Photographer friends who use Nikon cameras. Can you suggest a good portrait lens?

I do photography as a hobby and am trying to find a good potrait lens.

100 mm

Crop or full frame?

Either a 85mm or a 105mm. Quality depends on the depth of your pockets.

The best portrait lens is a 70-200 f2.8. Yes, many will recommend prime lenses like a 50mm, 85 f/1.4 or the like. But when you consider the versatility of the 70-200 f/2.8 vs a prime, the choice should be obvious. Simply put, a zoom like the 70-200 will prevent you from missing shots because you had the wrong lens on your camera.

Many make the mistake of thinking that in order to get that creamy blurred out background, that you have to use a lens with a super-large aperture like f/1.4. The idea that you can't blur out backgrounds with f/2.8 is just ridiculous. I would strongly recommend that your first portrait lens be a 70-200 f/2.8, and then if, and only if, you find that you need a shallower depth of field, then go with a prime like a 50mm f/1.4 or 85mm f/1.4.

What most beginners don't realize is that a lot of portraits are not shot anywhere near f/1.4, but instead are often shot at around f/5.6~f/8. Shooting a portrait with the groom behind the bride at f/2.8 or even f/4 isn't going to produce enough depth of field to get both people in focus.

Go to photozone.de to compare the various 70-200 f/2.8 lenses on the market. The latest Nikon version is the best, but at $2,600 it may not be worth it since other lenses from Tamron are extremely close but at a fraction of the price. Photozone.de shows you actual numbers for lens sharpness so you can decide if spending an additional $1,000 on a Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 is worth it or not.

Try shooting portraits with your kit lens at 35mm and then at 55mm. If you feel comfortable at 35mm then get 35mm prime. If you are satisfied with what you get at 55mm then go for a 50mm prime. If you think that 55mm is better but still too close for you, get an 85mm prime.

For more versatility, try an 18-105mm. You can still blur backgrounds with it and with the smaller aperture sizes to work with, DOF will be greater increasing the chances of getting the whole subject in focus. If just a portrait lens but more versatile than a prime, get a something around the range of an 80-200mm, f/2.8 if possible.

It's going to boil down to what you feel personally comfortable using and what results you prefer personally, whether you shoot with a cropped sensor or a full size sensor. I've had occasion to use a 50 f/1.4, an 85mm f/2.8, and my trusty not-too-dusty 35-70mm f/2.8 (it's an old Nikon push/pull to zoom in/out lens) at the 35mm, 50mm and 70mm marks and I've also used my 70-200mm f/2.8 (at about the 100mm and the 200mm marks). It all really depends on the circumstances, the situation, the area, the obstructions, or sometimes it boils down to idiosyncrasies or plain whims.

For example, when I NEED to carry light, I carry both cameras, one with the 35-70mm lens, and the other with the 70-200mm lens so all I do is switch cameras rather than fumble, juggle and risk dropping a lens while in a rush. At home, or at the subject's home, or at a reception hall I usually take the time to use my prime lenses, if I'm not rushed (whereupon I resort to my zoom lenses); personally, I prefer to use my prime lenses.

What I suggest is that you use your kit lens at the focal settings you most comfortable using; that's one of the advantages of zoom lenses, you can use a variety of focal distances. Sooner than later, you'll have an idea of what to focus your attention on getting for your next lens, as YOU realize YOUR own personal needs. For the time being, check out Youtube.com and see the videos on taking portraits and portraits lenses so you can get some new ideas and a few suggestions to try out.