is this a good portrait lens?
1654586
That's a difficult question to answer because there are different kinds of portraits and it depends on what you want to do. Personally I'd say it can take decent portraits (used at 50mm), but a 50mm or 85mm prime would be better because of the faster aperture and because prime lenses generally have slightly better optics than zooms (because they're more "optimized"). If you want a one-lens solution and aren't super picky, it could do just fine. My two cents.
1654587
It wouldn't be my first choice for a portrait lens due to the nature of the wide angle (17-25mm Range). In many cameras you will get a slight bending of the image especially in the corners. A fixed (prime) lens between 50-100mm would be a better choice. A very good lens would be Canon's 85mm f-1.8.Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Medium Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras - Fixed
1654588
here is a link to flicker group judge for yourslef look for the portrait tag http://www.flickr.com/groups/37412600@N00 http://www.flickr.com/groups/tamron17-50mm this is a solid aperture lens F/2.8 thru out the range 17mm thru 50mm this lens amazing do it all lens from portraits,,, travel and low light
855771
The lens you have would be perfect for the family portrait. I use my 35mm for most of my work.
2069807
This is a great portrait lens. I would say a mixture of 50mm and 85mm would do. This is a great lens !
209644
This lens on a full frame will distort the face a little bit. If you want a good "close shots of people" lens. I would suggest an 85mm. Also known as "the best "portrait lens. You could get away with using a 50mm but, you'll have slight distortion of facial features. I'd suggest taking multiple shots at different distances. If your shooting on one of the rebel series cameras or 60d, 7d or any of the crop sensor (APS-C) cameras you'll be okay. Because of crop factor (1.6) you'll have a relatively close focal range. (50x1.6=80). If your confident with manual focus, there's a bunch of budget 85mm lenses available here on Amazon for around the same price
1241570
This lens is wonderful for portraits. The focal length gives you lots of reach and at 70mm @f4 you have decent bokeh, the only gripe that someone could have about it for a portrait is the fact that it only goes down to f4 which means you dont have that beautiful shallow depth of field that really works nicely in portraits.
1891731
This is an excellent portrait lens. It has wonderful 'bokeh' and with the f/2.8 allows for a very narrow DOF if desired. The macro is good as it allows you to get very close without making any changes to the lens. I find the focussing to be quite smooth and quick, especially compared to my 18 - 300mm lens.
1241573
The lens is very sharp and clear. The minimum distance may be an issue for portraits. 5-6 feet at minimum zoom.If you have the room to shoot then yes. I purchased the lens for mainly aviation action shots. Moving and stationary.I'm very happy with it.
1891736
I've used for portraits in a pinch. It does the job, but you have to stand back a bit. You're better off using your kit lens if you have it available. Much easier.
1652036
It will have no problem as a portrait lens. Though, the focus will be slow as it will hunt for focus sometimes through the entire distance range (due to lack of focus range lock). It can be annoying at times. However, it's relatively a small price to pay for a great macro lens that can also periodically serve as a decent portrait lens.
874544
Absolutely. It is my favorite portrait lens on both crop and full frame bodies. All of my best portrait shots were taken with this lens.
2054215
The best way to answer your question is to ask what you're using it for. If you are using it for portraits of family members, I prefer this over the 50mm. However, if you are looking for point and shoot lenses, this is not the one for you.
1856380
It is an excellent lens for landscape photography. Light, sharp, relatively inexpensive, takes filters. You can get marginally better iq if you want to pay twice or 3 times as much
621854
I use the 100mm mostly for close-up work but it's good for portrait shots, too. I use my 50mm prime lens for "general purpose," every day type photography. The 100 brings objects too close under normal circumstances. I'm VERY pleased with this lens and highly recommend adding it to your outfit. It does come in handy.
2000792
Sure, that's a nice lens for most portraiture. If you're shooting up close to a particular individual, you may want a slightly longer lens - say the 85mm. If you get super close with a 35mm you'll get a slightly more prominent nose. The 85 will compress the features and flatten the face a bit, giving a nicer shot. For groups this is perfect.
1650135
No.... get a 70-200 f2.8 nikkor or sigma if your on a budget. That lens is sharp but is not suited to portrait work.
2058088
It is a lovely lens, but I cannot see it (or any lens) doing really well with low light and fast action. I use it for landscape photography, where things kindly hold still.
2236918
It's ok but not great, for daily use i would recommend a 24-105mm, for landscape 17-40mm or 16-35mm, or course your gonna add a few hundred bucks for those lenses but it's worth, I have one of these (28-135) I rarely use it... I don't even know where it is right now... but i have one. If you're really gonna do photography try to invest on a few good lenses...