What are the best lenses for outdoor portraits? Watch as professional portrait photographer and Sony Artisan Miguel Quiles dives into this question in the video below, sharing his top three Sony lenses for an outdoor portrait session.
Product Preview – In This Article You'll Find:
–Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master II
–Sony 28-70mm f/2 G Master
–Sony 50mm f/1.2 G Master
1. Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master II
The lens at the top of Miguel’s list for outdoor portraits is the Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II. “If I was to look at all of the portraits that I’ve taken in the last decade, the majority of those images were taken with an 85mm prime lens,” he says. “It’s one of my favorite focal lengths for tight, close-up portraits, and when I’m outdoors it does a great job of compressing the background and giving me beautiful looking bokeh.”
The 85mm f/1.4 GM II is his favorite portrait lens right now because it does all of these things with world-class quality and features. “When I pair up this lens with any of the modern Sony camera bodies, especially with those that have the dedicated AI processing unit, the continuous tracking autofocus is consistent and reliable which lets me think more creatively about my compositions and connecting with my subject – and less on the technical side of things like worrying if my shots are in focus or not.”
Add the Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master II to your kit.
2. Sony 28-70mm f/2 G Master
In situations where Miguel needs a wider focal length a certain composition, he’ll reach for the second lens on his list – the Sony 28-70mm f/2 GM. “If I was to look at the overall history of the outdoor portraits that I’ve taken, I’m sure the majority of those images were taken with a prime lens…up until recently.”
He continues, “Sony has found this magical recipe with their zoom lenses where I’m getting the type of image quality that I expect to see from a prime lens, while having the versatility of shooting a zoom lens with multiple different focal lengths.”
Quiles says the 28-70mm GM covers the majority of focal lengths that he personally likes for outdoor portraits. In those specific situations where he wants to get some nice bokeh and subject separation from the background, this versatile lens always delivers. “If I could only take one lens with me for an outdoor session where I’m just freestyling and I’m seeing what I can come up with – this is the one that I’m reaching for.”
Add the Sony 28-70mm f/2 G Master to your kit.
3. Sony 50mm f/1.2 G Master
Next on the list is what Miguel calls the "King of bokeh" in the G Master lineup and one of the lenses he reaches for when he wants to blur the background – the Sony 50mm f/1.2 GM. “When I started out I sharpened my portrait skills using a 50mm lens,” he explains, “and what makes this one stand out for me specifically is that it not only gives me epic bokeh, but it also keeps my subject razor sharp.”
One remarkable thing for Quiles is the quality of autofocus with the 50mm f/1.2 GM, even wide open. “With this lens, I could put on Wide Area Continuous Autofocus and even at f/1.2, I know that my shots are going to come out great.”
Add the Sony 50mm f/1.2 G Master to your kit.
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