Lenses for Babies, Kids, Candids & Weddings

I use the 85/1.8 AF most of the time on my N90. The autofocus became very helpful to me as my baby started moving!

Another favorite of mine is the 100/2.8 series E lens. I use this on an old FE. Small, light, but very good optically.

I also have the 80-200/f2.8. Nice toy, but it doesn't focus closer than 6'. Both the 85mm and the 100/series E focus to 3', which is handy indoors. Also, the zoom is huge.

Matt

Zoom lenses For portraiture

Nicole Boenig-McGrade said:

I'd love to know what your favourites pro lenses are for pro portrait/candid shots of babies, children, adults, seniors, weddings

Fixed?
Zoom?
Speed?
Focus Length?
What do you use it for?

Kind regards,
Nicole

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I have just had another thought about about your question Nicole, I know you have bought a lens now, but I have found if you use zoom lenses with flash in the studio that with a zoom that f8( for example ) isn't the same as f8 on a prime lens, and can lead to problems with underexposure, I think it's to do with the light transmission properties of zooms having all those elements, it's just something to consider in future.

Hi Bentley

Here is RollsRoyce speaking and I think you could be more wrong with your statement.
f 8 is f 8 also on a zoom lens do not tell us lies without getting red;-))))

Hi Nicole:

I don't shoot much 35mm anymore but when I was doing a lot of it I had 2 motor driven f3 around my neck mounted with the Nikon 80 and the other with a Nikon 35. I was constantly reloading the 80mm setup.

I shoot 4x5 almost exclusively now and the two lenses I use most are the 210 and the 90. These would be fairly close equivalents to the 80mm and 35mm in the 35mm film format.

My eye is attuned to the old 80mm framing. I always found that it gave me a nice compromise between being detached from the subject and being too close - especially important with kids and pets.

By the way, I really love your work. Children sense a pure heart and gentle spirit in adults and offer their trust most openly when they perceive it. It is written in the expression of every one of your pictures. My guess is that your facination with the "spirit of the child" comes first - the camera is simply a way to allow others to look through that window. You have found a spectacular blending of allowing your innate nature to capture something many of us see only occasionally, first hand. Keep it up.

Hi everyone, thank you very much for your input. Bruce, thank you for your compliments. Ironically I'm not a natural with children but I so admire their innocence, brashness (if that's a word) and jeckl & hyde personalities. They really speak to me through the lens. Thank you again. Kind regards, Nicole

Hi,John, what I was trying to say is that all zoom lenses don't maintain a constant aperture from one side to the other side their zoom range some are F5.6 at the maximum focal length and f8 at the minimum for example.