Select lens for portrait bokeh & DOF
Select the options that fit your scenario best and click "Get My Recommendations". The tool will populate a comprehensive recommendation with product suggestions, advice, and supporting information based on your exact selections in real-time. Designed by an enthusiast in the category. Feel free to try it out as many times as you want!
Select the best lens focal length, aperture, and type for portrait photography based on subject, background, camera sensor, and style to achieve creamy bokeh and controlled depth of field.
Helps portrait photographers choose lenses for headshots, environmental, or group work.
We ask for camera sensor size, portrait style, desired bokeh quality, max aperture preference, focal length range, budget level, and current issue because these determine ideal focal length and aperture (e.g., 85mm f/1.4 on full frame for creamy bokeh). These inputs achieve flattering portraits with controlled depth of field. Limitation: the tool uses standard DOF formulas and crop factor approximations; actual bokeh character (swirl, onion rings) is subjective and lens-specific.
Portrait Lens Selection Guide
Recommended Lens
Based on your inputs for group portraits with a preference for soft and creamy bokeh, I recommend the following:
Explanation of Key Concepts
1. Depth of Field (DOF) Formula
The depth of field is influenced by several factors: aperture, focal length, and distance from the subject. The basic formula is:
[ DOF = \frac{2 \cdot N \cdot c \cdot D^2}{f^2} ]
Where:
As you open your aperture (lower f-stop number), the DOF decreases, creating that soft, creamy bokeh effect you're after.
2. Crop Factor
Crop factor is important for understanding how focal lengths translate across different sensor sizes. For full-frame sensors, the crop factor is 1.0. This means a 35mm lens behaves as a 35mm lens, providing the intended field of view.
3. Bokeh Characteristics
Bokeh refers to the quality of the out-of-focus areas in a photograph. A lens with a rounded aperture blade design and a wide maximum aperture (like f/1.4) typically produces smoother and more aesthetically pleasing bokeh, enhancing the soft and creamy look you desire.
Alternatives
Alternative 1
This lens provides a wider field of view, which can be beneficial for group portraits in tighter spaces while still achieving a beautiful, creamy bokeh.
Alternative 2
Although slightly longer, this option allows for excellent isolation of subjects with a nice bokeh effect, making it a versatile choice for various portrait situations.
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The Tool Collective are a group of diverse and talented hobbyists on a mission to create thousands of ultra specific, and helpful decision making tools that help others who share our passions and interests. Whether they help with buying decisions, or give you expert level advice for techniques or methods, we will make it. When it comes to photography, most of us are amateur to enthusiast level photographers. We fell in love with capturing our adventures and travels, whether we are capturing scenic views and wedding photos, or filming our outdoor sports like mountain biking or skiing, we always have some form of camera with us. Here is a batch of highly useful and intelligent decision tools to help you pick the perfect lens or level-up your camera setup so it's perfect for your exact use case. Enjoy!
Made with The Tool Collective's signature model. We combine an AI engine which process the user's input choices and runs it through our specifically designed logic and reasoning parameters for that tool to curate a precise and organized output. An enthusiast knowledgeable in the tool category designs the tools inputs and input choices, writes custom logic parameters, and defines the output format and requirements. The AI engine powers the system and creates a lightning fast, highly intelligent decision tool, which is always up-to-date with current pricing and publicly available information on whatever the tool is designed for. Combines all of the internets resources into one.
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