Portrait lenses for less than $700 that are 35mm or wider and have a f/2.8 or faster aperture

"This is my main general purpose lens and I'm well pleased with it's sharpness, versatility, useful focal range, weight and feel both on the D700 and D300." bhphotovideo.com

	Min focal length	24 mm			Image stabilization	None
	Aperture	f/2.8			Zoom range	3.5x
	Focus motor	None			Diameter	79 mm
	Fixed aperture	No			Length	81 mm

"This lens is really great. The picture quality is awsome. It can make great proxy. I've shot a picture of a spider and i can see the hair over his eyes." bhphotovideo.com

More advanced image stabilization Sigma OS

	Min focal length	17 mm			Image stabilization	Sigma OS
	Aperture	f/2.8			Zoom range	4.1x
	Focus motor	Sigma HSM			Diameter	79 mm
	Fixed aperture	No			Length	82 mm

"I like the lense. It is a great walk around lense which is light and fast enough for situations where other lenses fail. I used to have the 17-85mm EF-S Canon lense before and was looking for a faster alternative that is having a good wide ancle" bhphotovideo.com

More advanced image stabilization Sigma OS

	Min focal length	17 mm			Image stabilization	Sigma OS
	Aperture	f/2.8			Zoom range	4.1x
	Focus motor	Sigma HSM			Diameter	79 mm
	Fixed aperture	No			Length	82 mm

"One of the main pros of these lens is the AF system – fast and acurate." bhphotovideo.com

More advanced image stabilization Sigma OS

	Min focal length	17 mm			Image stabilization	Sigma OS
	Aperture	f/2.8			Zoom range	2.9x
	Focus motor	Sigma HSM			Diameter	84 mm
	Fixed aperture	Yes			Length	91 mm

"The OS works excellent. Clear at even 200mm and nice bokeh." bhphotovideo.com

More advanced image stabilization Sigma OS

	Min focal length	17 mm			Image stabilization	Sigma OS
	Aperture	f/2.8			Zoom range	2.9x
	Focus motor	Sigma HSM			Diameter	84 mm
	Fixed aperture	Yes			Length	91 mm

"It is amazing for the price how crisp and clear the images are with this lens. Beside the ability to work in lower light and create nice out of focus back grounds with the 2.8. This is a must for anyone shoot portraits on a budget. The macro feature on this lens is very good as well." bhphotovideo.com

	Min focal length	28 mm			Image stabilization	None
	Aperture	f/2.8			Zoom range	2.7x
	Focus motor	Generic motor			Diameter	73 mm
	Fixed aperture	Yes			Length	92 mm

"This is also a great lens for shooting HD video." bhphotovideo.com

More advanced image stabilization Canon IS

	Min focal length	17 mm			Image stabilization	Canon IS
	Aperture	f/2.8			Zoom range	3.2x
	Focus motor	Canon USM			Diameter	84 mm
	Fixed aperture	Yes			Length	112 mm

"The lens is a great value, easy to use and produces sharp inages in low light settings." bhphotovideo.com

	Min focal length	28 mm			Image stabilization	None
	Aperture	f/2.8			Zoom range	2.7x
	Focus motor	Generic motor			Diameter	73 mm
	Fixed aperture	Yes			Length	92 mm