Question on possible portrait length lens

[David Mitchell]

Hi all,

I am looking at getting a portrait length lens but on my NEX, I believe a normal focal length lens would be something like 135mm which would mean I would need a 90mm lens for the same focal length equivalent on my crop sensor.

I am just thinking about this if I ever wanted to do portraits at all in the future, using older lenses as they are usually softer. I just need to know if a longer lens would be ok to use a longer lens or would it not be advisable due to the distance the camera would be from the subject? I was thinking about trying to mount the Carl Zeiss London lens on the NEX, its a 15cm lens (150mm) so would be 225mm equivalent for a 35mm/'full frame' camera but a normal 50mm equivalent for a 4x5.

Should I even think about using a 35mm or 50mm lens with a teleconvertor to make it slightly longer?

 

[Pete Askew]

From a 35mm film perspective I would use anything from 50mm - 200mm for portraits depending on whether they were head and should, upper body or if I wanted a more intimate look (and a tight crop). Minimum focusing distance is always a factor and how you want to 'interact' with your subject. My favourite range is 85-135 mm but the image below was shot on 5x4 with a 55mm lens (but onto a digital back so it was equivalent to about 35mm on 24x36mm film).

Cambo Legend II + 55mm lens onto a PhaseOne P20 back.

 

[David Mitchell]

Thanks Pete, that's a useful bit of info, I will be shooting with a crop sensor which would help, I could use the Helios 44-2 which I believe is a 58mm and quite soft which seems quite an ideal lens. I also have a Helios 44-2m lens as well so I will see what the difference is!

I will mount a lens up tonight and see what its like for distance, its something I might want to do in the future so I just wanted to start researching now.