5 Great 70-200mm F2.8 Lenses That Will Make Your Portrait Shoots Easier
User friendly and versatile, these 70-200mm f2.8 zooms can make your portrait sessions easier.
Prime lenses are usually the go-to options when it comes to portrait photography. Primes offer faster aperture speeds than zooms, and they can be sharper due to less complicated designs. However, they aren’t as versatile as a good zoom. Also, constantly switching out lenses to achieve different looks can become a chore. This is where 70-200mm f2.8 zooms come into play in the portrait arena. 70-200mm zooms cover four loved portrait focal lengths. 85mm, 90mm, 105mm, and 135mm. You can switch between these focal lengths in a matter of seconds. Of course, you can even zoom past them too on to 200mm, where these zoom lenses will offer an incredible amount of compression and glorious bokeh. At f2.8, you give up speed over primes, but you gain versatility and a simplified workflow. Check out five of our favorite 70-200mm f2.8 zooms after the break.
Canon RF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM
In our review, we said:
“Not only is there image stabilization and exceptional build quality, but it’s got beautiful image quality. The bokeh is nice and creamy even though there are better portrait lenses on the market. The colors you’ll get are going to be much better than most of what you see on the market. And finally, with Canon’s great autofocusing abilities, you’re going to nail a shot in the dark. The Canon RF 70-200mm f2.8 L IS USM deserves high marks all around.”
Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief
Buy now: $2,699
Fujifilm XF 50-140mm f2.8
In our review, we said:
“Ah, the wonderful world of bokeh at f2.8. With seven rounded aperture blades, the 50-140mm f2.8 renders bokeh very nicely, which makes it great for portraitists, wedding photographers, and folks who hold bokeh as one of the essential elements of an image.”
Buy now: $1,599
These 85mm primes will certainly help you create fantastic images, but having great gear is only half the story. If you truly want to create a gorgeous portrait, you need to know the secrets of posing. Have your subject relax. Ask them to just be themselves. Give them a gentle pointers and build upon that. If you control every aspect of their pose, you’ll end up with an unnatural-looking image. Communicate your idea, and have your subject play around with it. You’ll find that you’ll get much more natural, organic captures this way.
Nikon 70-200mm F2.8 VR S
In our review, we said:
“With a 70-200mm lens that can focus as close as 1.64 feet away, photographers will have no problem getting delicious bokeh. The background melts away with this lens, drawing that much more attention to the sharp subject.”
Hillary Grigonis – Reviews Editor
Buy now: $2,596.95
Olympus 40-150mm f2.8 PRO
In our review, we said:
“We spent five days with this aggressively designed piece of glass. Among any of the Olympus zoom lens offerings that we’ve tested, the 40-150mm f2.8 PRO is the one that I loved the absolute most and almost didn’t want to send back. It’s lightweight, fairly small for what it is, fast to focus, offers crisp image quality, is weather sealed, and won’t fail you when working.”
Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief
Buy now: $1,499
Sony 70-200mm f2.8 OSS G Master
In our review, we said:
“My favorite way to test image quality is in the studio or in a studio setting. It’s where I’m most comfortable. Despite the fact that I prefer to work with small, light prime lenses, the 70-200mm f2.8 GM OSS is rather nice to use and delivers very solid image quality.”
Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief
Buy now: $2,298