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Here’s what it looks like to shoot portraits with a 500mm f/4 lens

Jun 13, 2018 by Dunja Djudjic 15 Comments

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When you think of a 500mm lens, shooting portraits probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. Still, Keydrin Franklin used it for this unordinary purpose. He tested out how Sigma 500mm f/4 performs in portrait photography, and in this video, you can see some examples and hear his impressions.

Keydrin shot with a Sony A9 and a Sigma 500mm f/4 DG OS HSM for Nikon. He used a Sigma MC-11 lens adapter so he can attach the lens to his Sony camera. When it comes to lighting, he used a Godox AD600Pro and a Flashpoint eVOLV 200 with softboxes. Here are a couple of shots:

This lens is generally used for sports and wildlife photography. But as you can see, it does a great job for portraits as well. The level of background separation is unreal and the subject really pops in the images.

On the minus side, with a lens like this, you need to stand pretty far away from the subject. This can be impractical for portraits because it can be difficult to direct the model when you’re far away. Manny Ortiz often mentions this problem, even though the portraits can really look good when taken with telephoto lenses.

Keep in mind that Sigma 500mm f/4 is kinda heavy and it’s expensive, so there’s probably no point in buying it if you’re not shooting wildlife or sports. But if you own it or want to rent it for some wildlife or sports photography, I suggest you also try shooting portraits with it.

[OMG… HE USED A SIGMA 500MM F/4 FOR PORTRAITS WITH THE SONY A9 |Keydrin Franklin]

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Related posts:

This is what it looks like to shoot portraits with $12.8K Leica 75mm NOCTILUX f/1.25 lens This is what it looks like to shoot portraits at absurd 900mm Nikon announces development of lightweight and compact 500mm f/5.6 lens Nikon officially releases a super-lightweight and compact 500mm f/5.6 lens, priced at $3,600

Filed Under: Inspiration Tagged With: 500mm, Keydrin Franklin, Sigma 500mm f/4

Dunja Djudjic: from diyphotography.net

About Dunja Djudjic

Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

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Udi Tirosh: from diyphotography.netUdi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.

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Dunja Djudjic: from diyphotography.netDunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

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