The BEST Lenses for Portraits

[@MangoStreet]

F/M/K: 35mm, 50mm, 85mm?

[@Jeremybro]

35mm all the way!

[@eyadane]

k: 85mm f: 35mm m: 50mm

[@HeyThisIsAndrew]

I love your 35mm portraits but I've seen photos where I loved tighter shots with 85mm so I feel like it depends on the style.

[@LeonSilva94]

f 85, m 50 and k 35 lololololol

[@HeyThisIsAndrew]

Side note I might be old old what's F/M/K

[@JaronHorrocks]

Sorry to be one of the only people that's not super positive about this video, but IMO it's not that helpful. When comparing lenses it's would be more effective to see how they match-up in similar circumstances (shot from the same distance, or shot to include the same framing on the subject). And also seeing how each would be superior in different situations. Your style is great and works for your images, but for a review like this it doesn't help to see what a 135mm lens will do for a full-length portrait. It's strength would be the compression you'd get from a tight headshot, like the 70-200 (shot at 200mm). Your videos are, of course, gorgeous and well-produced, not discounting that, but if you're gonna go to the effort of this comparison just figured it could have been a little more practical. Just my thoughts.

[@MangoStreet]

definitely understand your viewpoint. we tried taking similar portraits at the end (like the thumbnail photo), but what's also important is demonstrating how each lens is utilized to showcase its own strengths. so we wanted it more like "here's how we'd shoot with this lens" as opposed to "here's how each lens looks at 15 feet away from our subject" because in reality, you likely wouldn't shoot like that. other channels are probably better at doing more precise comparisons.

[@polanialmoni6274]

Agree this is useless!

[@macmiki]

@@MangoStreet What Jaron Horrocks wanted to say is that you didn't show the real advantages of some lenses. His example with the 135mm is great. You said in your video that you wouldn't feel connected to the model with the 135. But you didn't showcase the potential of the lens. Get a tight headshot, get some backlight and maybe some blurry foreground and the lens will show its potential at f 2.0 and 135mm. It's not necessary to shoot each lens from the same distance, but as you have shown the potential of the 24mm 1.4 you should explain the advantages of the other lenses for people/portrait photography.

[@theactivespirit]

Jaron Horrocks julia triotti does this very well IMO

[@a.littlelost]

I was thinking the same thing until I got to the end of the video where they did include similarly framed comparison shots starting at 6:50.

[@bethanyvillero6900]

I love everything about you two - you don't have a forced personality, your content is both original and breathtaking, videos are well produced/edited, you explain things well, you inspire me with every single post. Thank you so much for sharing your gifts! Also huge shout out to this model! She kills it every time.

[@3001jl]

50mm cuz its the only lens i have haha

[@bryanlira4152]

X2

[@ashlabelle]

Cheers my fellow poor people

[@IndieJenny]

1.2 or 1.8? Because the 1.2 is not cheap at all.

[@ashlabelle]

@@IndieJenny IDK about the OP but it's 1.8 for me lmao

[@malikkelly]

Which is really an 80mm on crop

[@michaeljerome6591]

i love the photos between 4:20 and 4:27 ; the outfit, colors, composition... everything. even the music in the background created such a happy and joyful feeling. keep up the great work

[@spewoflife]

the model carries such a great energy to her, makes the video even more sweet to watch (dope fit too wow)

[@marellibelli]

I'm a sucker for my 50mm because it's not the lens I learned on but the lens that made me fall in love with photography. It feels pretty versatile to me, too. I was able to get a lot of different kinds of shots with it when I only had a couple lenses.

[@CharlesDunkley]

Out of your photos, the 35mm and the 85mm are my favorites. Thanks for making this comparison between so many different focal lengths.

[@charlieshin9868]

50mm is my favourite because its so cheap and so good for the price

[@tharindu6]

Charlie Shin yeah the 1.8f ....not the one these guys are using

[@christianwong6837]

$1250. Wow. That's prime.

[@subashpariyar8102]

Thar it’s still the same focal length tho. Just blurrier background and better low light

[@jerry6733]

my 50 cost 10k

[@rohansth]

Wonder why there's a cheap one for 50mm and not for other focal length

[@berntolovhellstrom8891]

24-70 is my favorite. Macro lenses are in general having less distortion so they are better for everything. My sigma 105 macro is fantastic for portraits.

[@tahiriperera2139]

God I love when you guys use Jasmine,she's so great!

[@mariee_e]

shes basically part of mango street at this point

[@VinhzCastle]

I like how you guys sound very natural in this video and not scripted like some of your other videos! 👍🏼

[@Aleksanderespelid]

24-70 is my favorite, because you can use it for literally almost anything. It's so versatile. And I HATE having to switch lenses when I shoot, and as I shoot on the extremes at 24 and 70 it's nice to have the zoom.

[@lifesbeautiful3024]

Great video, but the “nifty-fifty” is actually the 50 1.8, at least according to most, since it’s a great lens and for a very inexpensive price

[@Watchdogger]

Yup. No red ring on the nifty 50.

[@MrPhilbautista]

Nah. The 50/1.8 is the "thrifty fifty" cos of how it's priced. It's also known as the "plastic fantastic" cos of the build quality (well, Canon's anyway). "Nifty fifty" refers to all 50mm lenses.

[@lifesbeautiful3024]

philaw123 no...it doesn’t

[@RakastaaKissa]

My nifty 50 is a 50 f1.4, but philaw is right, nifty 50 is any 50mm.

[@lifesbeautiful3024]

RakastaaKissa It’s not, but if you want to believe that then please feel free to do so

[@swaguilar_]

I like how you guys leave it up to us to decide. It reminds me a lot on how playing video games on pc is. No one can really tell you what keybinds to use. You got to have a feel for it and basically master your own art once you decide what you're gonna use.

[@paulaggarao]

The 85mm stood out IMO. ☺ Also liked the 135 and the 70-200 👌 but they're too heavy, 85mm is the sweet spot IMO

[@shannonhudson]

85mm and 135mm are my favorite! Just something special about them!

[@Mugetsu669]

You forgot the 16-35mm lens :o That 100mm macro looked so good.

[@jho-edperadilla3997]

Love all the lens but the price makes me hate them.

[@minibuns5397]

The distortion at 28mm in close on the model's face actually widens it lending to a more innocent expression. The focal lengths have their strengths and weaknesses. I like them all.

[@krystalmmccabe]

wow I could watch you guys shoot all day! This was an excellent video!

[@JillianeKristina]

35 is my favorite of all time! i just love how it looks very documentary and allows you to be closer to your subject

[@G14cl]

I enjoy the 24-70mm and the 85mm combo, I agree that it really depends on your style of shooting as well as the type of photos you want. Great video!

[@alx42na]

Didn't know the 50mm f1.2 was called the Nifty Fifty. Thought that it was only the affordable f1.8.

[@medusasaurus1447]

They were wrong lol

[@raneanubis]

You are right they were wrong

[@plagosus]

It's definitely f1.8 and not this one.

[@Geerice]

@@plagosus It's all 50mm primes, the term is older than the 50mm f/1.8. It's just usually applied to that specific lens because it's so cheap.

[@xpy1]

its not

[@chongswan9174]

That 85mm and 100mm macro shot was so amazing guys ! Also the 24mm lens and the 35 can't choose with those photos because all of it are just fantastic.

[@TracySmith48]

I appreciate this video. "Here's the lens, and here's how we used it." I'm a big fan of the Mango Street videos because of the practical approach-coupled with the beautiful way of showing the different subjects. This one let me figure something out about a lens I've been struggling with using. It has been chosen for a project I am working on for it's aesthetic. Reading the comments, I am in disagreement with some of the more technically oriented comments. Here's why: Any lens we choose becomes a creative choice. It's all subjective, a decision made by each of us as individual content creators. None of us knows everything. We never will. That's the beauty of what we do. Constant learning, constant dynamics. This video may not be what some would term technically precise, but does an extraordinary job to let you see the emotion created by each lens. It's valuable to any of us charged with generating compelling content.

[@danielremian]

The BEST Channel for photography made The BEST video for photographers looking for The BEST Lenses for Portraits. 30/10 must watch and like and comment.

[@AutoFOCUSED.]

The Canon 100mm f/2.8L used to be my favorite portrait lens because the sharpness, lack of distortion, and the compression but then I got the Canon 135 f/2L and it instantly became my favorite. Ended up selling the 100L since I don't shoot macro. I personally think the 135L is the most beautiful, as far as sharpness, shallow depth of field (not that I'm a bokeh junkie) and the lack of distortion. I also own the 70-200 f/2.8L but almost never use it. I think the 135L looked the best in the images you shot as well (at least as far as what looked most flattering on your model).

[@user-xs3db6ox3q]

Can I just say that this is one of the few videos that show the characteristics of each prime lens rather than technical stuff that you can look for online if you do the research. Thanks

[@chrisuwe8703]

85mm just spoke to me the most! Thanks for the nice comparison, guys!

[@YourSpongeBoy]

135mm easily one of the best portrait lenses. 85mm is great as well

[@gamingwithstand6886]

135mm is one of the best for portraits. They say 135mm to 200mm is the best.

[@GurGurevich]

@The Last Sword Nothing is really the best as it comes down to personal taste, but the 85mm and up distort very little and give a very balanced look overall, especially with a few subjects in the frame. The DOF is amazing on them as well, you can choose to separate the subject completely from the background creating a backdrop of any place you want. The most practical advantage though is the distance makes your subject feel much more comfortable, especially if they are not professional or experienced, with people like that I will usually choose to shoot 85mm at least so they wont feel that 'in your face' effect the 35mm might have doing headshots.

[@MissSunshine9700]

@The Last Sword are you shooting on a crop sensor or full frame camera? On a crop sensor I would say an 85mm isn’t ideal but on full frame I like it for portraits!

[@NBHSzebra08]

Great video, I personally love shooting portraits with 50 & 24. 24-70 is a great lens as well.

[@grubwithkgoshilu9402]

I’ve been using the 50mm for about 8 months, recently got the 35mm and i’m loving it!!

[@WishAtElevenEleven]

I’m glad you showed how all of the lenses captured the exact same shot at the end. Its hard to compare how they work when you’re using different backgrounds and lighting.

[@chrismehmet3463]

that gimbal shot at 3:57 was so so nice

[@mika2666]

70-200mm f/2.8L II is my all time favorite lens ever

[@scott37040]

The Canon 85mm L f/1.4 is the best of both worlds. Extremely sharp and gorgeous bokeh (tight depth of field). Just a very clean and fast lens. I've shot telephoto lenses for years (primarily the 70-200 f/2.8) but have just found my love for prime lenses, especially the 85mm f/1.4! I absolutely love the clarity and sharpness. (Don't get the Canon 85mm 1.2. Many reviews say it is a slower lens that "hunts" a lot in auto focus. the f/1.4 is quick!)

[@lensboi1229]

Just bring 28mm, 50mm and 105mm lens and your good to go.

[@sleepingbanshee_]

or 24-70 2.8

[@beniyov]

@@sleepingbanshee_ or just the 28-70 f2.0

[@marcd7332]

Beniyov Nah I’ll stick with primes

[@severgun]

@@sleepingbanshee_ not even close in sharpnes and aperture to primes

[@sleepingbanshee_]

@@severgun good enough for me

[@morganjournal9391]

Guys this vid is fantastic! Thank you! I have a 24-70 and a 50. Definitely feeling the lack of a wide prime. The 35 is a winner.

[@JeahnLaffitteAdventures]

Love that shutter sound that goes with the music. GG!

[@bingbong1790]

Ikr it just sounds so crunchy!

[@makdeeeee]

Beautiful model + Great Photographers = DOPE shots! 35mm 1.4 L is my favorite lens :)

[@jeffrey.thomas]

Having a 35mm and an 85mm makes a great combo for portraits!

[@marcd7332]

35, 50 and 85

[@cailynrossiter5569]

Wow great timing for this great video! I have a big portrait project for school and I also happen to be looking for a new lens for my personal clients! Thank you, this video was ssooo helpful and informative.

[@BearFOXThirty]

I liked it best on the 35mm and 85mm. Nice video, thanks!

[@matt1999malta]

Jas has become a staple model in your videos, and honestly, we fucking stan.

[@modafoto]

I spilled my tea when she said that she hated the 135L. That is my #1 lens for portraiture. Sharp with great bokeh.

[@trigonometrisk]

The 85mm and the 70-200 were my favorites here for sure.

[@ritzginoo4678]

I honestly enjoyed the nifty fifty. Looked amazing!

[@raphbos6843]

for me without a doubt, my favorite is a 135mm, but it totally depends on the situation, the 85 mm is also really good, but you´ve got to always bring your 35mm aswell

[@thenotoriuosbg7372]

I'm a fan of subject isolation in portraits hence leaning more towards the longer lenses, 85, 100 and 135

[@datalaforge]

Sooooo, it seems like you just need Jasmine to get great photos, regardless of the focal length.

[@kymvanderplas8252]

These are always such helpful videos! I have a crop sensor camera and loved my nifty fifty bt then got a 24-70mm and love shooting wide on that. So my next lens will either be a 28mm or a 35mm! 🙌🏻

[@ryancollins7560]

35 to 50 mm is my favourite, colours and depth of field are great

[@vitorguimaraes6443]

As usual, good model and excellent photos, congratulations. As for any lens, any one fits in the right hands, the 24mm is not intended for more conventional portraits.

[@MangoStreet]

check out our video on rethinking your lenses.

[@vitorguimaraes6443]

@@MangoStreet When was it published?

[@MangoStreet]

@@vitorguimaraes6443 not sure. just search “mango street rethink your lenses” and it’ll come up 🤝

[@vitorguimaraes6443]

@@MangoStreet Exactly what I think, and as I said a 24mm lens is ideal for unconventional portraits where we include lines to give more dynamic to the photograph, in order to portray the person in a less intimate way.

[@christianedvardsson]

85mm is my favorite 👌🏼💙

[@hurleygreen927]

Nice music and models in this video! I use Nikon 50mm 1,8 D and 55mm 2.8 macro lenses for my portraits along with a 24-70mm zoom!

[@chantalsutherland4629]

I shoot all my portraits with a 90 macro lens. I love how unique the photos are 😍

[@vinkarume6205]

I love the video and the accidental? groove made by the shutter sound abd the snare in the first half of the video

[@elionmisini3570]

I think the 50mm F/1.2 wins at the portrait session, because it does separate the subject, but not too much, creates a lovely bokeh and it is one of the sharpest out of all.

[@mlee9725]

50 & 85mm is my go to lens for portraits

[@maxthethird_]

I recently got tamron 70-300 and love getting portraits done with it

[@whosyourbrad]

Yes this lens is 🔥 for portraits, I got to use one the other day.

[@morbidstudio]

Your Videos are just so inspirationnals ! And your work is dope ! Keep going and thanks for your tips.

[@clairedebattista9816]

85mm, always!! Can't wait to get my hands on one!!

[@ulisesescorza3323]

Sameee

[@ulisesescorza3323]

Sameeeee😁

[@orebabaalibaba]

Very nice. Like Jasmine's answer in the end too 😋 'i like the lens that looks at me' 😊😁

[@joemamamia1751]

The 35mm is actually pretty legit, fo sho! Dig your vids! Love your content! And you guys are always so fun with your subjects! It helps those who haven’t worked with talent before, get an idea for how to direct/include them with the collaboration of the production. 🤓🤙🏼

[@jledesmaf1]

My 135/1.8 Gmaster 👍🏽👍🏽 Great bokeh and compression and not as big and heavy as a 70-200

[@juangiraud6013]

My NIKON 80-200mm 2.4 and the 85mm 1.4 are my two work horses for me. An absolutely must have ------- any occasion.

[@nhylers]

they've shot so many of these videos with jasmine now that i got invested and followed her on instagram

[@MichelleCoxPhotography]

I always love these kind of videos. Its really helpful when choosing another lens purchase. Thanks!!

[@wesleychapman9001]

I know 50mm is common but damn at f1.2 the background is just butter! The 35mm is gorgeous as well. I'm super curious about your guys thoughts on the RF 35mm f1.8, since you two are the king and queen of 35mm. 👑

[@SeraphineClarisse]

I have a 135 lens, personally I have no problem with it, but I am looking for develop my portrait & fashion photography. Based on this video I only found the 70-200 lens highly better than the other ones. All felt the same, very similar. So since, I dont have budget for something that doesnt make much of a difference, I will not buy anything. Thank you guys! I am happy! I hate useless consumption.

[@saurabh6520]

I have Nifty Fifty, and I love that, looking forward for 35 or 85mm in near future

[@alexbecenti6510]

Thank you, really helped me narrow down my search for my next lens🙏🏼

[@willdegraw]

Steps when watching Mango Street videos. *Step 1: pause the video // Step 2: give it a thumbs up // Step 3: resume the video // Step 4: take notes // Step 5: hit replay and watch again*

[@obican21]

First Off great Video! Im an Amateur but really enjoy taking photos. I got the a6000 and mainly use the Canon 50mm f1.8 with an Adapter on my camera. That gives me 75mm right? Is that an ok set up or should I get an other lense for Portrait without an adapter? Thx in advance 👍

[@1964photo]

Great job for the lenses. Many thanks

[@darlay5851]

I like the 35, 85 adn 24-70 mm !!!! I mean they are all outstanding but I think these three were magnificent !

[@DennyPrastha]

Jasmine is perfection

[@Richie_RHD]

for me, the 105 1.4 art is my favorite, when in studio, outdoors its a toss up for me with an 85 1.4 or the 24-70 2.8

[@sankar581]

35 & 50, Always the fav ones

[@Orions_Journey]

Dont have the 35mm but it looks like i might pick that up. looks really good. definitely my favorite.

[@nahkoratan9673]

I love the photo quality of the 50mm lens.

[@giampieromaietti]

This was an awesome video. My personal favorite is the 35mm but I'm saving up for the 85mm. Thanks for making it!

[@jmalegromusic]

the model is so beautiful

[@BreadWinsLife]

This channel is extremely underated

[@robbiejohnson6569]

i think the 35mm and the 85mm balance both extremes of focal length really well. neither are too wide nor too far with the separation of foreground and background.

[@pabiwabi08]

"The farther away you are from the subject, the less intimate the portrait feels." me: *scribbling notes* uhuh.uhuh.

[@RDNYSANCHEZ]

2 things brought me here. The knowledge, Thank you guys because since I discover your channel I've been understanding a lot of concepts and theory about photography, both you and your work are great! And the other is that I have such a crush on Jasmine! She is so cute and seems so easy going. And I love her hair!! :)

[@saradsilv305]

I like both the 50mm and the 85; I’m trying to figure out which one I should go for first; I’ve been told that the 50 is a great starter, and that comment seems to fit, as the outcome it gives you really does look amazing! But, the 85 looks really smooth which I also like 😂😂😂 I’m also trying to find a way to stop my shaky hands, so maybe a heavier lens would help (or not 😂😂😂) I’m really not sure 🤧😅😪

[@justincosplay]

35 hands down best lens I’ve purchased.

[@MangoStreet]

same!

[@hectorohh]

When I first picked up my canon 7d I got a sigma 35mm and fell in love with it since it was the only one I had. I have the R5 with the 35mm 1.8 RF and it’s great but I did just pick up the 50mm 1.2 RF so I’m excited to do some portraits with it.

[@luciawilliams1602]

This is probably the most in-depth and informative look at lenses I've seen on KZbin! Love it!

[@MrPhilbautista]

Ragging on the 135/2 when her model is close to the background and she's a mile away SMDH

[@cryodann]

Exactly.

[@severgun]

Yep. You will hate this lens too when you don't know how DOF works. 85 168 100 all fullbody all miles away from model no background separation even if told about that.

[@ByHenryThinh]

I watched it on TV and had to get the phone to find some comments like yours. When she said she hated it, i was like wth

[@dirkadamsjr6170]

First time watching, but i definitely enjoyed this video because it is straight to the point. And that's awesome. Thank you. (:

[@baezeo1410]

I typically go with 16-35mm, 24-70mm ESPECIALLY CANONS NEW ONE THATS F2😱, and a 70-200mm f2.8 🙌 dream set up

[@joanaagostinho6327]

Great photos Guys!!

[@JHA854]

Jasmine is absolutely stunning, wow.

[@michuinho]

The model is so beautiful too

[@MetaBassy]

"The lens that looks at me" 💕

[@MenacingThreat]

Early congrats on the 1million subs!