Introduction:
When selecting a lens for portrait photography, you can consider the Aperture, Distortion, Focal length, and the preferred F-stop between f/1.8 and f/2.8. This will give you an expected background blur if capturing the portrait images.
The selection of lenses can impact the quality and style of portrait shots in several ways. In this article, we are discussing the best Canon lens for portraits.
What Is The Portrait Photography?
Portrait photography is a technique to capture a photo of a person or a group of people to express something about their uniqueness or personality.
There are three main types of Portrait photography. Environmental portraits, Candid portraits, and creative portraits.
Which Is The Best Canon Lens For Portraits?
Below are the best Canon lenses for portrait photography:
1. Canon 50mm F/1.8 STM
2. Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM
3. Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM
1. Canon 50mm F/1.8 STM Lens:
Canon 50mm F/1.8 STM lens is one of the best Canon lenses for portraits. It is a small, compact, and lightweight lens yet it has tremendous results for portrait photography.
The Focal length of a 50mm lens makes it a brand for portraits. It is the best Canon lens for portraits in the family of Canon.
Related article: Nikon D7500- 20.9MP SLRCamera With 51 Autofocus Points
2. Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM:
The primary objective of a lens is to enhance the image quality and Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM lens is designed to take the quality to a new level. The lens is useful for clicking every single image with sharpness and clarity. It ensures the fast autofocus feature while shooting a video with the help of a built-in ultrasonic motor.
Bokeh is essential for capturing beautiful photos and adding depth to your images in portrait photography. Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM lens offers you an exceptional Bokeh effect to enhance image quality.
3. Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM
The Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM is a superb zoom lens designed to help photographers get the shot they are looking for.
Whether you are a professional or casual photographer, the 24-70mm lens is a one-size-fits-all type of lens. It is an excellent lens for portrait photos, getting photos of friends and family, landscape photos, and events.
How To Select The Best Canon Lens For Portraits?
When selecting the best Canon lens for portraits, you must have to check the below features and components:
1. Focal Length:
The Focal length of a lens determines the field of view and the depth of field. A smaller focal length has a wider field of view, and a longer focal length comes with a smaller field of view and higher magnification.
2. Aperture:
The aperture is the size of the opening in the camera lens that controls the amount of light that passes through the lens onto the image sensor.
The aperture also controls how much of the image is in focus and how much of the background is blurry.
The best aperture for portraits is f/2-f/2.8 for portraits of one person, f/2-f/3.2 for portraits with a couple, and f/4 for group portrait photography.
3. Image quality:
A high-quality lens can capture a sufficient amount of light for taking sharper images, and it offers better control over depth of field.
4. ISO Sensitivity:
ISO Sensitivity is a standard set by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) that represents sensitivity to light with a number. The ISO sensitivity varies according to the weather conditions.
A good ISO for a sunny day with lots of light is between 100 to 200. For cloudy days or indoor shots, it is suggested to adjust to 400 ISO. For indoors without an external light, 800 ISO is recommended.
Tips To Click Images With The Best Canon Lens For Portraits:
1. Use low ISO settings:
For the best portrait photography, you need to know all the camera settings very well. Keep the ISO settings to a lower number to minimize the noise and use Aperture Priority mode to choose your f-stop manually.
2. Light conditions:
Sun is the natural source of light and light is the most essential requirement for portrait photography. Portrait photos could give outstanding results in the daytime. Portrait photography at night could be tough because of low light and you need to attach a flash.
So, favorable light conditions play an essential role in portrait photography.
3. Choosing a proper lens:
As discussed above, A 50mm or 85mm lens is a good choice for portrait photography. Whereas the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM is a good alternative for timeless portraits.
4. Use A Tripod:
A tripod is useful when the subject and you are steady. It doesn’t shake the camera while capturing the photo.
5. Aperture:
The best aperture for portraits is f/2-f/2.8 for portraits of one person, f/2-f/3.2 for portraits with a couple, and f/4 for group portrait photography.
6. Shutter Speed:
The shutter speed should be at least 1/200th handheld or 1/15th on a tripod for capturing the images of any fast objects.
7. ISO:
An ISO should be a minimum if the shutter speed is high. So adjust the ISO settings according to the need of photography.
To get the best results, use all the settings in Manual mode. Use camera settings according to the lighting conditions.
Conclusion:
If you apply these tips and settings to your portrait photography, you will see progress in your photography. You will observe an overall improvement in the technical qualities and your photography skills.
Finally, The best Canon lens for portraits needs the Best Portrait Camera.