There are so many wonderful reasons to switch to digital for portrait work that I can't help but wonder why everyone hasn't done so already. The multiplication factor of the smaller sensors is indeed something requiring a bit of an adjustment when you start out but once you get going it really becomes a new 'normal' fairly quickly. I would hazzard a guess that you won't notice it much at all in individual portraits but more likely in group situations and those times a wider field of view is required. For me that happened with my wedding work...my usual lenses weren't wide enough for some of the candid pre-wedding shots I like to take so I simply invested in a wider lens. Problem solved. The standard issue 28-105mm lens is the one I always carry on my Canon 10D...this lens came as part of a kit back when I bought my A2 so many years ago. It is a sharp lens and gives a great bit of range. The weight and size are perfect. Occassionally I'll do a portrait with my 50mm but not usually. I have many lenses but if I had to pare down to just one for my work it would be the 28-105, no question. Bokeh...now that's an interesting topic. Of course you don't get as much with digital as you do with film and I do miss it. I adjusted and I'm sure you would as well. The pluses of digital including ASA changing on the fly is one of the greatest things about it; I did a shoot yesterday of a family and in the course of their session (which was outside) I went from 200 all the way to 1600 ASA and what a joy it is to have that flexibility. You're welcome to nose around my web site...the vast majority of my portrait/wedding work has all been done digitally. http://www.whinydogpress.com/indexb.html Lea ----- Original Message ----- From: "Izzet Cigirgan" <izzet@xxxxxxxx> To: "List for Photo/Imaging Educators - Professionals - Students" <photoforum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Monday, November 15, 2004 1:46 AM Subject: Digital SLR's and portraiture > Hi again, > > Now that I am considering DSLR's, questions pop-up. > > As far as I know, for portraiture with the 35 mm format 100-150 mm lenses > are considered to be the best in general (I mostly prefer 150-200 however). > Anyhow we know that with the smaller sensor of the DSLR's have a crop > factor when it comes to Field of View, so shorter lenses like 17-70's > 17-80's are being considered to replace the longer ones. Also because of > higher ISO capability f4 lenses are considered to be OK instead of f2.8's, > etc. > > Theory is OK, but for me what counts is the photographs. > > So I would like to hear from users of DSLR's their experience about > portraiture including bokeh. > > Thanks for answers. > > Veli Izzet >
