Lenses
5 Powerhouse Portrait Lenses for Mirrorless & DSLR
November 10, 2022
Whether you’re in the market for a lens that can deliver classic portrait looks or just ready to upgrade an old favorite, these third-party portrait lenses are worth a look.
Third-Party Portrait Lenses for Mirrorless and DSLR Portrait Photographers:
1. SIGMA 85mm F/1.4 DG HSM
Great for: Classic portrait looks, natural light photography
Mounts: Canon EF, Sigma SA, Nikon F
Sigma’s Art series is known for excellent resolving power and dreamy bokeh. The 85mm’s 9-blade aperture opens wide (really wide) to deliver extremely shallow depth of field, but can stop down to f/16 if you need less light. Autofocus is driven by a quiet Hyper Sonic Motor but thanks to its full-time manual focus override, you can always dial in additional focus tweaks. Its dust- and splash-resistant build make it a reliable companion on location.
Price: $1,199
2. TAMRON 35mm F/2.8 Di III OSD M1:2 (Model F053)
Great for: Environmental portraits
Mount: Sony E
One of the hallmarks of Tamron’s 35mm E-mount lens is it’s ability to focus up close, with a minimum object distance of 5.9 inches. It’s excellent for photographing subtle details and group portraits alike. The lens’ seven-blade circular aperture stops down to f/22. It supports a fair number of Sony’s autofocusing features including Eye AF, Fast Hybrid AF and in-camera lens corrections, among others. As you’d hope in a mirrorless lens, it’s relatively lightweight at 7.4 ounces but still features moisture resistant construction for when you need to battle through inclement weather.
Price: $979
3. ZEISS TOUIT F/2.8/50M
Great for: Tight portraits, macros
Mount: Sony E (APS-C) and Fujifilm X
Looking for great portrait lenses? Another wide-angle winner, the Touit, is no slouch in the close-focusing department, delivering a 1:1 maximum reproduction ratio and a focusing distance of just over 6 inches. It uses Zeiss’ T* anti-reflective coating to minimize glare. The autofocus system supports all of the autofocusing features found on Sony E and Fujifilm X camera bodies and there’s a manual aperture ring for when you want to be a bit more hands on with your exposure (you can stop down to f/22).
Price: $999
4. ROKINON 24-70mm F/2.8 AF FULL-FRAME ZOOM
Great for: Tight spaces and budgets
Mount: Sony E
If mirrorless zooms are more your thing, Rokinon’s 24-70mm passes through a few portrait-friendly focal lengths and is able to maintain subject focusing, and its maximum aperture, while zooming. Filmmakers will appreciate its Cinematic Video AF mode which helps to minimize camera shake during recording. There’s also a Linear MF Focus Control model which adjusts the torque of the focus ring to mimic a manual lens. You can program the lens’ custom switch to trigger manual focusing or aperture adjustments (among other customizable functions). The 24-70mm features nine aperture blades that stop down to f/22.
Price: $849
5. VENUS OPTICS LAOWA 105mm F/2
Great for: Shallow depth of field/natural light portraits
Mount: Canon EF, Pentax K, Nikon F, Sony A
This DSLR lens uses an apodization element to create smooth bokeh while controlling incoming light. It consists of two sets of aperture diaphragms: one with eight blades, the other, 14. This rather unconventional optical design functions as a radially graduated neutral density filter, which Venus says limits the light transmission to a T-stop value of 3.2, while permitting the depth of field and selective focus qualities of an f/2 lens. You’ll control both depth and field and focus manually. It can focus on objects roughly 3 feet away.
Price: $699
Honorable Mention: For Medium-Format Fans
TT ARTISAN 90mm F/1.25
Great for: Dreamy depth of field
Mounts: Leica M, Fujifilm GFX, Hasselblad X1D, L-Mount, Nikon Z, Sony E, Canon RF
This incredibly fast manual telephoto lens can stop down to f/16, with a clicked aperture ring guiding you across f-stops. It sports a reversible lens hood design to protect the lens when extended and then make it more compact when you’re packing up. There’s a tripod socket to give you additional support when shooting (at 2.2 pounds, you may want it). The M mount version ships with a small screwdriver to adjust the rangefinder coupling.
Price: $515
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