Whenever the 85mm focal length is mentioned, most photographers immediately think about portrait photography. While it’s definitely among the first focal lengths that portrait photographers reach for, there’s more to it than that. It actually comes pretty handy for other types of photography as well!
In the video above, Sydney, Australia-based Pat Kay shares his insights on why the 85mm works great for almost every photography genre. However, he also first clarifies that he refers to 85mm prime lenses for Full Frame cameras. Then, he covers some basic facts about this focal length, how it’s used based on its characteristics and build, then how he uses it for a wide range of photography. Hopefully, these tidbits of information will inspire you to experiment with other genres if you already have this lens.
Of course, we can’t talk about 85mm and not mention compression. In fact, it’s one of the reasons why many photographers love to use this focal length for outdoor portraits. In case you’re new to the term, Kay also gives a quick explanation for that. The combination of the compression with shallow depth of field, he notes, is what primarily draws him to the 85mm. He finds it effective for street photography and landscape photography, although it’s not among the traditional focal lengths for the genres.
Do you agree with the points and insights Pat Kay mentioned above? Share your thoughts in the comments below, or in our group discussions if you’ve already joined the Photofocus Community!
Love my 85!
I have an old book from the Leica school and one of the lessons for new photographers was to put a 90mm (close enough to 85mm) lens on the camera and shoot every picture with it for a while. The premise being that too many people don’t exclude the superfluous content in their photos, so working with such a narrow view should make you seek out the true subject.
It’s a good exercise that I still do often even after 50 years.
Thank for this most timely video on the 85mm because its a prime I’ve been thinking about as adding to my collection.
But there are two I am after.
The Canon FD 85mm 1.4 lens for Canon A-1 film camera and the equivalent for my Canon EOS 70D.
But that’s huge bucks to pay out for lil ol me so plenty of saving needed.