The Compact Viltrox 56mm f/1.7 Portrait Prime Costs Only $139
Chinese lens company Viltrox, known for its impressive and affordable lenses, has unveiled the 56mm f/1.7 compact prime for APS-C mirrorless cameras.
Yongnuo’s AF 50mm f/1.8 Lens for APS-C Nikon Z Cameras Costs $120
Yongnuo has announced the YN 50mm f/1.8 Z DA DSM prime lens for APS-C Nikon Z mirrorless cameras.
The Battle of the 135mm Lenses: Which Lens Takes the Portrait Podium?
The 135mm focal length is one of my favorite portrait ranges due to its compressed rendering of people’s faces, as well as lending itself to stunningly dramatic full-body environmental portraits. Last year saw the release of two new 135mm lenses, one each from Canon and Nikon. Take into account the venerable Sony 135mm G Master and you have all three of the major full-frame mirrorless companies now offering a 135mm f/1.8 lens.
Canon Unveils World’s First 24-105mm f/2.8 Lens and It Can Power Zoom
Alongside the RF 200-800mm telephoto zoom lens, Canon has announced the RF 24-105mm f/2.8 L IS USM Z, the world's first 24-105mm zoom lens with a constant f/2.8 maximum aperture.
Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 VXD VC G2: Making a Good Thing Even Better
The original Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VXD has quite a wordy title to say. Luckily, it's worth the hassle because it is one of my favorite lenses in recent memory. Sharp, compact, and affordable, the Tamron 70-180 f/2.8 was an immediate hit. However, debuting on Sony E-mount, we now have a brand new version, and it promises to shake things up again.
Nikon Unveils the 85mm f/1.2 S, an ‘Extraordinary’ Portrait Optic
Nikon has provided final details of its highly-anticipated Nikkor Z 85mm f/1.2 S, a lens that it describes as a professional-level ultra-fast prime that "unquestionably exhibits the extraordinary potential of the Z mount."
Tecno Phantom X2 Pro Review: The Smartphone with a Pop-Out Portrait Lens
You don’t often come across a phone with a retractable portrait camera, but that’s one of the signature features of the Tecno Phantom X2 Pro. Is this just a gimmick seeking credibility, or a credible point of contention compared to others?
Canon RF 135mm f/1.8 L USM Review: Setting a New Standard
Canon’s new RF 135mm f/1.8 L IS USM is an essential lens in the company’s mirrorless system, not only because the focal length is a staple choice of portrait, wedding, and corporate photography, but because Canon's latest prime is truly exceptional.
The Tecno Phantom X2 Pro Has the World’s First Pop-Out Portrait Lens
Chinese brand Tecno has announced the Phantom X2 Pro, a high-end smartphone that features the world's first retractable portrait lens that helps it achieve true optical bokeh.
Canon Unveils the 135mm f/1.8 L IS USM RF Prime Lens
Canon has announced a new prime lens for its RF mount, the 135mm f/1.8 L IS USM, a lens it promises achieves beautiful and "generous" bokeh and is ideal for both portraiture and sports photography.
The Fujifilm XF 56mm f/1.2 R WR Promises ‘Stunning’ Bokeh
Fujifilm has announced a new addition to its X Series lens lineup, the Fujinon XF56mm f/1.2 R WR mid-telephoto lens. The company says this weather-resistant lens provides "outstanding" image resolving performance and "stunning" bokeh.
Zhong Yi Optics Launches the Mitakon Creator 135mm f/2.5 APO Lens
Chinese lens manufacturer ZY Optics has announced the Mitakon Creator 135mm f/2.5 APO Portrait Lens, a $299 manual-focus telephoto prime for DSLRs and mirrorless cameras.
TTArtisan Launches 90mm f/1.25 Lens for Leica M-Mount
TTArtisan has announced a new Leica M-Mount rangefinder lens that, even upon close inspection, looks remarkably similar to a Leica optic. The company promises smooth transitions between objects and bokeh for a "dreamy picture" with ideal depth of field and background blur.
Sony Again Underestimates Demand, Delays Sony 50mm f/1.2 GM
Sony appears to have underestimated the demand for one of its new products again, as the company has announced a shipping delay out of Japan due to a number of orders that "greatly exceeded" expectations despite initial statements to the contrary.
Sony Unveils the 50mm f/1.2 G-Master Prime Lens
Sony has announced its 60th E-mount lens -- the 50mm f/1.2 G-Master -- that it hopes will prove that not only can it continue to make compact, lightweight primes but also can also do so while competing with the fast aperture lenses of both Canon and Nikon.
Viltrox Has Unveiled the 85mm f/1.8 STM Lens for Nikon Z
While not yet listed on Viltrox's web store, the rumored 85mm f/1.8 STM lens for Nikon Z has been listed on Amazon for $399, nearly $200 less expensive than the Nikkor Z 85mm f1/.8 S lens even after a $100 rebate.
Mitakon Speedmaster 85mm f/1.2 for Canon RF and Nikon Z Costs $680
The Chinese brand ZY Optics has just released its Mitakon Speedmaster 85mm f/1.2 lens for Canon RF and Nikon Z. It's a fast manual portrait lens for $680.
Meike Unveils Cheap 85mm f/1.8 for Canon and Nikon, Its First AF Lens
Just two weeks after releasing a $360 50mm f/1.2 lens for Canon, Nikon, and Sony cameras, lens maker Meike has just unveiled its very first autofocus lens: the ultra-affordable 85mm f/1.8 AF for Nikon and Canon DSLRs.
Sigma Unveils 85mm f/1.4 Art Lens for Mirrorless Cameras
The rumors were right: Sigma has unveiled a new 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art lens designed specifically for mirrorless cameras. Promising stellar optical performance and coming in at just $1,200, the lens undercut's Sony's 85mm G Master by a whopping $600... and yet it doesn't skimp on features.
Sigma to Release 85mm f/1.4 Lens for Mirrorless Cameras Next Week: Report
Mirrorless photographers take note: Sigma is allegedly planning to release a new prime lens next week. The new 85mm f/1.4 ART lens for E-mount and L-mount will join the other mirrorless "DG DN" lenses in the Sigma lineup, giving Sony, Panasonic, Leica, and Sigma fp shooters another portrait prime to choose from.
Pentax Officially Unveils Long-Awaited FA* 85mm f/1.4 Lens for the K-Mount
After first showing off the lens over a year ago, and sharing a few more teasers during a livestream two weeks ago, Ricoh has officially unveiled the HD Pentax-D FA* 85mm f/1.4ED SDM AW—a "next-generation, high-performance" portrait prime for K-mount DSLRs.
Samyang Unveils New 85mm f/1.4 Autofocus Lens for Canon RF Mount
Following last year's release of the AF 85mm f/1.4 FE for the Sony E Mount, Samyang/Rokinon today unveiled a version of the lens for Canon's full-frame mirrorless RF Mount. According to Rokinon, the new AF 85mm f/1.4 RF is "arguably the best value, high performance and affordable autofocusing portrait prime available."
Leica Unveils Summilux-M 90mm f/1.5 Lens and ‘Ghost Edition’ of the Leica M10-P
Leica has just unveiled two new products for M-system photographers and collectors with deep pockets. The $13,000 Summilux-M 90mm f/1.5 ASPH lens promises to "set a new benchmark" for portrait photography, while the $15,000 limited edition Leica M10-P "Ghost Edition" camera takes a design cue from faded wristwatches to create a gray and silver version of the M10-P.
Canon Unveils the RF 85mm f/1.2L, Its Go-To Mirrorless Portrait Lens
Canon has announced the new RF 85mm f/1.2L USM, a portrait lens for its new full-frame mirrorless cameras and the 5th lens in the RF lineup.
Zeiss Otus 100mm f/1.4 Photos Leak
Zeiss is gearing up to add a fourth lens to its highly-acclaimed Otus lineup. New leaked photos are giving us a sneak peek at the upcoming Zeiss Otus 100mm f/1.4 lens.
Portrait Lens Shootout: 85mm vs. 105mm vs. 135mm vs. 200mm
Here's a 5-minute video showing a portrait lens shootout I recently did at 85mm f/1.4, 105mm f/1.4, 135mm f/1.8, and 200mm f/2.8. If you are looking for a portrait lens, you can't go wrong with any of these focal lengths. Each focal length serves a specific purpose and will give you a slightly different look/perspective.
Nocturnus 75mm f/0.95 Unveiled: It’s the World’s Fastest 75mm Lens
The German brand Meyer-Optik Goerlitz has just announced the Nocturnus 75mm f/0.95, the world's fastest 75mm lens. It's designed for full-frame mirrorless cameras with Leica M, Sony FE, and Fuji X mounts.
Testing Out Leica’s $12,800 Ultimate Portrait Lens, the 75mm f/1.25
Photographer Matt Granger has been testing out the Leica NOCTILUX 75mm f/1.25 lens, which retails for a whopping $12,800, and in this 9-minute test video he shares his initial thoughts about using it.
Duo to Bring Back Emil Busch’s 1910 Glaukar 97mm f/3.1 Portrait Lens
A pair of photographers with ties to German lens maker Meyer Optik want to bring the 107-year-old Emil Busch 97mm portrait lens back to life with their Kickstarter project.
Canon Will Release an 85mm f/1.4L Lens this Summer: Report
Canon portrait photographers listen up, you're got some new glass coming your way. In a few months time, we will allegedly see a brand new lens added to the Canon L lineup of high-end glass: the 85mm f/1.4L.
Zeiss Unveils Compact & Lightweight Batis 135mm f/2.8 with Hefty Price Tag
The newest Zeiss Batis lens has officially arrived. It's a 'compact, lightweight, top-quality' 135mm f/2.8, but what it's lost in weight it seems to have gained back in dollar signs.
Sony 85mm GM vs Sigma 85mm ART: Real World Comparison
Another day, another lens comparison takes on Sigma's "king of portrait lenses," the 85mm f/1.4 Art. This time, our friend Usman from Sonder Creative tested the Sigma 85mm against Sony's well-liked 85mm f/1.4 GM out in the real world to see which of the two 85s he preferred.
Portrait Lens Shootout: Sony 85mm f/1.4 vs 70-200mm f/2.8
What's better for portraits? Is it the versatility of a great 70-200mm f/2.8 zoom lens, or the bright bokeh-tastic performance of a solid 85mm f/1.4 lens? That's what photographer Manny Ortiz set out to discover this week.
Yongnuo’s Budget 85mm f/1.8 Lens is Officially Available
Yongnuo has officially launched their much-anticipated budget portrait lens: the 85mm f/1.8 Canon clone that you could already find floating around eBay last week.
Rare Night Vision Lens Produces Beautiful Swirly Bokeh for Portraits
Usually, getting some beautiful swirly bokeh on the cheap means looking to used Russian lenses like the Helios 44-2. But if you're determined to get more creative, weird lens hunter Mathieu Stern has an idea for you: try a military grade night vision lens.
Yard Sale Find: $10 for an Amazing Portrait Lens
I recently returned home from my trip to Egypt, and with my wife due any day now, I had some time to squander on lens hunting. A local craigslist post revealed that one of the camera shops in town was having a yard sale to clear out all of their old stuff in preparation for moving to a new location. I wasn’t about to pass up on a camera shop yard sale!
5 Best Lenses for Portrait Photography
Questions on the subject of lens choice are as limitless as lens choice itself. Show me 10 photographers and I’ll show you at least 11 divergent opinions on which lens is right for a particular type of photograph.
Tamron Patents 115mm f/1.4 VC Lens… Watch Out Nikon
Watch out Nikon, that 105mm f/1.4 might not be such a "novel" lens forever. The latest lens in what has been called "a never ending parade of optical formulas" from Tamron is a 115mm f/1.4 VC patent that's bound to get some portrait photographers' hearts pumping.
Samyang Unveils Ultra-Fast 35mm f/1.2 for Mirrorless APS-C Cameras
Samyang just dropped a high-speed bokeh bomb on the mirrorless APS-C market. So if you think your manual focus skills can keep up, meet the brand-new, ultra-fast Samyang 35mm f/1.2 ED AS UMC CS.
This is How a Camera Adds 10 Pounds
It's commonly said that a camera adds 10 pounds, making you look heavier than you actually are. Here's a striking animated GIF that shows how much the focal length of a lens affects your apparent weight in a portrait.