Portrait Photography How To

Which lens is better for portraits, a 35mm or 50mm prime lens? That's a question many photographers ask and one that Mitch Lally attempts to answer in the below lens comparison portrait test.

In the video, Lally captures his friend and model Swarali while using a 35mm f/1.8 lens on a Canon EOS RP and a 50mm f/1.8 lens on a Canon EOS R6.

"These are two affordable primes that Canon brought out recently and I wanted to compare the two," Lally says. "If you guys don't know, 35mm is not really a portrait lens but I really like it for shooting portraits. The 50 millimeter is more of a traditional portrait lens. So, I think somebody who's getting into photography might like to see a comparison between the two."

After Lally photographs Swarali with both lenses in portrait sessions at different locations, he shares the photos he captured to analyze the results.

"I actually found myself gravitating to the 50 more," he admits. "I'm not sure whether it was the location or just the fact that it was on the Canon R6, and I feel more comfortable shooting on the R6 vs the RP. I’m not really sure but I think we got some really nice images and I'd be keen to hear what you guys think."

Check out the video below that features behind-the-scenes footage of Lally's time photographing his model in outdoor settings. And then let us know in the comments which of the two prime lenses you felt did better for portraits.

If you're interested in more lens comparisons, check out this video where photographer Jessica Whitaker compares a 35mm vs a 50mm vs an 85mm lens, and this epic lens shooutout where Julia Trotti pits a 24mm vs a 35mm vs 50mm vs an 85mm vs a 135mm lens.