Best portrait lens on Reddit

272 reviews from r/fujifilm, r/canon, r/M43 and 16 more subreddits

272 reviews from

and

By Brand

By Product

Canon

4.6

(58)

"Skip Rf lenses and go for EF lenses. 135 f2.0, 85 1.8, , sigma 50 1.4 (skip the canon version)."

"I use the old EF 85mm F1.8 for portraits and it's perfect for me."

"They’re both super cheap and really sharp."

"It is an improvement of any previous ef macros with better color and contrast."

"Sharp, small, lightweight, and good value for money."

"I have an RF 50mm F1.8, which goes for ~200 £$€ and I love it."

"It's incredibly sharp, and fast enough you can get great background separation."

"Get an L prime, either the 50 or the 85 1.2."

"I love my plastic fantastic canon 50mm f/1.8"

"The 85 f1.2 I’d say would be the best."

Sigma

4.6

(52)

"Sigma 85 1.4 art with adapter."

"Very crisp where it focuses and very smooth outside of that."

"Signs art 85 1.4 with converter."

"The Sigma is unbelievable for the price if you can find it used."

"I use my Sigma 50mm ART about 99% of the time."

"Is top."

"Sigma 18-35 f/1.8 should be your way to go imo."

"18-35/1.8 is probably the best option. Not too expensive either."

"If you want a classic focal length for portraits: Sigma 56mm f/1.4."

"I use the Sigma 135/1.8, very pleased with it."

Fujifilm

4.6

(43)

"50 f1, 90 f2."

"Xf 56mm 1.2 (85mm equivalent) ….it’s pure magic"

"50 f/1 makes me want to switch to Fuji X. Wonderfull lens."

"Third in my list is 90mm f2."

"56mm f/1.2 R WR is very good."

"For me it is the 50mm F1.0 that gives me the warm and fuzzies!"

"90mm F2 is my favourite."

"Fujifilm XF 56mm F/1.2 R WR."

"Fujifilm XF 50mm F/1.0."

"People swear by the XF 90MM F2 and the 56mm f/1.2 R WR."

Viltrox

4.3

(34)

"I would recommend the viltrox 56mm 1.4 it's a super fast and low cost lens."

"Objectively, to my knowledge, the Viltrox 75mm F/1.2 is the current champion."

"Viltrox 75 1.2"

"Fanatic lens and less than half of any Fuji stuff I love it."

"I bought the Viltrox 75 f1.2 and I am in awe of the quality it delivers for that price."

"I'd seen enough reviews... I was freaking blown away by what an amazing lens it was."

"It's absolutely beautiful but i'd like a 56mm tbh for just a bit more flexibility in composition"

"The viltrox pro line is just dumb good."

"I've been using the Viltrox 85mm 1.8 for a while and it's great."

"I would go for the Viltrox 75mm though!"

Nikon

4.5

(27)

"Definitely the 50mm."

"Nifty fifty should be every aspiring portrait photographers first lens."

"The 105/2.5 is too legendary to not mention."

"On that camera, the 50mm f/1.8g is a brilliant focal length for portraits."

"For a crop body a 1.8 50 mm or a 1.8 85 mm would work either."

"Is the best option of these 3."

"It's a fantastic lens, compact for travel."

"Is freakin’ excellent."

"The 85 1.8 is my favourite z lens."

"Z 85mm 1.8 S first. Upgrade your 50mm to the Z when finances allow."

Olympus

4.4

(17)

"The olympus and it's a classic, always surprises me."

"Olympus 45. Compact, sharp. Excellent lens."

"I got my Olympus 45mm f/1.8 for 169 brand new with cashback. It is worth every penny."

"The Olympus M.Zuiko 45mm f1.8 is on the cheaper side (used as low as $100-ish) and makes great portraits especially for the price."

"Olympus 45 1.8 is one of the pinnacle lenses in m4/3. Outstanding image quality, size and price."

"I love my M. Zuiko 45mm F/1.8—and you can get one for only like $160."

"The only three m43 lenses I really use are the oly 45 1.8 and Panasonic 20mm 1.7."

"It's a great lens for portraits and pretty cheap if I remember correctly."

"I prefer the Olympus, because the focal length feels more natural to compose with to me."

"The 45mm f1.8 is also a good choice but less versatile."

N/A

4.3

(8)

"ITS THE ABSOLUTE BEST FOR ME"

"I agree with the other recommendations here for getting her an 85mm lens."

"85 is the go to length for portraits."

"Gives a 50mm look. Fast and lightweight."

"Whichever the best 50mm prime you can afford is."

"Some of them make stupendous portrait lenses."

"The 80mm is just about right."

"Many people would disagree and say it's not long enough but it's the most flexible."

Panasonic

4.4

(5)

"I'd always recommend the Panasonic 42.5 1.7 if you're on a Panasonic body."

"The Lumix 42.5mm f/1.7 is an easy recommendation."

"The Olympus 45/1.8 or Panasonic 42.5/1.7 will do the trick."

"The Lumix 42.5 1.7 and Olympus 45mm 1.8 are the typical standard portrait length."

"I love that lens it takes gorgeous shots."

unknown

4.5

(4)

"Seriously consider buying it as it’s a spectacular lens"

"Get the fastest and sexiest 35 you can afford"

"The telephoto compression and smooth bokeh balls make for lovely portraits."

"The 50 1.4 does not have either of these problems when used."

#10

Samyang

4.3

(4)

"Samyang XP 85mm f/1.2"

"Very good if you get a good copy. Ive had two. one was balls the other is amazing"

"That lens is insane and can even rival a rf 85 1.2 in the open field."

"I've personally been rocking the Samyang XP 85mm f/1.2 for my portrait work."

#11

Sigma 56mm f/1.4

4.0

(3)

"The special thing about the Sigma which makes it so sought after is that, even though its just f1.4, the FL is longer than the 42.5 and 45mm f1.2 lenses."

"Sigma will render more classically expected portraits with its longer focal length and faster aperture."

"Sigma always felt a bit long for my shooting style and it was clinically sharp in a way that I didn’t like."

#12

85mm F/1.4

5.0

(2)

"85 more than 50 but I could shoot a 50 almost all day."

"For portraits specifically? An 85mm 1.4."

#13

Leica

4.0

(2)

"However for travel and convenience, I would also highly recommend the 50 dual range with removable goggles."

"Might not get the compression you’re looking for, but the 50mm summicron DR can close focus to 0.5m that might be a good option for portraiture."

#14

Canon RF

3.5

4.0

(1)

"Why not look for a 85mm f/1.4 AF Nikkor F mount and use the FTZ Adapter?"

#25

Schneider

4.0

(1)

"I have a Schneider summer 210 5.6 that I really like for portraits."

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