How do 50mm, 85mm, and telephoto lenses change the look of a portrait?
Asked 1/28/2013
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If you keep the subject framed similarly and use a similar aperture, what visual differences should you expect between a 50mm, 85mm, and longer telephoto lens for portraits? In particular, why would someone choose an 85mm prime instead of using a 50mm and simply moving closer? How do focal length and camera-to-subject distance affect facial features and the appearance of the background?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
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It's all about foreshortening, the effect by which the depth of the scene appears compressed. Different focal lengths just permit you to be different distances from your subject and still give the appropriate framing.
Subject distance is the key value here. If you are a kilometre away from your subject, then the tip of their nose is a kilometre away, as are their ears. If you are 10cm away from your subject then the tip of their nose might be 5cm away and their ears 15cm. These distances are suddenly important as the nose is three times closer it will appear three times larger.
Thus if you use your 50mm lens and simply get closer as you suggest, then you will enlarge relatively those features that are closest to the camera as well as accentuating any affects of the subject not being parallel to the camera (e.g. if they are leaning forward their forehead will be enlarged relative to their chin).
Beyond a certain distance the difference in depth between features become small enough that you cease to notice it. For this reason photographers tend to settle on a focal length that is long enough to prevent odd foreshortening effects, but not so long that you need a walkie-talkie to communicate with your subject. For APS-C cameras this is about 85mm.
Originally by user1375. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1375
13y ago
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The main difference is not the focal length by itself, but the camera-to-subject distance required to keep the same framing.
If you use a 50mm and move closer, nearby features like the nose become relatively larger than features farther back like the ears. This changes facial proportions and is often seen as unflattering “distortion.” With a longer lens such as 85mm or 135mm, you stand farther back, so the distances from camera to nose and ears are more similar, giving a more natural-looking face.
Longer lenses also make the scene look more “compressed”: the background appears larger relative to the subject. If depth of field is otherwise similar, that enlarged background can also look blurrier.
So people often choose 85mm or longer portrait lenses not because they can’t crop or move with a 50mm, but because the longer focal length lets them get flattering framing from a greater distance. Very wide lenses tend to exaggerate facial features at close range, while many photographers prefer roughly 50–135mm for portraits, especially 85mm and 135mm.
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