Two Blooms

Choosing the best lens for your photo sessions

CHOOSING A LENS FOR YOUR PHOTO sessions can seem overwhelming when you’re first starting out.

With all of the varieties and options available, it might be confusing to know which will suit your needs the best.

Being a visual person, I wanted to test out various lenses on my own to determine the different looks they will achieve in various circumstances.

Let me start off by stating that this comparison was only an attempt to see differences in focal lengths in the various lenses tested, not to compare lens quality and optics.

All of these comparisons were performed on a Nikon D600 full frame camera. If you typically shoot with a cropped/DX camera , take into consideration that the results will be slightly different and you will get a more “zoomed” look because of the cropped sensor.

I also did not apply any presets or editing so you can see the color variations in each lens being demonstrated.

Ok, let’s begin. Shall we………???

THE FIRST COMPARISON I DID WAS MAINLY TO NOTE THE DIFFERENCES IN CROPPING WHEN STANDING IN THE SAME LOCATION.

I was standing about 20 feet from my subject the entire time; note how the cropping changes with each lens.

FOR MY NEXT TEST, I WANTED TO KEEP MY SUBJECT IN THE SAME AMOUNT OF FRAME TO COMPARE THE DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN EACH LENS (BOKEH AND FOCAL LENGTH).

I tried to keep my subject in the exact spot on the frame, but it’s obvious my camera shifted slightly during a few of the photos due to a squirmy toddler.

THE LAST THING I WANTED TO TEST OUT WAS THE DIFFERENCES IN CLOSE UP HEAD SHOTS.

I knew that shorter lenses created distortion, but I wanted to see a side by side visual that showed just how much distortion I would get.       Now that you have seen the differences in focal lengths and how much impact they add to the photo, I hope this will be helpful when it comes to making your next lens purchase!

IN CASE YOU ARE WONDERING, HERE’S A LIST OF THE LENSES USED FOR MY TEST IN THIS POST:

35mm 2D

50mm 1.8D

85mm 1.8D

70-200mm 2.8G 

 

OUT OF ALL THE LENSES IN THIS DEMONSTRATION, WHICH IS YOUR FAVORITE AND WHICH IS YOUR “GO-TO” LENS FOR PORTRAITS?

Hey, I'm Heather!

I've been an Ohio based family photographer for the past 12 years and have been loving every minute of it! But you know what I love even more?! Helping photographers stand out from the crowd with their photos and getting BOOKED. I am happy you found me - thanks for being here!

more about me >>>

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