Remember when I said that an 85mm lens will force you to stand farther away from your subject compared to a 50mm lens, assuming you use the same framing? So if you prefer the ultra-blurred look, an 85mm lens is a great buy. ThatвЂ™s the power of background compression. ItвЂ™s therefore important to realize: 85mm lenses have stronger background blur than 50mm lenses, even when the depth of field (and framing) remains the same. I explained that some photographers prefer a shallow depth of field, whereas others like to include greater detail. In the previous section, I discussed background blur and shallow depth of field effects. It increases the quality of the background blur, also known as bokeh.A tree might appear fully in a 50mm image but might barely feature in an 85mm image. It includes and excludes background features.Now, background compression has two important consequences: Do you know why?Д«ecause it was shot at 50mm! The second image, shot at 85mm, experiences more background compression, and therefore shows lessВ of the background. While the framing on the first image is slightly looser, even if I were to have created identical frames, youвЂ™d see moreВ of the road in the topmost image. Or they might display a small road slice: If youвЂ™re photographing a portrait subject in front of a road, the resulting images might display the whole road: This can be a confusing concept, so let me give you an example: Part of it has to do with the framing note that the girls are smaller in the 50mm photo compared to the 85mm photo, which leads to a slightly larger depth of field.Д«ut it also has to do with background compression. The cherry blossoms are fairly well blurred in both images, but the shape of the blossoms is more defined in the 50mm image, and the blossoms are significantly more blurred and creamy in the 85mm image. What do you see? You may notice that the background in the 85mm photo is farВ blurrier than the background in the 50mm photo. If you prefer a bit more texture in the background, you may want to consider the 50mm lens instead. If you find that you are always drawn to a creamier background, then the 85mm lens may be a better fit for you. This is purely subjective, so start making mental notes about which type of images you prefer when you look at other photographersвЂ™ work. However, when IвЂ™m photographing in the grass, I prefer the texture a 50mm lens provides: You may even find that you prefer different approaches in different situations! For example, I usually favor the more uniform bokeh of the 85mm lens. Some prefer the more uniform background blur that the 85mm lens offers, while other photographers prefer to have a little more background definition. Of course, everyone has a different preference when it comes to depth of field. So in a sense, an 85mm lens offers a shallower depth of field than a 50mm lens. However, if you stand in the same placeВ and shoot with a 50mm lens and an 85mm lens, the 85mm lens will take you closer to the subject вЂ“ and youвЂ™ll end up with a narrower depth of field (i.e., increased background blur). In other words, with identical framing, depth of field on a 50mm lens and an 85mm lens is equivalent. If you shoot a subject with a 50mm lens and an 85mm lens, yet use identical framing вЂ“ that is, adjust the composition so that the subjectвЂ™s face takes up the same amount of space in both shots вЂ“ the depth of field will remain consistent. On the other hand, if you gravitate toward full-body or even group shots, 50mm is ideal. You can capture beautiful, tight images from a reasonable distance, whereas headshots at 50mm can put you uncomfortably close. If you do a lot of headshots, 85mm is probably the better choice. Sure, you canВ get the same effect with an 85mm lens, but you have to back up farther, which (as I discuss below!) can cause problems. The wider, 50mm focal length lets you easily achieve environmental portraits that include interesting background features. Really, it all depends on your level of comfort and your style of shooting. Others prefer to keep the subject at a distance, and here, an 85mm lens will excel. Some photographers prefer to get up-close and personal when shooting portraits, in which case a 50mm lens is the better option. An 85mm lens offers the same framing from farther back. The most obvious difference between an 85mm lens and a 50mm lens is the reach to fill the frame with a subject at 50mm, youвЂ™ll need to get close. Hopefully, by the time youвЂ™re finished, youвЂ™ll know which focal length is right for you. IвЂ™m also going to share plenty of examples so you can see these two lens types in action. IвЂ™m going to share the pros and cons of photographing portraits with 85mm and 50mm lenses. Which lens is better, 50mm vs 85mm? ItвЂ™s a common question, but one without an easy answer after all, 50mm andВ 85mm lenses are both great вЂ“ it just depends on whatВ and howВ you like to photograph.

What is a 85mm lens good for