Originally posted by klkitchens The reason I ask this is that I've seen that 85-90mm is a great target range for portrait lenses... even back before digital, this was the way to go.
Then I've seen that you should never ever do a closeup with a 50mm lens because of the distortion to the subject.
However, with APS-C's 1.5x crop factor, a 50mm is a 75mm (not too far off from 85-90).
No, your 50mm lens is a 50mm lens, regardless of sensor size.
Quote: Likewise, my Rokinon 85mm is actually a 127.5mm, well past the target range. But it and other 85mm lenses are considered the bee's knees for portraits (and they do look good). My DA*55mm is closest at 82.5mm as well.
No, your 85mm is actually 85mm, and your 55mm is actually 55mm, regardless of sensor size.
Focal length is a physical property of the lens. What changes is the angle of view.
The distortion you speak of is the result of camera to subject distance. The closer you are to the subject, the greater the distortion will be.
Any lens can be used for a portrait. The choice of lens depends in part on what type of portrait you take. A wide angle is fine for a full-body portrait, not so great for a head & shoulders portrait (unless your goal for the portrait includes the distortion for artistic purposes).
Cameras and lenses are just tools. Use the right tool for the job.