nikkor 85mm f/1.8d af ($450)
nikkor 85mm f/1.4d if af ($1240)
nikkor 105mm f/2.0d dc af ($1090)
nikkor 135mm f/2.0d dc af ($1270)
zeiss 85mm f/1.4 zf planar t* mf ($1033)
this list isn't exhaustive--rather, it is what i would consider if i were purchasing a portrait lens. i'm sure the zeiss lens would be amazing (samples), but i think auto-focus would be almost necessary for a lot of portraiture. then again, maybe with a good focusing screen, manual focus is just fine!
andyp: what are your thoughts on the nikkor 85mm f/1.4 so far?
(1) yearbook, (56) wallets, (4) 4x6", (2) 8x12"; two locations; $150
(1) yearbook, (112) wallets, (4) 4x6", (2) 8x12"; three locations; $200
http://www.bozemanphoto.com/Portraits.htm
http://is.gd/2nuVE !!
http://is.gd/2nuWD !!
WHAT THE FUCK
You could definitely do better, even with no experience
(1) nice boke with a suitable dof for portraiture (~0.5m)
(2) people look marginally better from a distance
(3) people are more comfortable with a photog being 5m away than 0.75m away (i am with a 35mm).
no "senior portrait" experience
i was planning on offering a couple free sessions on craigslist to start off. then i'd have more experience and a better portfolio to show potential clients.
nikon 50mm 1:1.8 af ($130)
nikon 50mm 1:1.4 af ($325)
nikon 85mm 1:1.8 af ($450)
nikon 85mm 1:1.4 af ($1230)
nikon 135mm 1:2 dc af ($1300)
nikon 80-200mm 1:2.8 ed af ($1100)
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i think the length all depends on how tight of a shot you'd like. i want some tight shots, so my first purchase would be the 135mm or the 80-200mm.
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for complete freaks, there are the 200mm 1:2 ($5100), 300mm 1:2.8 ($5300), 400mm 1:2.8 ($8900), and 600mm 1:4 ($10300).
[5/5 stars]
This lens is simply amazing. It is one of Nikon's best reasonably-priced portraiture lenses.
There is a misconception that this lens is soft. It is certainly not a soft lens. This lens is extremely sharp. In fact, it is known to be one of Nikon's sharpest lenses (search the web for reviews). Setting the defocus control at a number higher than the aperture does create a soft focus. If you don't like soft focus, then simply don't set it so high!
The defocus control is very useful. If you set it towards "R," the background (rear) bokeh will be smoothed (like cream cheese) and the foreground (front) bokeh will have more distinct shapes (hollywood-style circles with defined edges). Setting it towards "F" will swap the effects, making foreground bokeh creamy and background bokeh glittery. Leaving the defocus control neutral will balance all out-of-focus areas.
As long as you set the defocus ring equal to or lower than your aperture f-number, the focus will be sharp. If you set it higher than the aperture f-number, the focus becomes increasingly soft. Perhaps you'd like a touch of soft-focus sometimes!
The build is great. The crinkled black matte metal finish is professional and durable. There is a built-in metal hood that is lined with felt on the inside. You can pull it out and lock it by rotating it. It has a nice weight to it.
The focusing is fast--it uses rear internal focusing. This means that the lens does not get longer nor shorter depending on the focus. Also, because there is a ring on the lens to switch from manual- to auto-focus, the focusing ring will not spin when using auto-focus (great!).
Nikon only makes one other lens that is as long and as fast--the 200mm f/2 VR--and it usually costs about four to five times as much as this lens.
This focal length is especially great on FX/135-film. It is 200mm equivalent on DX. On DX, it is a bit tight for anything other than head shots. On DX, you may consider Nikon's 85mm or 50mm lenses, depending on how you shoot portraits.
Buy a good filter to go with this lens. This is high-quality glass--don't ruin it with glare and ghosts from a low-quality filter.
It fits nicely in the Mountainsmith LC2 Lens Case. You'll need to remove the extra piece of foam from the bottom of the case, though.
I just wrote this review of the Nikon 50mm 1:1.8 AF lens for bhphotovideo.com:
[4/5 stars]
Build quality isn't great. This is a Chinese lens (likely related). My aperture ring doesn't click very well at 1:1.8, and it opens up a decent amount wider. Not the best option if you're going to manually adjust the aperture with the ring.
Auto-focus is fast.
Image quality is good.
It's inexpensive.
It's lightweight.
If you appreciate lenses that are built better and are faster, consider getting the Nikon 50mm 1:1.4 instead.
This is a good, normal lens on FX/135-film. It is a 75mm-equivalent lens on DX, which makes it nice for full-body portraiture.