ideal focal length for portrait or model shoot?

siron · 6th June 2002

What is ideal focal length for portrait or model shoot??
Anyone can tell me?

Jed · 6th June 2002

There is no ideal really. There are popular focal lengths, but again this varies from the type of portrait you are taking, and from photographer to photographer, and again from subject to subject.

I am not being funny when I say everything from fisheye through to 600mm would be commonly used in the professional arena. Any of the superteles make great fashion lenses. Any of the short, particularly the short and fast, teles are also popular. The 50 is a big staple, and the 20 sees a lot of use as well.

Lennier · 6th June 2002

There isn't any 'ideal' focal length for portraiture. It really depends on what you want to achieve. That said, the common focal lengths however, that most people invariably use, would fall between the 85-135mm range outdoors for full to half body crop shots, and at least a 180mm for a tight head crop shot.

Personally, I use my 85mm as often as my 20mm, the only 2 lenses I find useful for the portraiture I do.

The 85mm allows me to maintain a closer distance between myself and the model, to facilitate communication.

The 20mm allows expansive environmental portraits, which appeals more to me than the usual head and shoulders shot.

roygoh · 6th June 2002

I believe we can help siron further by explaining the effects of using different focal lengths for portrait shots.

For example, if you use wide angle lens for head and shoulder shot, you end up getting more perspective distortion that may not be the desired effect.

Another thing to consider would be DOF. Telephotos have shallower DOF that will help in isolating the subject from the background.

So even though there are no ideal focal length for portraits, that does not mean you can just grab any lens for any type of portraits.

Please add to the list. Thanks!

6th June 2002	#1
siron Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: somewhere near... Posts: 2,123	ideal focal length for portrait or model shoot? What is ideal focal length for portrait or model shoot?? Anyone can tell me?

6th June 2002	#4
roygoh Moderator Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Northwest Posts: 5,042	I believe we can help siron further by explaining the effects of using different focal lengths for portrait shots. For example, if you use wide angle lens for head and shoulder shot, you end up getting more perspective distortion that may not be the desired effect. Another thing to consider would be DOF. Telephotos have shallower DOF that will help in isolating the subject from the background. So even though there are no ideal focal length for portraits, that does not mean you can just grab any lens for any type of portraits. Please add to the list. Thanks! __________________ As complexity rises, precise statements lose meaning and meaningful statements lose precision.

6th June 2002	#2
Jed Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: UK Posts: 3,082	There is no ideal really. There are popular focal lengths, but again this varies from the type of portrait you are taking, and from photographer to photographer, and again from subject to subject. I am not being funny when I say everything from fisheye through to 600mm would be commonly used in the professional arena. Any of the superteles make great fashion lenses. Any of the short, particularly the short and fast, teles are also popular. The 50 is a big staple, and the 20 sees a lot of use as well.

6th June 2002	#3
Lennier Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 208	There isn't any 'ideal' focal length for portraiture. It really depends on what you want to achieve. That said, the common focal lengths however, that most people invariably use, would fall between the 85-135mm range outdoors for full to half body crop shots, and at least a 180mm for a tight head crop shot. Personally, I use my 85mm as often as my 20mm, the only 2 lenses I find useful for the portraiture I do. The 85mm allows me to maintain a closer distance between myself and the model, to facilitate communication. The 20mm allows expansive environmental portraits, which appeals more to me than the usual head and shoulders shot.