The humble 85mm has long been regarded as the go to portrait lens. I have one, a Sony 85mm f/1.8, it’s my favourite lens and yet I do not use it to take portraits with.
Much of my photography is travel, urban or landscapes and on the face of it, an 85mm is not the ideal lens, but there is some rationale behind this, so bear with me.
First however, we should look at some of the characteristics of the humble 85mm.
The Most Moderate Telephoto
The 50mm lens is known as a standard prime. This is because it is the focal length that most closely resembles our own eye’s field of view. With the exception of 60mm, the next major step up is the 85mm, this is the first step on the ladder of telephoto lenses.
What makes the 85mm the ideal portrait lens is its very moderate telephoto length, its mild but attractive compression and of course the fact that most 85mm’s are fast lenses.
The telephoto and compression aspect, add up to give humans an attractive, flattering look. The wide aperture, often f/1.8 or wider give us a sense of depth, attractive Bokeh and a shallow depth of field. Everything you need in a portrait lens. So why do I use it as a general walk about lens?
The Perfect Prime Time
For me, the 85mm is the perfect prime lens. Many might argue that the nifty fifty is a more versatile choice but for my own personal needs I would disagree.
Firstly, the 50mm being so close to the human field of view, can give us a somewhat staid and generic view of the world. Secondly because it is touted as “the” prime lens, it is often quite overused.
The 85mm, however, challenges you. Because it’s a little tighter you need to work at the compositions a little more. You need to use your feet to move in and out. You also need to think about how you can use that mild telephoto compression to your advantage.
The 85mm forces you into a new mindset in your photography. This is especially true for relative newcomers. They will be used to the standard “kit” lens, a 24-70mm, equivalent and often relatively slow. That extra 15mm at the telephoto end might not sound much but visually and aesthetically it’s a big difference.
Talking A Walk With The 85mm
Let’s have a look at some of the creative possibilities of the 85mm beyond the realms of portraiture. First, let’s look at landscapes. The mild compression can instill a sense of depth. Compressing distant hilltops or perhaps giving foreground interest an increased importance by virtue of its size.
In urban and cityscape photography we can use the 85mm for detail shots, shallow depths of field, to hint at iconic locations without showing them in the whole. They are great for abstracts, textures and symmetry, all commonly found in towns and cities.
Street photography is another great use for the 85mm. It allows the photographer to have a little distance for the subject. That disconnect means the subject is less likely to become conscious of you shooting and in turn give a more natural looking street image.
There are many other genres where an 85mm works. Flora and fauna are well suited to the lens’s compression. An 85mm will often focus quite closely allowing you to fill the frame.
The Perfect Video Lens
I use my 85mm a lot for video, in particular from a gimbal. Telephoto lenses in general do not work well on gimbals, any slight shake in the movement is magnified by the telephoto effect. However with the 85mm that magnification is minimal and so the lens works well on a gimbal.
Another reason for its suitability is that it is light. The lighter a lens, the easier it is to balance on a gimbal. Being a prime, it also removes the temptation to zoom the lens, and consequently unbalance the gimbal.
The 85mm for video has a very pleasing, cinematic look. Shooting wide open gives us very pleasing, shallow depth of field, something not found when shooting video on smartphones. It’s an ideal focal length for tracking subjects with the gimbal.
That fast aperture is also a real bonus when shooting in low light. In video bumping the ISO has a much more significant effect on image quality, especially noise, when compared to still images.
Restricting Yourself Opens Up Creativity
I have talked about this before and still believe it’s an important part of our photographic development. By restricting yourself to an 85mm on a shoot you will force yourself to become more creative.
You will not be able to simply zoom in or out to get the shot, instead, you will need to use your feet. Because of the 85mm moderate telephoto effect, you will find buildings too large to fit in and details too small.
This forces you to think more creatively, particularly in looking for foreground/background combinations and making depth of field decisions. It makes you look for subjects that are out of your normal comfort zone. In short it boosts creativity.
Should I Buy An 85mm
It’s a question that only you have the answer to. However, what I would say in favour is that they are generally very cheap lenses yet optically superb. They are light, versatile, fast and whilst they might not become your go to lens, they will be a very useful and well used addition to your camera bag.
For me, the best options are the f1.8 lenses. Sony for example does an 85mm f/1.4 as well as the f/1.8 but the price difference is extreme for little extra speed and image quality.
My compact, light Sony 85mm f/1.8 is one of the best lenses I have bought, its a traditional portrait lens that rarely gets used for portraits, yet I find it so versatile. It also inspires me to think creatively both for stills and video. That can only be a good thing.
