Which lens for cosplay shoots?

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  • In my short time using my 24-105mm Canon L Lens, I've found the bokeh to be too weak sometimes for a full body subject. Portrait / Torso only, the bokeh is pretty strong but would anyone recommend me a better all-around lens?

    I had a 70-200mm for only a week or so, but never got to test it on full body / portrait subjects. Would this be a good lens?

  • You're not going to get great bokeh for full body shots, especially if the background is not ridiculously far back, no matter what lens you use. With that said, the Sigma 85mm 1.4 is really good based on the endless samples I've seen.

  • Agree with the above poster. For full body shots, it's usually more a factor of how far the background is if you're looking for strong bokeh. I have the 24-105 used on my full-frame Canon 6D. I sold almost all my other lenses so I could get that as my all around lens and rarely use my 70-200 f2.8 anymore other than dedicated headshot sessions.

    Which camera are you using it on? If it's APS-C that may be a factor but even then I think that's only giving up like 1.5 stops worth or so.

  • [QUOTE=WonJohnSoup;4869820]Agree with the above poster. For full body shots, it's usually more a factor of how far the background is if you're looking for strong bokeh. I have the 24-105 used on my full-frame Canon 6D. I sold almost all my other lenses so I could get that as my all around lens and rarely use my 70-200 f2.8 anymore other than dedicated headshot sessions.

    Which camera are you using it on? If it's APS-C that may be a factor but even then I think that's only giving up like 1.5 stops worth or so.[/QUOTE]

    I use it on a 6D as well, although there are times the 24-105 isn't that ideal. Wish I had the luxury of multiple lenses, but I only really want to get a general purpose lens, and either a macro (figure photography) or telephoto lens. Would you say this is the lens for cosplay photography? Thanks for the help.

    The 70-200 L I used for a short while seemed to give me a much stronger bokeh than the 24-105 IMO. Also I thought that maybe my subjects would be more comfortable if I were further away since this lens has a good zoom capability.

  • I have my cosplay portfolio attached in my signature if you want to see samples. I would say 95% of it is with the 24-105 f4L. I personally think it's the go to lens on full frame for everything including video because of the IS. Only thing I don't like is lack of a zoom creep lock and noisy noisy IS which can ruin some video shots if you're not recording off camera.

    There are several 70-200 lenses. I have the f2.8. If you were shooting at 200mm, that's twice the crop of 105mm, more or less, plus the 2.8, giving you about 2 stops of effective extra bokeh (the physical reality doesn't work this way, but I'm simplifying it, for all the photogs who just smashed their keyboards at what I just typed).

    The problem with a 70-200 for full body shots is one, you have to stand significantly further back and two, standing further back gives you a different perspective on the body compared to wider angles. This is good or bad depending on your intended composition. I tend to shoot around 35-50mm for full body shot so I can stand closer and give that more intimate feel. Do you have a sample link of a fully body shot with the 70-200? We may be able to help break it down for you as to why it looks the way it looks, especially bokeh and how far the subject had to be from the background and camera.

    I personally think the 24-105 is an amazing lens and partly why I switched to full frame.

    Hope that helps!

  • You can try a 50mm 1.4 or 50mm 1.2 from Canon. Also there are third party manual lens.

  • If you want bokeh, use a prime.

    If you have the money, the 85/1.2 L has the most beautiful bokeh in the Canon line. But it's hella expensive.

    On the shorter and cheaper side, I really like what the 50/1.4 gives off.

  • Hello AUR,
    I think that it's all related at the composition that you want to make. If I have to take close portraits (I've a Canon 550d) I could use one of the following:

    Canon 30 mm F2
    Canon 50 mm F1.8
    Tamron 17-50 F2.8 (my favorite)

    I still think that 90% of the composition is made by the skills of the photographer and the rest by the camera.

    Franz

  • Sorry to hijack this thread but I am in a similar bind.

    I use a nikon d3100 and I am a total scrub wanting to get better. I recently found a Nikon AF-S Micro-Nikkor 60mm f/2.8G ED for $50 at a yard sale. I don't know much about cameras but I was excited to see something I could use on mine, and I know that it is worth way more.

    I was hoping to get some use out of it, but I am not really sure what I can do. I know that the camera is really meant for micro shots as the name implies. Would the 60mm be helpful for cosplay pictures?

    Also, I ordered a 50-200mm lens as well.

  • Generally, macro lenses have pretty good glass, so you should expect decent image quality from it. And, you absolutely CAN use it for non-macro shots; a macro lens just has the benefit of a very close minimum focal distance (mfd), so you can focus on things that are right up next to the front element.

    60mm on a crop-sensor camera will be great for head and bust shots, maybe a little long for full-length portraits indoors, but will be fine for full-length and wider shots outdoors or in any large space where you have room to work.

    Use it and enjoy it. Sounds like a good find.

  • You cannot take a proper photo at a con without a short to medium zoom.

  • [QUOTE=KVN;4917549]You cannot take a proper photo at a con without a short to medium zoom.[/QUOTE]

    No? Most of mine are with the 70-200. Feel free to browse the EXIF data on my flickr, it's all intact.

    Perhaps you meant to say, "A short to medium zoom is very useful for hallway snapshots in a crowded con."

  • [QUOTE=nathancarter;4917590]No? Most of mine are with the 70-200. Feel free to browse the EXIF data on my flickr, it's all intact.

    Perhaps you meant to say, "A short to medium zoom is very useful for hallway snapshots in a crowded con."[/QUOTE]

    A 70-200 is severely limiting outside of the 70-80mm range or so. Even at those focal lengths you are only getting about half the body and that's only on full frame. What's the point? A 17-50 or 24-75 takes care of most of your needs from crowded hall shots to more advanced posing and closeups. If you need bokeh then slap on a 50mm and shoot wide open in a bigger space.

  • I shoot most of mine with a 70-200 as well.

    What exactly are the consequences of my photos being "not proper", KVN?

  • I use the focal length that works for the shot I need. Sometimes it's wide, sometimes it's not. Making a broad statement using absolute terms like "cannot" is just silly. Maybe you like a wide zoom; I prefer my telephoto zoom.

    This is with the 70-200 f/4L at 100mm at DragonCon. A wide zoom simply would not have worked here - just out of the frame on either side, there are trash cans, umbrellas, passersbys, other cosplayers and photographers, and hobos. The long focal length allowed me to eliminate a lot of background clutter.

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/oTP4R9][img]https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5556/15026173398_c784a0b81d_b.jpg[/img][/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/oTP4R9]DragonCon_20140831_00404.jpg[/url] by [url=https://www.flickr.com/people/53978192@N08/]nathancarter[/url], on Flickr


    Indoors with the 70-200 at 70mm - again, using a longer focal length to minimize background clutter. Yes, you need a little room to work. But to say it "cannot" be done is simply not correct.

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/oTN9gq][img]https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3865/15025993150_e9b6020c75_b.jpg[/img][/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/oTN9gq]DragonCon_20140830_00284.jpg[/url] by [url=https://www.flickr.com/people/53978192@N08/]nathancarter[/url], on Flickr