85mm vs 135mm for Portrait Photography

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Hey everyone! Today we are continuing on with my series comparing prime focal lengths so you can decide which one is right for you. In this episode, I am sharing the similarities and differences between 85mm and 135mm during a real world portrait photoshoot. Here are the other episodes in this series:
24mm vs 35mm: • 24mm vs 35mm for Photo...
35mm vs 50mm: • 35mm vs 50mm Compariso...
50mm vs 85mm: • 50mm vs 85mm Compariso...
35 vs 50 vs 85 (where I talk about face shapes): • What lens should you b...
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Thank you for watching!

[@brianode11]

The older Canon EF 135 f2 produces some of my favorite people images. For sure.

[@janvandemaat]

For a very long time I was in doubt getting the Nikon 85 1.2 or Nikon 135 1.8 Plena for wedding portraits. I shoot real life couples who have never done a photo session before so due to the working distance my choice is definitely the 135 Plena. Thanks for this video Julia!

[@onQQuincy]

My favorite lens is in between 85mm & 135mm it's the sigma 105mm f\1.4 it's a little heavy but I'm used to it , I don't get much use out of the 85mm & 135mm nowadays because I'm stuck on the 105mm unless I need a wider view then I go to the 35mm . it's strange because 135mm was my favorite lens until I got the 105mm. I'm going to force myself back into using the 135mm more in the future.

[@Danieltrotti]

85 mm is my go to lens. great video.

[@jackofblades6736]

Nikon Plena 135mm is a work of art.

[@jerrym8140]

I absolutely agree. While I do love the 85mm 1.5g the 135 is absolutely perfect

[@Sooch900]

I love the 135mm plena and get so much use out of it. I shoot not only portraits and weddings with it but sports too. It’s fast and accurate!

[@ericnfriedman]

Great video. The side by side comparisons are very helpful to see.

[@jamie.miller.inspiring]

I have the Sony batis 85mm 1.8 which i absolutely love, and just picked up the Sony 70-200 2.8 gm2 oss yesterday. I will use both and then decide from experience if i want to get a 135 prime, but your shots definitely make me consider getting one 😊

[@higgsfermion3536]

I love your focal length comparison videos!

[@obscurelight]

Sigma 105 mm f1.4 is my go to lens for portraiture

[@KEHA14]

I adore that lens

[@jerrym8140]

I love both focal lengths but the Plena is definitely my new go to especially between these two focal lengths.

[@pjono77]

Great video Julia, you say you use the 135mm for speeches at weddings. Do ever use the sony 70-200 f2.8 gm ii ?

[@stefan_becker]

My favorite portrait focal length is 100 or 105mm. Unfortunately there are not too many fast lens options available at this focal length. One is the Sigma 105mm f1.4 DG HSM that is huge and heavy. Another one is the old Nikon F 105mm f1.4 AF-S which is much smaller, but unfortunately needs to be adapted on mirrorless cameras. Mostly I use the Nikon lens on my Z8 camera because it's much smaller and lighter even though the Sigma is optically superior.

[@JosefFoti]

I had a chance to use the 135mm during some workshops with Sony and I liked the look so much that I ended up buying my own copy of the lens. But after spending some time with it, I found out that however I love the look especially for full body shots (for me, that's where the compression really shines), it doesn't really fit my shooting style because I need to be really far away from my subjects and then I lose the close connection I like to have with them during the shoots. So for me, it's the 85mm for sure.

[@denniscornelisse341]

Both lenses are in my bag when I do a shoot, they give very good images. I use the 135mm often for headshots, and the 85mm for some wider shot.

[@PhotoTrekr]

These days I'm a landscape photographer. But, back when I did portraits, I preferred the Sony 135mm GM for head shots. And I liked the Sony 85mm GM for half to 3/4 length shots. And the Sony 50mm GM 1.2 for full length shots. The 135 GM is the best lens I've ever used. The 50 GM 1.2 comes close. Haven't had a chance to use the new 85 GM II.

[@NickErickson]

At this point in time, the Viltrox 75mm f/1.2 on APSC is my favorite lens. 112.5mm equivalent. I feel like anything more than 85mm becomes more specialized so I have to be more intentional with them.

[@izziereal2010]

The 105mm f1.4 Nikon F Mount is a joy to use. The 135mm is quite interesting to use. I love it to get a full body shot with it.

[@davidellis5141]

Hi Julia 👋 ! I use 135 & am satisfied completely with the result. Have a nice 🙂 day.

[@ChemaPhoto]

Totally Agree!! I bought my 135mm and I ended up selling it specially for the yelling to models far away hahah , I had since long a crash with 85 since it's more vesatile, but my most loved lens and that I do not use so much is the 105mm 1.4 sigma... LOVE it, but soooo heavy hahah

[@trinitivaa]

ughh i get 50% off nikon products one day a year, but you only get 2 lenses and one body. your vids have me so stuck between the 50 1.2, the 85 1.2, the 135 and the now 35 1.2😭idkkkkkkkkk

[@ManchmalGaming]

Can't go wrong with any of them! But having both of course gives you more options. :)

[@trekkeruss]

This is the kind of content made for the purpose of uploading more content. I don’t subscribe to this channel, but I do recall her saying her favorite lens was a 35mm.

[@Cotictimmy]

Great video. My 135 is the old Nikkor f3.5 Ais version. I love it's look, but it's manual focus only and there's no VR unless it's converted on a mirrorless. It needs a monopod or tripod for tight shots.

[@lauvassalloyt]

El video estuvo muy bueno, yo creo que usaría mas el de 85mm porque para retrato es muy lindo como queda aunque el otra también queda bien

[@mikebreazeale2563]

Great video as always but...maybe if you looked through the EVA to shoot the pictures you would not cut off the feet. I understand that but I never do cut off feet unless I use the screen to shoot. I have been shooting for 50 plus years though so maybe because I never had a choice is my reason. IDK. Can't wait for the next video...thanks for sharing...

[@MattHalpain]

I choose the 85mm. I have a Canon R100. One of my lenses is a 17-55mm f2.8 EF-S to RF adapter. I like the 55mm as it is times 1.6 for the crop sensor of the R100 making for an equivalent of 88mm.

[@jamie.miller.inspiring]

I checked the description but couldn't see it. What camera harness are you wearing please 🙏

[@martynbrough6162]

Could you do a wedding photography video 😊

[@chrispoulsen_]

Of course she could. The question is if she will.

[@transparent1054]

Both lenses are exceptional but there's a more intimate feel with the 85 as you're closer to the client when instructions are required.

[@Kliffot]

On Fuji GFX the EF Sigma Art cover the whole medium format sensor and are super sharp and affordable > fantastic ! they offer wider field of view but keep the compression and allow an even shallower depth by getting closer, the 135mm f/1.8 becomes a 105mm f/1.4 and the 85mm f/1.4 an equivalent of 67mm f/1.1

[@johnneedles9279]

Same I am more inclined to go with an 85mm. I like to be closer to my subject. I had a 135mm and it captured stunning atmospheric outdoors photojournalism. But I never got on with the 135mm for portraiture

[@joliver4083]

I have Sigma 135mm Art lens and it's my money maker lens for outdoor portraits and studio headshot.

[@michaelcliffordphotos]

@JuliaTrotti My two favorite focal lengths! 📷❤ I completely know what you mean about cropping off feet with the 135. When I shoot fire dancers, I have to be far enough away to get a good (non-foot-losing) composition, no matter how they move, or where they throw their fire to...but sometimes I guess wrong about what they will do next, and I tracking them without them losing an appendage here or there becomes very challenging. They probably wanted to keep those appendages... I love that the 85 is smaller and lighter than the 135, and that I have more options about where to shoot from. But if I had to choose, I would never part with my true love, the 135. :) (Rumor has it that I have been seeing a 50 1.2 on the side, but ssshhhh. Those are just rumors!)

[@samanafkhami2792]

Thank you for this video!!! I sold my Panasonic 85 1.8 since I kept using the Sigma 65mm f2 and the Panasonic 100mm 1.8 instead. Unfortunately, there is no 135mm for the L mount... (I don't count the old Sigma HSM.)

[@SimpleeKomplex]

I struggle when trying to get a close up using the 85mm. I'm new so be gentle with the responses 😅.

[@ch_boki]

I use the RF 100 mm f2.8 macro for close-ups, for products/makeup/nails etc. and for portraits. So far, I have no reason to get any ''Professional portrait'' lenses, aka 85 or 135. Occasionally, the 35mm feels the best depending on the situation, but that's about it. 2 lenses.

[@sandeeptanjore1253]

Now after having seen how it looks in 135mm I must say I am impressed. I have a Sigma 85mm and that's good too however 135mm looks like it's best.

[@Galeidan]

135mm for headshots. 200mm f 2 or f 1.8 would be even better though. 135mm makes facial features more "aristocratic" or "royal". Even average person looks more like a supermodel with it. Full body shots I prefer 85mm.

[@octaviowalulik6512]

Wow! how did you make a video capturing display of camera?

[@mohamedabdelazez91]

Apart from the lens why WB is very blue it feels wrong 😕

[@NothingNothing-ee1he]

Exactly

[@90sStarterJacket]

Probably because WB doesn’t matter much if you shoot raw and is easily correctable in post.

[@joshuachubbphotography]

I was thinking the same thing. Yes it’s raw but I like for the images to be as close to the edit in camera as possible. Just makes your workflow a bit faster!

[@CanalJovemTolo]

How do you record EVF video while take photos?

[@sheastlouis]

Any editing videos on the horizon????????

[@Emptrix]

Great video! For the longer focal length like 135mm is a large aperture really necessary since the background will be already blurred out by the compression? I'm asking this because I've a Tamron 28-200mm F2.8-5.6 lens and from what I've taken so far, above 100mm photos all have quite a blurry background even at F5.6. Would F1.4/1.8 enhance the image a lot or are they solely used for better light gathering at the longer focal length and not much for blurring the background?

[@megamastah]

You are right in that for longer focal lengths (85 mm+) the faster lenses give diminishing returns for portrait shoots (3/4, half body, 1/4 headshot). Having that said, faster lenses give you much more background separation when shooting wider, so full body and above.

[@bngr_bngr]

There is a huge difference between 1.8 vs 5.6 as far as background bokeh. The-digital-picture has a comparison tool where you can see the difference for different apertures.

[@garyrowe58]

Why did you choose to show most of the pictures with such a green tint?

[@Ganeshsu]

Definitely 85mm is must useful versatile and money maker

[@canalprodutosdeantigamente2343]

😍

[@hishamosman4341]

Somehow I still prefer 105mm focal range for portraits

[@jliang70]

I think 85mm is more flexible but 135mm provide a much dreamy look, and 135mm requires longer working distance, I have 2 85mm f.14 and 5 135 mm. 4 that can work with Sony. 2 are native E mount Sony GM and Viltrox. In between these two focal length I also used 105mm F1.4 and 110mm F2.0. I preference will be somewhere in between 85mm to 135mm so 105mm and 110mm will be something I like, it is just regrettable that 100-105mm F14 is not something most lens makers make these days, there are only 2 105mm F1.4 on the market, Sigma ART 105mm and Nikon 105mm F1.4. Putting a Sigma 105mm F1.4 on Sony put the whole package close to 2.5kg.

[@Commonyou7149]

I think 85mm f1.2 will match a 105mm f1.4, otherwise later is my favourite. 😊

[@57sapke]

Love the 135mm soft background, but as a bokeh lover and distance person I'll choose the 85mm instead.

[@BwoyPedro]

135mm is the best for me, I don't mind walking in or stepping back

[@Jansimonfranke]

My english is not good . But I can see your video with German voices. :-) Thx .

[@airtyme]

135 looks the best by far. Oh and the colour of straight out of camera photos on the Sony are soooo bad!

[@devilangel4655]

85mm all day for me.

[@adden2242]

135mm is just too much to move away in the back..the 85mm is just fine 💪💪

[@steveschnetzler5471]

85m definately, 135 is just too far away.

[@viewfindermedia3188]

85 all day

[@100sryoung]

When I shoot portraits i use 85mm, sometimes the 50mm. Only used the used the 135mm for portraits during the Pandemic, there was concern about COVID19. You didn’t want to get too close.

[@scottscrufari]

How original

[@mrmenduli]

body

[@justinholding02]

The white balance for the skin tones on those Sony cameras is horrible, the model looks like she's sick.. Nothing offending here. The model and photos are beautiful

[@harryvlogs7833]

I thought 50mm was the lens for portrait

[@LtDeadeye]

85 is the classic portrait focal length over 50 because it typically draws more attention to the subject being photographed whereas the 50 will include more background environment. The environment can compete against the subject for attention. But that’s on a full frame sensor.

[@Stuffed007]

135mm all day long ....