The Best Deals on Portrait Lenses for Full-Frame Mirrorless Cameras

Portraiture is an extremely popular genre of photography, and like wildlife and sports photography, it comes with relatively stringent gear demands. You typically need a standard or telephoto lens with a fast aperture, like a 50mm f/1.4 or 85mm f/1.8 lens. But fast glass doesn’t have to break the bank thanks to these great deals.

The Best Deals on Portrait Lenses for Nikon Z Mount

Nikkor Z 35mm f/1.2 S

The Nikon Nikkor Z 35mm f/1.2 S is a bit wider than a traditional portrait lens, but its ultra-fast f/1.2 aperture makes it a great choice for environmental portraits. Even noted 35mm hater Chris Niccolls couldn’t bring himself to hate this lens.

With $400 in instant savings, the Nikkor Z 35mm f/1.2 S is down to $2,596.95. That’s still very pricey, of course, but it’s a stellar lens. Arguably it’s among the very best lenses on the Nikon Z mount.

Nikkor Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena

Speaking of incredible Nikon Z lenses, the Nikkor Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena is a portrait powerhouse. This lens is $400 off, bringing the price down to $2,196.95. This lens delivers out-of-this-world bokeh. It’s seriously incredible.

Nikkor Z 85mm f/1.2 S

While this lens didn’t get a special name like “Plena,” the Nikkor Z 85mm f/1.2 S is yet another incredible portrait prime for Nikon Z-mount. You pay for the quality, though. Even with a $200 discount, the lens is still just under $2,800.

Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.8 S

So you want to take portraits with your Nikon mirrorless camera, but you don’t have over $2,000 to spend on a fast prime lens? That’s no problem. One of the first three lenses Nikon released when it debuted its Z6 and Z7 mirrorless cameras was the Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.8 S. Years later, it’s still very good. It’s also $200 off right now, bringing its price down to a budget-friendly $466.95.

Nikkor Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S Macro

Although the Nikon Nikkor Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S is built for macro photography and is very good at it, but it is also an excellent portrait lens thanks to its ideal focal length, impeccable sharpness, and pleasing bokeh. At $896.95 thanks to a $250 discount, it’s also a darn good deal.

Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S

While Nikon’s new 24-70mm f/2.8 S II is exceptional, the original 24-70mm f/2.8 S is a very good lens. It’s versatile and plenty fast for many portrait scenarios. If you don’t want to lock yourself into a prime but still want something fast, this is it. It’s $1,996.95 right now after a $550 instant savings, which makes it $800 cheaper than the new “Mark II” version.

Zeiss Otus ML 50mm f/1.4 and Otus ML 85mm f/1.4

The manual focus Zeiss Otus ML 50mm f/1.4 and Otus ML 85mm f/1.4 lenses for Nikon Z are both $500 right now. The Otus ML 50mm f/1.4 is now $1,999, and there’s no obvious end date for the discount. The Otus ML 85mm f/1.4 is down to $2,499, although B&H says the offer ends on September 13 at 11:59 PM ET.

The Best Deals on Portrait Lenses for Canon RF Mount

Canon RF 135mm f/1.8 L IS USM

Canon RF mount has many outstanding portrait primes, but the RF 135mm f/1.8 L IS USM is among the best. You do pay for the quality, though. But right now, you pay $400 less than usual. The Canon RF 135mm f/1.8 L IS USM is $1,999 now.

Canon RF 28-70mm f/2 L USM

Among the most influential lenses of the mirrorless era, (https://petapixel.com/2025/12/07/the-canon-rf-28-70mm-f-2-is-among-the-most-influential-optics-of-the-last-25-years/) the Canon RF 28-70mm f/2 L USM is just as good now (https://petapixel.com/best-canon-rf-lenses/) as it was when it was introduced in 2018. It’s superb. It’s also $200 off, bringing its price down to a still-pretty-high $3,199. There’s no way around it; a lens this special is gonna cost you.

Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM

70-200mm f/2.8 telephoto zoom lenses are great for portraits and a bunch of other things, too. The Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM, not to be confused with the newer “Z” version, is compact, lightweight, and super sharp. It’s $2,799 now thanks to a $200 discount.

Voigtländer Nokton 50mm f/1 Aspherical

Third-party options for full-frame RF lenses are highly limited thanks to Canon banning any of them that have autofocus. But portrait photographers don’t necessarily need autofocus. But they do need speed, and the Voigländer Nokton 50mm f/1 has that in spades. An f/1 aperture is nuts, and it’s also $1,399 after a $450 discount. Dreamy bokeh, baby!

Zeiss Otus ML 50mm f/1.4 and Otus ML 85mm f/1.4

Speaking of manual focus, those Zeiss Otus ML 50mm f/1.4 and Otus ML 85mm f/1.4 lenses are on sale for Canon RF, too. They’re both $500 off, bringing their prices down to $1,999 and $2,499, respectively. Like with the Nikon Z-mount versions, the 85mm f/1.4 deal ends on September 13 at 11:59 ET, but the 50mm’s $500 discount has no stated end date.

The Best Deals on Portrait Lenses for Sony E Mount

Zeiss Batis 135mm f/2.8

There aren’t really any notable first-party deals on Sony E-mount portrait lenses, but there are some great third-party options.

The Zeiss Batis 135mm f/2.8 delivers great image quality, pleasing bokeh, and Zeiss build quality. It’s $450 off until 11:59 PM EDT on September 13, which knocks the price down to $1,299.

Zeiss Batis 85mm f/1.8

Another discounted Batis lens, the Zeiss Batis 85mm f/1.8 offers a tried-and-true focal length and aperture combination for portraiture. For many portrait photographers, 85mm is their favorite focal length, and f/1.8 will deliver shallow depth of field and dreamy bokeh. This lens is $320 off until the end of the day on September 13, making it $929 for a limited time.

Voigtländer Macro APO-Lanthar 105mm f/2.5

105mm and f/2.5 is a great combination for portraits, and the compact manual focus Voigtländer Macro APO-Lanthar can even deliver 1:1 magnification for highly detailed close-ups. It’s $250 off right now, which brings the price down to $849.

Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2

Like the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8, the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2 offers plenty of versatility while still working well for portraits. You won’t get that super-shallow f/1.8 depth of field, but you can still do great work at f/2.8, especially at 50-70mm. With a $200 discount, it’s also just $699, making it a compelling, budget-friendly alternative to a Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 GM series lens.

Sigma 200mm f/2 DG OS Sports

Hear me out. Is 200mm too long for portraits? If you’re thinking inside the box, yes. But 200mm can absolutely, 100% work for great portraits, especially outdoors. If you have the working space, the 200mm focal length and f/2 aperture can create some unique-looking shots. And when you’re done taking portraits, you can use this for indoor sports. Win-win. It’s $200 off right now, making it $2,939.

Zeiss Otus ML 50mm f/1.4 and Otus ML 85mm f/1.4

Here we go again. Like on Nikon Z and Canon RF mounts, the Zeiss Otus ML 50mm f/1.4 and Otus ML 85mm f/1.4 lenses are also $500 for Sony E-mount. However, unlike the other mounts, B&H says the $500 discount ends on September 13 at 11:59 PM EDT for both of these primes. To recap, the Otus ML 50mm f/1.4 is $1,999 after the $500 discount, while the Otus ML 85mm f/1.4 is currently $2,499.

The Best Deals on Portrait Lenses for L-Mount

Rokinon 35-150mm f/2-2.8 AF

This lens, also known as the Samyang 35-150mm f/2-2.8 AF in some regions, is basically a riff on Tamron’s excellent 35-150mm f/2-2.8 lens for Sony E and Nikon Z. It’s a great focal length range for portraits, and the aperture is plenty fast. It’s $300 off right now, making it $1,099.

Sigma 200mm f/2 DG OS Sports

That awesome Sigma 200mm f/2 lens? Yeah, it’s $200 off for L-Mount, too. At $3,099, it’s still an expensive lens, but it’s a good one!

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Image creditsCanon, Nikon, and Zeiss. Header image created using a background asset licensed licensed via Depositphotos.com.