Which is better for portraits 50mm or 85mm?
Daniel Moore
Published Jan 11, 2026
If you do a lot of headshots, 85mm is probably the better choice. You can capture beautiful, tight images from a reasonable distance, whereas headshots at 50mm can put you uncomfortably close. On the other hand, if you gravitate toward full-body or even group shots, 50mm is ideal.
Do I need 85mm if I have 50mm?
Thanks. Re: Do I need both the 50mm f/1.8 and 85mm f/1.8? IMO, there will be no conflict. The 85mm is a better lens and the focal length is long enough to take care of shots the 50mm would not manage.
Is 85mm lens good for portraits?
The telephoto nature of 85mm lenses means that you will be further away from your subject to achieve the same types of shots as the 50mm, so keep this in mind too. The 85mm focal length is perfect for portraits thanks to the levels of compression they provide, and because they do not distort facial features.
What lens mm is best for portraits?
For portrait photography, 50mm lenses are great for full-length and waist-level portraits, both on location and in the studio. This is thanks to the wide field of view compared to an 85mm or 135mm lens, and you don't need to be too far away from the model to achieve these crops.
What focal length is best for portraits?
If you want to get crazy with focal length and shoot your portraits from a considerable distance, then you're going to want a lens that's bigger than 85mm. But like I said earlier, the general consensus is that focal lengths between 50 and 85mm are best for portrait photography.
31 related questions foundWhich F stop is sharpest?
If you're shooting flat subjects, the sharpest aperture is usually f/8. My lens reviews give the best apertures for each lens, but it is almost always f/8 if you need no depth of field.
Can you use a 50mm lens for family portraits?
A 50mm prime should be wide enough to shoot group portraits outside, but if you're shooting inside, then you have to consider whether you have enough space to back up and get everyone in the frame. Unfortunately, sometimes you won't know that until you get there and put everyone together.
Is 35mm or 50mm better for portraits?
Is 35mm or 50mm better for portraits? Both are great portrait lenses, however, a 50mm will generally give you more depth of field (thus offering better subject separation), show less distortion, and still have a wide enough field of view to capture enough of the surrounding context.
What mm lens is most flattering?
Which focal length is most flattering? The most flattering focal length for portraits is 85mm on a full-frame camera (50mm on an APS-C camera). 85mm is the best focal length for showing facial features without distortion.
What is the 85mm lens best for?
What Type of Photography Is Best With an 85mm Lens? An 85mm lens is excellent for portrait work. By isolating the subject and minimizing distortion, this lens can produce captivating, flattering portraits, headshots, and full-body images.
Why is 85mm good for portraits?
Furthermore, 85mm is a great focal length for portraits because it's in the short telephoto range, which means that you can stand further away from the subject and still get nice close-up shots. On top of all that, an 85mm lens has gorgeous compression.
Is 85mm good for street photography?
85mm is a great focal range for the type of street photography I do. It's not close enough to really disturb people (which is great unless you're looking for the opposite effect in your street images), but not too far that you're completely removed from the action.
How far can a 85mm lens shoot?
The closest focus of the Nikon 85mm f/1.8G is 2.6 ft (0.8m). With a depth of field calculator at f/4 and a subject distance of 20 ft, the depth of field would be a bit over 2.5 ft. That will vary depending on if you have a full frame sensor, your subject distance and your aperture.
How far should an 85mm lens be from a subject?
85mm Focal Length
The focal length and shallow depth of field of the 85mm lens are really popular with portrait photographers! In fact, for many, it's their go-to focal length lens on a session! The minimum focusing distance or focal length with it is approximately 2.8 feet from your intended focal point.
Is an 85mm lens worth it?
An 85mm lens is still good on APS-C as it will provide an equivalent focal length of 127.5mm, which works nicely for head-and-shoulders images. However if you're on Micro Four Thirds, the focal length will double to 170mm, which is probably a little long. A 45mm lens (doubling to 90mm) would be a better choice.
Can you shoot a wedding with a 50mm lens?
A 50mm lens is an essential part of shooting almost any wedding. Great for portraits, candid shots, and any night scenes, this will commonly be a workhorse for shooting the wedding. If you have multiple camera bodies to shoot the wedding on, leaving the 50mm on one body the entire time is a great option.
What is best aperture for portraits?
Portrait photographers prefer wider apertures like f/2.8 or even f/4 — they can focus on the subject and blur the background. That's also why landscape photographers typically shoot in the f/11 to f/22 range — they want more of the landscape in focus, from the foreground to the distant horizon.
What are 50mm lenses good for?
50mm lenses are fast lenses with a fast maximum aperture. The most basic 50mm lenses are typically F1. 8 - a very wide aperture. This means they are great for low-light photography (e.g. low-light portraiture or indoor shooting) as they allow more light into the camera's sensor.
What type of lens is used for portrait photography?
The closest focal length to the perspective of our eyes is the 50mm lens. However, photographers, in general, consider a portrait lens from 85mm up to 110mm. These lenses give you significant background blur and a shallow depth of field. They also allow you to position your subject far away comfortably.
Why is 50mm good for portraits?
For portrait photography, 50mm lenses are great for full-length and waist-level portraits, both on location and in the studio. This is thanks to the wide field of view compared to an 85mm or 135mm lens, and you don't need to be too far away from the model to achieve these crops.
Is 50mm good for street photography?
50mm aka the “nifty fifty”
The 50mm is the ideal street photography lens. Actually it's an ideal lens full stop. It has the most applications of any focal and hence why they are often referred to as the “nifty fifty”, the versatile lens.
Do I need a 50mm If I have a 35mm?
A 35mm lens on your camera would be the equivalent of a 50mm lens on a full frame camera. This is commonly considered a "normal focal length" for general shooting.
Is 85mm good for family photography?
The Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 lens has long been considered one of the best lenses for family photography because it is versatile. It is an excellent lens for family photography and will capture the details of your subject. It is an excellent option for photographers who shoot lots of portraits, weddings, and other events.
What lens is best for group photos?
Lens Choice for Group Photos
The best versatile lens for both portraits AND large groups is a 35mm. This gives you the ability to capture a larger group without the use of rows. You could also use a lens like the 24mm or the 24-70mm.
How do you take portraits with a 50mm lens?
With a 50mm lens, you'll need to shoot at 1/50th. You're also bound to be shooting at a wider aperture with a lens like this, so you don't need to make your ISO output go into a higher range. However, in our testing, we've made 17×22 inch prints with the the Canon EOS R at ISO 6400 and got great results.