So I've been shooting landscapes for like five years now and I finally got my first paid gig doing some graduation portraits for my neighbor's kid next month. I'm super hyped but then I realized all my gear is wide angle stuff like my 14-24mm which is obviously gonna make people look like aliens if I get too close lol.
I'm rocking an old D750 and I really need that creamy background look without breaking the bank because I only have like 250 bucks saved up for this. I was looking at the 50mm 1.8G vs the 85mm but I'm worried the 85 might be too tight for the park we're going to. What do you guys think is the absolute best bang for your buck for a portrait lens on Nikon right now?
Honestly, if you want that creamy background on a D750, you cant beat the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G. In my experience, its the absolute best value for portraits on the F-mount, period. I've shot dozens of graduations with it over the years and it always delivers. You mentioned worrying about it being too tight, but for park shots, that extra focal length is actually your friend. It compresses the background way better than a 50mm will, which makes the bokeh look much smoother. The Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G is cheaper and fits your budget new, but it wont give you that same look for headshots. Id check for a used 85mm on the secondary market. You can usually snag a clean one for under 250 bucks if you look around. Just stay away from the older D series lenses if you want sharpness... the G series is much better wide open.
