Which lens is better for sharp full-body portraits on full frame: 50mm f/1.8 or 85mm f/1.8?
Asked 6/3/2018
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I shoot full-body portraits on a full-frame camera and currently have both a 50mm f/1.8 and an 85mm f/1.8. If I want the subject to look sharp while still getting some background blur, will one lens give noticeably better sharpness or bokeh than the other? Since I would need to stand farther back with the 85mm for the same framing, would I need to stop down more to keep the whole person sharp?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
8y ago
2 Answers
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If you want more depth of field in your subject, stand further away, &/or close the aperture.
The added distance will mean the 'percentage' of distances from front to back of your subject will be less, increasing apparent DoF, at the expense of your subject taking up less of the frame.
If you want more bokeh with that setting, separate the background from the subject by a greater distance.
You can't really have both at once.
Longer focal length will give a shorter DoF for a given distance. Shorter focal length will give you a wider background.
I don't have the math to calculate what the actual difference would be. I'd try both & see which you prefer.
Originally by user57929. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user57929
8y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
For the same full-body framing on the same full-frame camera, a 50mm and 85mm at f/1.8 will give very similar depth of field because you must stand farther back with the 85mm. The longer focal length by itself reduces DoF, but the greater shooting distance increases it, and those effects mostly cancel out.
So neither lens is automatically “sharper” for full-body portraits just because of focal length. If you need more of the person in focus, the main fixes are to stand farther back and/or stop down the aperture.
If you want stronger background blur, increase the distance between subject and background. That usually matters more than choosing 50mm vs 85mm for the same composition.
Practical takeaway: use the focal length that gives you the perspective and working distance you prefer, then adjust aperture for how much of the subject you want sharp. Try both and compare the look of the background and framing.
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