5 Best Camera Lens For Portraits You Should Use

Updated on June 13, 2023 in Photography by Alifiya Mustafa

Portrait photography is one of the most popular types of photography in the industry. And you must use the right camera lens for portraits. It is used for weddings, commercials, babies, fashion, models, and product photography.

It depends on the camera’s focal length that decides which camera lens can be used for portraits. Ideally, a 35mm to 85mm camera lens is perfect for portrait photography since it gives the optimum depth of field required to capture astounding portraits.

We have already discussed the best camera for product photography, but thousands of camera lenses exist for portraits. Which one do you choose?

In this article, I’ll tell you about the five best lenses for portraits that you should add to your photography equipment.

5 Best Camera Lens For Portraits

1. Nikon 50mm f/1.8G

• Focal length – Fixed 50mm f/1.8
• Highly budget-friendly
• Excellent sharpness
• Seamless blurred background
• Great for low-light photography
• Silent Wave motor
• M/A Seamless switching between Manual and Auto-focus
• Super integrated coating

Every photographer should have a standard prime lens of 50mm. It is as important as your camera. And, Nikon 50mm f/1.8G is a perfect lens for portraits. This camera lens for portraits is meant for portrait photography. It allows you to capture detailed and sharp portraits and turns busy distracted backgrounds into buttery soft bokeh.

This camera lens for portraits is the perfect choice for beginners who don’t have the right equipment to capture professional portraits and do not want to spend a lot of money. It’s fast, upgraded, compact, and budget-friendly.

You can find it n Amazon for under $250 along with LC-58 snap-on front lens cap, HB-47 bayonet lens hood, CL-1013 soft case, and LF-4 rear lens cap.

I can not emphasize enough buying this camera lens for portraits because I can promise you that you can’t find a better match in a standard prime lens for photography.

2. Nikon 85mm f/1.4 AF-S

• Focal length – 85mm f/1.4
• Sharp shots in low light
• Fast focus
• Nano Crystal coat
• Silent wave motor
• Precision glass molding
• Zoomable all-rounder lens
• M/A Seamless switching between Manual and Auto-focus

It’s impossible to say no to an 85mm lens when it comes to portrait photography, especially if it’s Nikon’s. This camera lens for portraits is known to offer an edge-to-edge sharpness on both DX and FX cameras.

Given the 85mm focal length and f/1.4 with nanocrystal coating, this lens for portraits is an all-rounder. This means that you can use it for any type of photography other than portraits too.

It’s an ultra-fast lens. The M/A Focus Mode Switch allows smooth changes between manual and autofocus operations. The Internal Focus enables fast and quiet autofocus that makes sure that your portraits are captured in high-quality in every scene and setting.

3. Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM

• Focal length – 85mm f/1.4
• IS capability
• Exceptional image quality
• Image stabilization
• Large aperture
• GMo aspherical lens
• Circular aperture
• Dust and waterproof
• High-speed AF
• 85cm minimum focusing distance

This camera lens for portraits is canon’s first 85mm L-series lens with IS abilities. It comes with an ultra-wide and bright f/1.4 aperture that boosts enhances overall versatility and enables you to capture sharp images even in low light.

The built-in Image Stabilization at up to 4* Stops of Shake Correction allows you to use slower shutter speeds. This camera lens for portraits also has the GMo aspherical lens with air sphere coating technology which adds up to one of the best reasons to choose it.

4. Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II

• Awesome sharpness with luscious bokeh
• Steady shot image stabilization
• Rigid construction with constant lens length while zooming and focusing
• 11-blade circular aperture
• No “breathing”
• Dust and moisture resistant
• Parfocal design
• Ed and Super ED glass
• Nano AR coating

You can’t go wrong with this camera lens for portraits. With G master design, it boasts stunning sharpness and buttery smooth bokeh. The constant f/2.8 aperture balances the depth of field and exposure.

The parfocal design, aspherical lens, 11-blade circular aperture, and minimum focus breathing also make it a great lens for videography.

On top of it all, Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II offers a dual floating focus system for fast and precise autofocus, XA, ED/Super ED elements, and Nano AR Coating for outstanding resolution. The Nano AR coating controls reflections, ghosting, and flare.

5. Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art

• Focal length – 85mm f/1.4
• Hyper Sonic Engine
• Special low dispersion glass elements
• Round aperture
• Own A1 MTF measuring system

Another amazing lens for portrait photography is Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art which comes with a newly developed Hyper Sonic Engine (HSE) for faster AF.

This camera lens is a zoom lens that comes with great speed and sharpness at a relatively low price than its competitors. It is compatible with Nikon, Canon, and Sony which also makes it a great choice for a number of portrait photographers. Sigma has emerged as one of the best brands dealing in photography equipment, and I must say that the company has done the job well.

Bonus Read

Having a classic lens for portraits in your bag is a must for a professional photographer. You might’ve come across a number of camera lenses for portrait photography over the years, but the camera lenses mentioned in this article have been proven the best time and again.

Pick the best camera lens for portraits for you and let your creativity ooze out. Additionally, yo must also learn about the best camera for product photography, where we shared a detailed guide for eCommerce photographers. And remember, you can always make your portraits look professional, clean, and of high quality through photo editing.

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