the 50/2.5 G is a bit more limited in framing indoor shots. The Samyang 45/1.8 tiny lens, right between the other two in terms of FOV, is also very much worth considering, especially for it lovely rendering and wider aperture. I use it pretty much interchangeably with the 40/2.5 G, especially when the light is more likely to be dim. These three on the A7CII are my current favorites for family pictures.
Edited on Feb 10, 2024 at 10:18 AM · View previous versions
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(the size/weight is still reasonable though).