Tokina USA contacted me with an exciting opportunity to be the first US portrait photographer to test out their new 50mm 1.4 FF opera lens. I put together a fun concept and took that baby out for a ride. I have not used a 50mm in so long. And I did a full shoot with just it.
Exposure: 1/800 sec; F/1.4; ISO 100 MANUAL
This project gave me goosebumps because it was like going back to the very beginning of my career. When I first started photography back in 2006, the Canon 50mm 1.4 was my only lens. I was obsessed with how beautifully it captured natural light. Fast forward to the beginning of my work with actors and magazines, I somehow completely moved away from the 50mm with the exception of rare uses here and there for family photos, trips and such.
Exposure: 1/1000 sec; F/1.4; ISO 100 MANUAL
What a beautiful piece of art this lens is! I shot wide open at f/1.4 for both close ups, and full length shots and it performed beautifully!
Exposure: 1/1000 sec; F/1.4; ISO 100 MANUAL
And the sharpness of these images? Unreal! At low light, after the sun had set, I was able to shoot at 1.4 aperture, 1/80 sec… hand held and it still was tack sharp. It is so great that even in very low light conditions, I can capture really high quality images because of the wide aperture.
Exposure: 1/1600 sec; F/1.4; ISO 100 MANUAL
Also, it has very little to no distortion, so it’s quite flattering for portrait photography. This lens is such a versatile lens! A portrait photographer’s dream, really! The shallow depth of field gives that yummy, dreamy and creamy look that I love. It brings the full attention to your subject because of its incredible foreground to background separation.
Exposure: 1/400 sec; F/1.4; ISO 160 MANUAL
And from the shots I captured you can see how it helps soften the light even with direct sun light. I’m a bit rusty since I have not shot that wide for a portrait shoot in a long time, but I had a blast testing it out and look forward to shooting with the Tokina 50mm 1.4 FF opera lens again.
Exposure: 1/400 sec; F/1.4; ISO 160 MANUAL
These shots are of the beautiful Geneva Grace. See more of her at @geneva__grace on Instagram!
Exposure: 1/250 sec; F/1.4; ISO 160 MANUAL
Thank you again Tokina USA for the opportunity, trust and love!
~ Amanda Peixoto-Elkins
See more of Amanda’s work at amandaelkins.com and follow her on Instagram at @amandapeixotoelkins