50mm - summilux or APO summicron for portraits

[uhoh7]

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Who uses a 50 for portraiture?

Here is the lead wikipedia example for a portrait:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/62/Reproduction-of-the-1805-Rembrandt-Peale-painting-of-Thomas-Jefferson-New-York-Historical-Society_1.jpg/800px-Reproduction-of-the-1805-Rembrandt-Peale-painting-of-Thomas-Jefferson-New-York-Historical-Society_1.jpg

 

If frame is within the concept of portrait, which it is for me, then I use many FLs to get there. 50 is excellent. 135, used by plenty of famous shooters, does start to flatten a face and make people appear more pudgy than they are.

 

In fact, the CV 35/1.2 I like alot for portraits:

 

Scrutiny by unoh7, on Flickr

 

Why would I limit my options to make a portrait to 75-105? A rule?

 

50mm is great for portraits and probably more have been shot with that FL than any other.

 

The term "Portrait Lens" is just shorthand for the FL range above "normal". Almost any lens can take a great portrait if conditions are right.

Edited January 6, 2017 by uhoh7

[NB23]

So does not being negative on absolutely everything you write in this forum.

Exaaaact

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[NB23]

50mm great for portraits?

[uhoh7]

50mm great for portraits?

oh, it's terrible, you know, like the focus shift on the v1 28 cron.

[NB23]

oh, it's terrible, you know, like the focus shift on the v1 28 cron.

It was terrible.

 

Seriously: 50mm head and shoulders is a no-no. It's theory.

[lct]

Seriously: 50mm head and shoulders is a no-no. It's theory.

 

HCB should have known you... Too late for him unfortunately

[MarkP]

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Here is the lead wikipedia example for a portrait:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/62/Reproduction-of-the-1805-Rembrandt-Peale-painting-of-Thomas-Jefferson-New-York-Historical-Society_1.jpg/800px-Reproduction-of-the-1805-Rembrandt-Peale-painting-of-Thomas-Jefferson-New-York-Historical-Society_1.jpg

 

If frame is within the concept of portrait, which it is for me, then I use many FLs to get there. 50 is excellent. 135, used by plenty of famous shooters, does start to flatten a face and make people appear more pudgy than they are.

 

In fact, the CV 35/1.2 I like alot for portraits:

 

Scrutiny by unoh7, on Flickr

 

Why would I limit my options to make a portrait to 75-105? A rule?

 

50mm is great for portraits and probably more have been shot with that FL than any other.

 

The term "Portrait Lens" is just shorthand for the FL range above "normal". Almost any lens can take a great portrait if conditions are right.

 

 

Lovely photograph.

[anickpick]

Nowadays most portraits are taken with 28mm-32mm lenses (smartphones).

 

People start believing something is not quite right if you take portrait photos of them with a 90mm lens

[lct]

Nowadays most portraits are taken with 28mm-32mm lenses (smartphones).[...]

 

I wondered why all those people have a big nose... . More seriously i find it more and more difficult to shove bulky lenses in front of the victims of my crappy portraits although they don't mind to be shot at with big smartphones so i use more and more compact 75 and 50mm lenses instead of my favorite 90mm. But portraits with wides thanks no thanks except with 35mm on crop cameras. YMMV.

[Paul J]

Seriously: 50mm head and shoulders is a no-no. It's theory.

 

 

lol. what a load of crap.

[jip]

I have used the Summilux-M ASPH. a lot on the Leica M (Typ 240) and here are some results, judge yourself if you feel this is the look you're after. For me the 1.4 vs 2.0 is very important at the 50mm focal length, on a fullframe/smallformat camera.

 

You can read more about it on my website here: http://jipvankuijk.nl/stories 

 

[NB23]

lol. what a load of crap.

Sure it can be done. But it won't be nice.

[NB23]

HCB should have known you... Too late for him unfortunately

that's why he was using a 90.

[Paul J]

Sure it can be done. But it won't be nice.

 

 

Your "theory" is thinking from about 1950's and earlier.

[lct]

that's why he was using a 90.

 

You mean an old ear trumpet?

 

« Moi, le 50mm c'est ma vie. Une certaine distance avec les gens. Le grand angle gueule, et le 90mm me rappelle ces cornets acoustiques qu'utilisaient autrefois les vieilles dames. » Henri Cartier-Bresson

 

Free translation: 

The 50mm lens is my life. A certain distance with people. The wide angle shouts, and the 90mm reminds me those ear trumpets that old ladies used to use in the past.

 

 

[Paul J]

 

that's why he was using a 90.

 

Avedon, Bailey, Leibovitz. Newton, Mappelthorpe, HCB, Man Ray, Bourdin. Just about every great photographer that ever was has used a 50 (or equivalent) or wider for portraits.

 

It's knowing how to use it.

 

[NB23]

You mean an old ear trumpet?

 

« Moi, le 50mm c'est ma vie. Une certaine distance avec les gens. Le grand angle gueule, et le 90mm me rappelle ces cornets acoustiques qu'utilisaient autrefois les vieilles dames. » Henri Cartier-Bresson

 

Free translation:

The 50mm lens is my life. A certain distance with people. The wide angle shouts, and the 90mm reminds me those ear trumpets that old ladies used to use in the past.

Magical words: "a certain distance with people".

 

In other words: not head and shoulders.

 

It looks like me and hcb talk the same language and that you are agreeing with us but without admitting it..

 

 

People, what is "head and shoulders" don't you understand?

Edited January 7, 2017 by NB23

[NB23]

 

 

 

 

 

Avedon, Bailey, Leibovitz. Newton, Mappelthorpe, HCB, Man Ray, Bourdin. Just about every great photographer that ever was has used a 50 (or equivalent) or wider for portraits.

 

It's knowing how to use it.

None of them used it for head and shoulders portrait.

 

Avoiding head snd shoulders Portraiture is knowing how to use the 50.

Ask those folks you just mamed. You seem to know them well.

[NB23]

Your "theory" is thinking from about 1950's and earlier.

 

 

No, it's thinking ftom 1994 to 2017. Twenty three years of professional succesful work.

 

In the hasselblad world, the 150mm lens is the portrait lens (head and shouders is what's considered portrait). None of the names you dropped shot portraits with a 80.

 

Anyways, I'm off this conversation. What's the point in getting lessons from people that never took lessons?

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[lct]

Since when is portraiture limited to head and shoulders? What about 3 quarters length and full length? Not sure what you're trying to teach us here my friend.