When it comes to portrait photography, 35mm prime lenses are a force to be reckoned with.
We’ve talked many times in the past about just how versatile 35mm prime lenses are. While they might not spring to mind immediately when you think about portraiture, they’re absolutely capable. When people think of portrait photography, they often think of head and shoulder shots or closer. However, there’s something to be said about three quarter, full-body, and environmental portraits. It’s in these categories that 35mm prime lenses excel when it comes to portraits. In this roundup, we’re going to look at five 35mm (and equivalent) lenses that’ll help you create beautiful portraits.
If you’re still not sold on 35mm prime lenses for portraiture, check out our guide here. This guide will show you just how great 35mm prime lenses are for this genre, and you’ll get hints and tips too. The 35mm prime lenses listed below will not let you down. They are all incredibly sharp. They render beautiful skin tones. Most of the lenses are weather-sealed, and they can produce very nice bokeh. Another bonus, they’re all very affordable.
Tamron SP 35mm F1.4 Di USD
In our review, we said:
“Photographers who use the Tamron SP 35mm f1.4 Di USD will be ecstatic not only with the colors but also the quality of the bokeh. The bokeh is super creamy and well complemented by the colors this lens produces. In addition to that, itâs also very sharp.”
Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief
Buy now Canon EF: $699
Buy now Nikon F: $699
Sony 35mm F1.8 FE
In our review, we said:
“What photographers will really like is the creamy bokeh that they get combined with the fact that the colors are cinematic. Indeed, these are some of my favorite colors that Iâve seen from a Sony lens yet. And Iâm not sure what they did, but I commend them!”
Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief
Buy now: $698
Pro Tip: One thing you are going to want to do is back yourself up from your model when using 35mm prime lenses. If you shoot a portrait with a 35mm prime lens and you’re all up in your subjectâs business, you will not get flattering facial features thanks to distortion. So, back up a little and aim to capture either 3/4 or full-length body shots of your subject.
Fujifilm 23mm f1.4 (35mm Equivalent)
In our review, we said:
“When you first mount the 23mm f1.4 to your camera, something really magical happens after you get the first photo that you really love. Using the lens will bring back a nostalgia that you may have had when first creating your earliest film images. All that we can really say is that it is pure magic. With that, note that the 23mm f1.4 lens has excellent sharpness (though it could be better wide open), wonderful color rendition when using one of the Neutral color profiles, exhibits a touch of micro-contrast, and has some extremely creamy bokeh.”
Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief
Buy now: $749
Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f1.8 S
In our review, we said:
“Overall, we found the image quality of the lens to be damn good. Itâs sharp, has creamy bokeh, and doesnât really give you any sort of issues when it comes to the image quality. Couple this with the lens being very compact and youâve got a great product.”
Paul Ip – Former Reviews Editor
Buy now: $696.95
Pro Tip: You can now sign up for a Plus Membership from Photowhoa for just $9per month! This membership will save you 20% on all of Photowhoaâs items. It will also score you six free photography bundles per year too! This is a bargain of a deal at just $9 per month! If you buy tutorials or preset packs regularly, youâll save a ton! Snap up all the above deals while you can.
Olympus 17mm F1.2 PRO (34mm Equivalent)
In our review, we said:
“This may well be one of the sharpest lenses, even wide open, that we have ever laid our hands on. It follows in the steps of the 25mm F1.2 PRO as being a great all-around performer with good bokeh and image quality traits that will have Micro Four Thirds photographers drooling.”
Buy now: $1,089
