Recommendation on a good / budget lens for nice depth of field .. portraits of people

[detritus]

Any prime between 28mm and 35mm will be ideal for an all purpose lens and from my short eperience in Pentax, I am certain Pentax has the best range of such lenses for cropped bodies. If you can afford, the FA 31f1.8, otherwise the best value for money DA 35f2.4. In between you have the F28f2.8, FA 35f2 and DA 35f2.8 macro. There are more choices if you don't mind manual focus. I like this particualar focal length range because you can go closer to your subjects as most of these lenses have a short MFD. When you shoot close to your subject, you can get good blur-off back ground transition, like some of my flower photos I shot with my FA31f1.8. It's MFD is 25cm ( 1 foot) and after 3 months, I still don't have enough of this lens and it's stuck to my K5. No other brand has such a range for their cropped bodies.

Uncle, you are poisoning me :sweat:

the FA31 LTD is really poisonous :lovegrin:

 

[simon6z]

28 hhmm no wonder I try very hard by walking back afew steps and capture my whole school.

 

[otc]

M50 f1.7, M 50 f1.4 or the A equivalent, in manual mode and cost is not too high. Down side is in Manual mode. You will have nice bokeh and great color rendering, wide open.


marcus

 

[detritus]

M50 f1.7, M 50 f1.4 or the A equivalent, in manual mode and cost is not too high. Down side is in Manual mode. You will have nice bokeh and great color rendering, wide open.


marcus

nice bokeh and colours, true... but my experience with the FA50 is that its a little soft wide open and iirc, the optical formulas of all pentax 50mm f1.4 is the same.

 

[otc]

nice bokeh and colours, true... but my experience with the FA50 is that its a little soft wide open and iirc, the optical formulas of all pentax 50mm f1.4 is the same.

I have lots of cheapo lens. takumar smc 35, M28 f2.8, and etc.... lots of options. FA 50 is goood for portraits mah, not too sharp, less pimple can be seen.

Hey, we are talking about bokeh and low cost. lol.. fa 50 is expensive by the way..


marcus

 

[detritus]

I have lots of cheapo lens. takumar smc 35, M28 f2.8, and etc.... lots of options. FA 50 is goood for portraits mah, not too sharp, less pimple can be seen.

Hey, we are talking about bokeh and low cost. lol.. fa 50 is expensive by the way..


marcus

for portraits, better have AF lah... as for the "not too sharp" argument, i think thats not the point lah ;p

i can make a sharp pic soft easily in PP and the results can be quite nice. but i can't make a soft pic sharp that easily :bsmilie:

 

[Tonistein]

18-55 is a good lens for portraits. Try to use the smallest aperture to get the best depth of field. This was my first lens when I bought my K100 a few years back. 50-200 is also a good lens & it's very light - try not to use beyond 100mm for portraits unless you have good lighting & a fast shutter.