These Are the BEST Lenses for Portraits, According to Mango Street (VIDEO)

Portrait lenses come in all shapes and sizes but some particular focal lengths, many photographers would argue, are better than others. In the below video, Rachel and Daniel from Mango Street weigh in with what they consider to be the best lenses for portrait photography.

In the video, the pair take portraits with a variety of lenses, ranging from a 24mm f/1.4 prime to a 70-200mm f/2.8 zoom and show how the different focal lengths and apertures affect the look of the portraits. During their test, they photograph model Jasmine in several settings.

"We don't want to tell you what lens is best for portraits, we just wanted to give you examples of what each lens looks like and then let you make your own decisions," Rachel says. "For us, I think our favorite lens, as I mentioned, is the 35, we also really like the 24, and anything that makes us feel closer to our subjects."

Daniel concurs.

"The tighter lenses have their place and everything, but I just feel the style that we like to shoot that's generally the more intimate, closer to the subject and get more of the subject in the frame," he adds. "So that's why we always recommend having a wide lens in your arsenal, especially if you shoot with a crop sensor camera."

Watch the video below and let us know which lens you like best for portraits. Then go visit and subscribe to Mango Street's YouTube channel for more awesome photography videos.

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