What is the best portrait lens for a DX body that won't break the bank? I've been shooting with my D5600 for about two years now so I'm pretty comfortable with manual settings and all that, but I've mostly stuck to landscapes. My sister asked me to do her engagement photos next month in this tiny studio space I found in Chicago and I'm realizing my kit lens just isn't gonna cut it for that nice bokeh.
I was looking at the 50mm f/1.8G but on a crop sensor it feels so zoomed in, especially in a small room. Would the 35mm f/1.8 work better or am I gonna get weird barrel distortion on their faces? Budget is like $350 max...
I bought the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G thinking it was the holy grail for portraits. It was basically useless in a small apartment. I kept hitting the walls trying to frame a simple shot. Unfortunately, I moved to the Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G and had some issues there too. It is just not as good as expected for tight headshots.
- The perspective makes faces look wider if you get too close
- Focus hunting was a big problem in low light for me
- Sharpness at f/1.8 was honestly pretty disappointing If you are stuck in a tiny Chicago studio, you probably dont have much choice but to use the 35mm focal length. I also tried the Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 EX DC OS HSM which is safer for framing, but the bokeh just isnt as creamy as a prime lens. My advice is to go with the 35mm but stay a few feet back and crop the image later. It is the only way to avoid that weird distortion on their faces while still fitting them in the frame. Just dont expect it to look like those high-end 85mm shots you see online... it was a bit of a letdown for me personally.
