Best Lens for Portraits

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Best Lens for Portraits – Comparison Table

Best Lens for Portraits – Reviews

For our top pick, we have chosen this Canon EF standard and medium telephoto lens which is suitable for Canon SLR Cameras. With a standard focal 50mm lens this is a great choice for portrait photography and can effectively shoot in a multitude of situations. 

The f/1.4 maximum aperture allows you to capture clear images in low lighting with a shallow depth of field. 

As a USM lens, this works fast and smoothly but also makes minimum noise when capturing the photograph, it is virtually silent.

The large aperture standard prime lens has superior peripheral brightness even when operating at maximum aperture. This means that the lens captures 360-degree edges of the subject in question. 

The strong design of the lens excellently corrects all types of blur and this is thanks to the optical design and molded glass of the lens.

The HSM ensures autofocusing is fast and it also has a great manual focusing capability. 

• This is a great lens for beginners or those who are starting their careers in photography.
• The lens is the perfect photo length for portrait photography.
• It effectively blurs out the background of photos creating a great focus on the subject or model.
• It makes minimum noise when capturing the photographs with fast autofocus too.
• Customers who have purchased this lens found it to be of excellent quality.
• It is a very affordable lens when compared to competitors on the market.

• This lens can be a little difficult to get used too.
• Some customers have experienced issues with the autofocus of this lens.

Next up we have the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm lens. This upgraded and compact lens works with speed to capture some great photographs with edge to edge sharpness. With a 50mm focal length lens this is great for capturing portrait photographs. 

This lens has a maximum reproduction ratio of 0.15X, allowing you to capture large images using your lens sensor. Incorporating a Silent Wave Monitor, this lens will focus faster without making a lot of unnecessary noise whilst doing so.

There is also an autofocus function too, which is going to help you capture your portraits faster. 

With an f/1.8G aperture, you can capture photographs regardless of the lighting surrounding your environment, even in low lighting situations you can get some great quality photographs. 

Thanks to the background blur you will be able to capture some stunning portrait photographs, creating a natural perspective too. The Super Integrated Coating offers you great color consistency whilst reducing any flare.

You are simply going to capture some amazing quality portraits using this lens. 

• This 50mm lens is great for capturing and focussing on the subject in your portraits.
• This lens works well regardless of the lighting situation so you can capture great portraits even in low light.
• When you purchase this lens you are covered with a 14 day satisfaction guarantee and a 90 day parts warranty.
• If you do experience any issues, there's help available.
• The SWM function captures photographs with minimal noise.
• It captures images with sharp quality at a fast speed. It is compact and lightweight making it easier to carry around.

• Some customers experienced issues with the autofocus function. 
• You are unable to zoom using this lens as it doesn't offer this function.

Our next pick is this Panasonic Lumix G lens. With a 42.5mm mid telephoto focal lens, this is a great option for capturing portrait photographs of great quality with rich depth.

Even when you find yourself in environments with low lighting this lens works perfectly as it has an F1.7 aperture brightness.

This lens can capture photographs at 31cm in regards to the closest function distance and has a maximum magnification function of approximately 0.2x.

Featuring a built in Optical Image Stabilisation function, this will be largely beneficial to those who use the Panasonic Lumix G cameras that also offer this function, as this will enable you to capture the best output.

This is going to help to reduce any sort of blurring within your photos so they are going to be of the best quality. 

You are going to be capturing images with great sharpness when you use this lens. The large F1.7 aperture makes this a perfect lens for portraits as they are going to be clear with precise quality and detail. 

With a fast autofocusing system this lens works with high speed to capture your photos whilst making minimum noise too.

• This is a great lens for portrait photography thanks to its large aperture.
• As a 42.5mm mid telephoto lens it is great for capturing photographs with rich depth.
• It's user friendly thanks to its compact size which makes it easy to hold and carry around with you.
• This lens works very well in low lighting situations.
• With a close minimum focus distance, you can capture your subject clearly and great close ups too.

• This lens is particularly small in size which may not be ideal for some people.

The Canon EF 70-200mm lens is compatible with Canon Digital SLR cameras and is a great pick for professional portrait photographers, in particular, capturing great quality precise photographs.

This lens enables you to isolate the subject in the distance, enabling you to maintain a sharp focus on the subject in hand. The 70-200mm lens with an f/2.8 aperture is great for portraits in particular, giving the images a more professional effect with a compressed background. 

Constructed with Air Sphere Coating this works to minimize the effect of ghosting and reduces flare to capture the very best quality photographs.

There is also an optical image stabilization function that allows you to maintain great sharpness in your photos with 3.5 stops of shake stabilization. 

This lens has definitely been built to last with quality as a priority. The fluorene coating on the rear and front elements of this lens helps to reduce any smears and fingerprint marks.

It is also highly resistant to dust and water and can even be used in the harshest of conditions. 

Impressively, this lens also has a fast autofocusing system delivering precise and fast performance whilst being near silent too. 

• This is a great lens for professional photographers in particular thanks to its precision, sharpness, and quality.
• It is a very good quality lens that is resistant to dust and water and can operate in harsh conditions too.
• The autofocusing system delivers a fast performance allowing you to work with speed.
• The image stabilization allows you to capture sharp photographs with minimal shake.
• You can capture images with excellent blurred bokeh.

• This lens is a little heavy which some may find inconvenient if they need to carry it around a lot. 
• It is the most expensive lens that we have mentioned so far, so it may not be ideal for those who are on a budget. 

For our final choice, we have selected this Sigma 50mm F1.4 Art DG HSM Lens. This is a great quality lens with a 50mm focal length, another great choice for portraiture, and a great competitor against some other brand dominators such as Canon. 

With a fast aperture of F/1.4, it works with speed and is an effective lens for working in low light situations too. This lens also has a 0.4m minimum focus distance range. 

The hyper Sonic AF motor ensures fast autofocusing that is silent too by controlling the optimum algorithm. The Special low dispersion glass and multi-layer coating make this a top performer for DSLR cameras, particularly in terms of capturing portrait photographs.

It is durably built and boasts a professional aesthetic with the all black sleek coating, making it a great addition to any photographer's equipment. 

This lens also captures images of exceptional quality, and even when shooting wide open, the images will have incredible sharpness too. 

When you purchase this camera lens you will also receive the front and rear lens caps and hoods. 

• It is compatible with a variety of mounts suitable for Canon EF, Sony Alpha, Sigma SA, or Nikon.
• Produces very high-quality images with minimal color fringing, distortion, or vignetting.
• It is durably constructed and has a professional appearance.
• It has great focus accuracy and focus speed.
• Customers who have purchased this lens have found it to be of exceptional quality.
• As a 50mm lens, it is great for capturing portraits with an impressive aperture.

• It is quite weighty so some people may find it too heavy to carry around with them.
• It doesn't have weather seals which could be problematic if you are going to be using it outside in the rain.

Best Lens for Portraits – Buyers Guide