On a Full-Frame camera, such as the Canon 5Dii, the Canon 50mm 1.4 , also known as the “nifty fifty” is a great portrait lens. Scratch that- it’s fantastic. It runs just over $340, and is a half stop away from the amazing Canon 50mm 1.2 L (which runs hovers around $1400). In terms of “bang for your buck”, I have a very hard time thinking of another lens which comes close, though the Canon 50mm 1.8 is second.
That said, many students ask me: “What is a good portrait lens recommendation for my non-full frame camera, ie the XSi, T1i, T2i Rebel, 50D, 60D, 7D, etc.?” In the past, I have still recommended the Canon 50mm 1.4, which when used on a Canon’s Smaller Sensor Camera bodies becomes an effective 80mm lens, due to the 1.6x crop factor. (Because as I point out on most of my videos 50mm x 1.6= 80mm).
However, anyone who has used a nifty fifty on a 1.6x Body, knows that it requires you to back up a few extra steps, and sometimes it makes it a little harder to shoot, especially indoors with tight space or when trying to shoot from above (which would require you to stand on something).
So the question I wanted to know was this:
“Which lens best lens best mimics the “nifty fifty” on a full frame camera, when used on an APS-C 1.6 body?””
This is not a simple question- however, I was up to the task and decided to do a little test. A huge thank you to BH Photo.com for supplying the lenses.
If money, cost, size and weight are no matter, the answer is simple. You want the Canon 35mm 1.4 L $1370 The quality of images are outstanding and the best part is, it is a great portrait lens on both full frame and 1.6x crop bodies. That said, not everyone has that kind of money to throw down on a portrait lens.
What are the next best alternatives when it comes to functionality, cost, size and weight?
What would be my overall recommendation? 
The 4 Lenses I decided to test were;
Canon 28mm 1.8 – $459
Sigma 30mm 1.4 – $439
Canon 35mm 2.0- $299
Tokina 35mm 2.8 Macro- $299
Testing Method
Lockdown a Canon 5Dii on a tripod using a 50mm lens. Take a portrait of a model in a particular pose. Swap out for a 1.6x Body, in this case, a Canon 7D and Shoot with the test lenses. The things I am looking for are:
1. Bokeh – Something that makes the 50 1.4 so dang awesome for portraits is the buttery backgrounds. We want something that mimics this.
2. Amount of Frame Filled By the subject. Equivilent Focal Lengths are as follows:
30mm x 1.6 = 48mm
28mm x 1.6 = 44.8mm
35mm x 1.6 = 56mm
3. I am also looking for Clarity and Sharpness.
I took liberty to shoot wide open on all the lenses, and adjusted for exposure with shutter speed in camera. There were very minimal exposure and white balance adjustments made to each picture, nothing else.
Here is the Original on a Canon 5Dii with a 50mm 1.4 Side by SIde with the Canon 7D & Canon 35mm 1.4L:
Canon 28mm 1.8 and Canon 35mm 2.0:
Sigma 30mm 1.4 and Tokina 35mm 2.8 Macro :
Michael’s Conclusions:
Overall- Honestly, I really liked the Canon 35mm 2.0- $299 the best for portraits for the following reasons:
1. It is one of the smallest and lightest lenses I have seen. Ever.
2. Price, it was among the cheapest of the bunch.
3. It was easy to Focus. Granted it’s not super buttery, but more so than a 2.8.
4. I also liked the Canon 28mm 1.8, but it seemed the wider angle focal length diminished the Bokeh to be almost identical to the 35mm 2.0.
If you are doing any kind of Macro work or if you like to get very close to your subjects, I am going with the Tokina 35mm 2.8 Macro it is absolutely a real GEM. At just under $300, it was the only lens of the bunch that can shoot Macro and I was very impressed with it. Not as wide as the others, but it’s ability to get very close to your subjects created beautiful DOF:
Best all round, those are my recommendations.
If Aperture and Bokeh are your main concerns, I would go with the Sigma 30mm 1.4. It is also a great substitute for the Canon 35mm 1.4 L $1370 and it really reminded me of that lens. It is possible I did not like it because it was big and the heaviest of the bunch (by far) and I already had a Canon 35 1.4, but make no mistake this is a great lens.
In summary what I am saying is there are some great APS-C Portrait lenses out there, but which one is best will come down to subtle differences in Aperture, Cost, and Size.
Great test Michael! I have the Sigma 30mm 1.4 and really love it. Whether or not it’s the best, I would have no idea……but it sure is nice to know that it’s in the test group…..that says alot to me. My reasons for originally purchasing it were three things: 1) with my Canon 50D’s crop factor, this lens got me to 48mm, and I wanted to be as close to 50 as possible. 2) Fast 1.4 3) Pricing wasn’t bad, although close to $500 is still a significant amount of money to me. All things considered…….you can’t have my Sigma 30mm! Cheers
Thanks for doing the test. Good information.
I have a question for anynone: If I am using a 200mm lens it is said to use at lease a shutter speed of at least 1/200. Is this rule for full size sensors only or it does not matter????
Michael,
Just an FYI, in your photos of the lenses you list the Sigma 30 as a Sigma 35. No biggie, but it might cause some confusion.
Just a suggestion, but maybe someone could add a lens sample archive section to the forum. I know there are other sites that have pretty food sample archives, but maybe it would help answer some of the "what lens should I buy?" questions.
Pretty good sample archives, not pretty food sample archives. never blog post before dinner:)
Its a great idea Adrian- The forum is about to have a major overhaul in the next couple weeks. Would like to improve on it- this is a great suggestion.
I have had the sigma 30mm for a year now and don’t ever take it off my camera. It is my all time favorite lens. Couldn’t do portraits without it!
Can you use a macro camera for portraits as well as close-up? I’ve never owned a macro lens.
@ Bill- Yes!
Hi Michael, I really like the look of the Tokina as it would get me my first macro, and be a good portrait lens. However, in looking at it, it says it can only go onto APS-C body, meaning if I ever got a full frame it couldn’t be used with it. Does this apply to the others you have listed here, and many lenses in general?
Sigma 30mm f/1.4 is very sharp on my 7D even wide open at f/1.4 I just love the bokeh. If I could have afforded the 35L f/1.4 I would have bought that but for $900 less I think it is a very close substitute. The problem with all the Canon non l is they are all so old. Canon needs to update there prime line up like Nikons. I love my Canon 85 f/1.8 why dont they have newer primes in the 30mm range with wider apertures!!!!!!
hi there michael, thanks for the info. I finally found some guidance to a decent portrait lens for my 7D. Could you maybe offer some opinion as to the use of the "beastie boys" –
EF 50mm F1.2 and the EF 85mm F1.2 as portrait lenses on the 7D. I know they are mighty expensive, but besides that, how do they compare? Thanks!
Though not reviewed here, I have a Sigma 28mm f1.8 Macro and I LOVE it. If money were no object i’d buy the canon 35 L f1.4 as i’ve rented it a few times, but the Sigma is great for portraits and with macro feature you get close, it’s sharp, produces good colors and I couldn’t ask for more. Oh and using it on a 40d, I had gone FF to 5d but went back to crop.
Great article, with very helpful photos.
Would love to have seen the 50mm 1.4 on the 7D for the sake of completeness.
Are the Aperture and Bokeh of the Sigma 30mm 1.4 worth the extra $160?
Michael – thank you once again for your great review. I come back to your site again and again even though I am a novice.
Thank you very much for this comparison of lenses! You did a great job making the information clear and the photos really help.
I am a new Mommarazzi, and I don’t want to be one of those newbies that goes crazy buying tons of lenses. I have been searching for a single lens to buy and use with my 60d for portraits (I love shooting young children, babies, and families).
I just want to thank you for all the work that went into this post! Great job!
Danielle Nunez
(www.daniellenunezphotography.com)
Michael,
Thank you SO MUCH for the awesome review! I don’t know that I would have ever considered the Tokina 35mm 2.8 Macro before seeing your review. What a GREAT lens at a great price. Thanks!