 Corrie J. Free |
Lenses Hey guys, I don't know if you remember me, but my mom got very sick and I have been out of pocket for a while. I had quite a discussion on choosing a camera. I ended up with the Maxxum 5 with a tamron lens. Me and my husband have had a blast learning with it. We can do manual focus (preferred) and we are experimenting with different film. The tamron lens is good but now I am down to experimenting with lenses. I have found a 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 Minolta Maxxum AF Zoom Lens to try some portraits. Do you have any suggestions for a lens to do portraits. I want to photograph my grandchildren. Thanks
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Alan N. Marcus |
Hi Corrie, This is a 35mm film camera. Frame dimensions are standard for 35mm. Frame size measure 24mm by 36mm. For this format a 50mm focal length lens is considered normal. Wide-angle starts at about focal length 35mm, shorter, as shorter gives a wider view. For telephoto, 135mm or longer fits the bill. For portraiture one would choose a focal length about 2.5 times the diagonal measure of the film format which is 43mm. That being the case the suggested focal length is about 105mm. This is not an engraved in stone figure so lets say 90mm is about the lower limit, no limit going up. Hollywood uses 3x times the diagonal or 130mm. Likely for portraiture the biggest mistake made is choosing a lens that is too short. Because this is both art and science, sometimes you can throw this rule-of-thumb out the window. Why is too short bad? Things close to the camera are reproduced large and things far away are reproduced small. We are talking perspective. The photograph is a two dimensional media. Our subjects are three dimensional. We need familiar prospective views or our portraits will look a little weird. Prospective pertains to distance perception, we judge distance by making size comparisons. Too short a lens give exaggerates prospective because: A short lens forces us to work in close because the image size commencing from a short lens is diminished. Thus we have a natural tendency to work in too close as try to avoid vacant space around the subject. When in too close the subjects nose will reproduce a tiny bit too large and the ears will reproduce a tiny bit too small. This results in a minuscule violation of the correct prospective. People don’t actually notice but they say, looking at the results, “I don’t photograph well” or “the camera lies”. They say this because they are familiar with how they appear in the make-up or shaving mirror. Actually that is the view they perceive i.e. their self image. A 105mm forces the photographer to step back; this act best replicates the familiar prospective or the make-up or shaving mirror. Hop this helps! Alan Marcus (marginal technical gobbledygook)
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Corrie J. Free |
Thanks a bunch! This does help. I looked at the 50mm but was not sure. Now I am in hot pursuit! Corrie Free
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BetterPhoto Member |
I think that most 35mm photographers will agree that the lens of choice for portrait work is the 135 telephoto. This is a very versatile mid range telephoto lens that has a wonderful depth of field for portraits. I have shot my best portraits with this lens and it was offered in a prime lens for the Maxxum. Have fun and keep shooting,
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