Top 5 Best Lens For Senior Portrait Photography: Reviewed 2021

Having a good lens is vital when it comes to photography like a professional. Camera lenses allow the photographer to take their photography skills on another level. If you don’t know know what the best lens for senior portrait is, then you have discovered the right place.

Taking pictures with formal attire and tying those memories in a photo has become the most favorite thing for young adults. And to take pictures like professionals, you require a good DSLR lens. Choosing the right and the best lens for your camera can be taught, but no worries, we are here to help you.

What are the top 5 best lenses for senior portraits?

A senior portrait is a professional photo that is taken by most young adults in today’s world, and they are using a senior photo in a new way. The youth are capturing their own individual style and what they are in a senior portrait. Did you ever wonder what the best lens for senior portraits is, here are to 5 best lenses that can be used for a senior portrait:

1. Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens

The Canon EF 50 mm is the first choice for photographers as it comes with a wide aperture at an affordable price. The Canon EF lenses are lightweight, and their weight is only 5.60 ounces. Indeed the Canon EF 50 mm is a great choice, but if you want a standard angle, then you should look for other lenses. The price range of this particular lens is around $126.

Why is this a top-pick?

The Canon EF is a small lens measuring 1.6 by 2.7 inches. This 5.60-ounce lightweight lens can support 49 mm front filters. You will find a stepping motor for a better focus for a senior portrait; it can provide you a smooth and quiet focus. It let you take a high-quality picture with a sharp lens. It also lets you take a picture of the object from a distance without perspective distortion. It comes with a long focal length to bokeh with a wide aperture.

Pros and Cons

Even though this lens contains so many useful features and is great for taking pictures like a professional, it still comes with a few disadvantages. So here are the pros and cons of the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens:

2. Sigma 18-35mm Art Lens f/1.8

If you want the best portrait lens ever, choosing Sigma lenses will not be a wrong decision. This zoom lens has an aperture of f/1.8. This is a great option for standard wide-angle zoom, which is designed for APS-C sensor cameras. The price range of Sigma 18-35 mm is near $675.

Why is this a top-pick?

Sigma 18-35 mm is an average sharp zoom lens with an f/1.8 wide open and wide aperture. Also, it can reduce and control chromatic aberration very well. It works great on bokeh, too, and when you stop at f/2, you can barely see the shading in the picture. If you buy this item, then you don’t have to worry about distortion while clicking a photo.

Pros and Cons

Just like all the lenses out there in the market, the Sigma 18-35mm also carries a few cons. Here are the pros and cons of the Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 Art DC HSM Lens:

3. 35mm F1.4 Art Lens with DG HSM from Sigma

The Sigma 35 mm is the first full-frame prime lens in the camera lens world, and it was first launched in 2013. This lens has a great sensor for clicking a clear and high-quality senior portrait. This item is affordable as well; their prices are ranging around $799.

Why is this a top-pick?

This Sigma 35 mm is a bit heavier than the other items; they are generally 1.47 lbs. The size of the whole lens is 3.7 by 3 inches, and the good part is they can support 67 mm front filters. The mixer of metal and polycarbonate is its barrel. Sigma 35 mm Art also comes with a reversible lens hood. The lens comes with two sensors of 20MP and 50MP, which allows the photographer to click a high-quality senior portrait. Overall the build-up of the whole lens is solid.

Pros and Cons

It’s common for a product to have pros and cons. Here are the pros and cons of the Sigma 35mm F1.4 Art DG HSM Lens:

4. Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN Art

The Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN Art comes with all the useful features that a photographer wants to have. This Sigma lens is great and a bit more expensive than lenses of the Sigma brand. It is weighing around 1.80 lbs which is unfortunately not lightweight.

Why is this a top-pick?

The Sigma 24-70 mm is a king of the mirrorless world and a great option for the SLR system. A camera like a Sony mirrorless is the ideal camera for the Sigma 24-70 mm lens. This is the first full-frame mirrorless lens, and it can take a high-quality picture like 60MP. The measurement of this lens is 4.8 by 3.5 inches, and it can support an 82 mm front filter. A body stabilization can be found in the lens but not the optical stabilization.

Pros and Cons

The Sigma 24-70 mm has many pros with a few cons. Here are the pros and cons of the Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN Art:

5. Nikkor 24-85mm Lens AF-S F/3.5-4.5G with ED VR from Nikon

The Nikon 24-85 mm is one of those budget-friendly camera lens models that provide full-frame coverage. You can use it as a circular polarization as the front element of the lens doesn’t rotate. These Nikon lenses were created for use with FX digital cameras, but the good thing is they also can fit on a DX camera. The price range is too low according to its features; it only cost around $700.

Why is this a top-pick?

The Nikon 24-85mm F/3.5-4.5G ED VR AF-S Nikkor Lens comes with a great sharp open and wide aperture which allows it to view 36-127 mm. The front part of the lens can’t rotate, and it can use 72 mm filters. The Nikon 24-85 mm creates loads of distortion, which can be fixed in software like Lightroom or other similar software. If you want a full-frame lens for your camera in the budget, then this Nikon lens is highly recommendable.

Pros and Cons

This Nikon lens contains so many useful features and is great for taking senior portraits like a professional. Here are the pros and cons of the NIKON 24-85mm F/3.5-4.5G ED VR AF-S Nikkor Lens:

Frequently Asked Question (FAQ)

1. Do senior pictures matter?

Yes, obviously, senior portraits matter as this is the time when they are going to spread their wings to fly high. Senior portraits are not only about taking pictures; it is a kind of celebration of how far they have come today. On the other hand, their senior photos are also a kind of celebration of what they are becoming in the near future. In shorts, a senior portrait is more than looking pretty in a picture.

2. How can I look better for senior photos?

Senior portraits are lifetime pictures that you only can take once and carry with you for the rest of your life. So even if the portrait is more important than looking pretty, we still know you want to look good in the picture. Wear simple cloth, no need to doll up, and wear any fancy dress. Pay attention to the color; choosing solid colors are advisable. Now give your favorite pose and say cheese!

3. Which type of cloth should I avoid for senior portraits?

Wearing something simple and not looking fancy in a senior portrait is recommended. Wearing any solid color is good but do not let the color take away all the attention from you. You should not wear any wrinkled cloth, mismatched cloth, or long sleeves. Not wearing any accessories is also suggested. You can wear a very simple neckline, but it would be better if you avoid things like layers.

4. Should you have different types of outfits for senior portraits?

Having three to four outfits for your senior portrait shoot is enough, but do not bring the same style in all the outfits; create variation. You can have a few styles in clothing, such as casual, semi-formal, formal, or dressy. Thus, you will be able to bring some variation that will help the photographer to take different style portraits. You can also use senior photos with formal outfits as a diverse portfolio of images.

5. Why are senior pictures so expensive?

It’s true that senior pictures are pretty expensive, and obviously, there are few effective reasons behind that. For taking a senior portrait, you require an exact time. It is a demanding job as the photo has to come to clear and high quality, and the photographer requires experience. Thus taking a senior portrait by a professional photographer is expensive.

6. Is there any specific that is best for taking senior portraits?

The best time to get a senior portrait is before two hours of the sunset, not only senior portraits; in fact, this is the best for any kind of photography. You can also call this photography period a golden hour as the sunlight gives you a golden light. The best time of the year to do photography in the golden hour is spring and fall.

7. What is the golden hour for photography?

The golden hour refers to the last two hours before the sun went set. Also, the first hour after the sun rises in the early morning is known as the golden hour. The other name of the golden hour is the magic hour, taking the best and gorgeous, you can use this golden hour.

Conclusion

So now you know what lens to use for senior portraits with your camera and why they are best. While selecting a zoom lens for cameras, consider things like sharpness, aperture, less distortion, and a vignette. Another option that you should look for is the focus of the lens.

These top 5 lenses are available both online and market, and they are budget-friendly as well. We really hope this review on lenses was helpful for you to find out the best lens for taking senior portrait photos. Enjoy clicking high-quality portraits.