portrait lens

[donut]

i believe that in general ,most people would say that a lens in the 85 mm to 135mm range would be the most pleasing for portraits ,i know you can use any length from an 8mm fishface to a 200mm tele .but anything less than 85 ish starts the big nose effect ,now would i be right in saying that a 50 mm on a one and a half crop sensor ,although giving the same angle of view as a 75 on full frame ,would still give the same amount of big nose as a 50 ? so that when people say use the nifty fifty for portraits , ( as its really an 85 (,which we know it isnt) ) they would be wrong ?

 

[Suvv]

For this question I assume that you mean head and shoulder portraits as a 50mm can be used for a full length portrait without producing a "big nose effect"

For a head and shoulder portrait with a 50mm lens on a full sensor you have to get close to the subject and it is the closeness which gives the "big nose effect" therefore an 85mm, or longer, is preferable.
If you use a 50mm lens on a cropped sensor then you have to stand a bit further away from the subject thereby reducing the "big nose effect", in fact the shot will have a similar perspective to a 75mm on a full sensor.

So people are right when they say that a 50mm on a crop sensor is a good portrait lens. Other slightly longer lenses may be better, although it is subjective, but 50mm primes are normally common and cheap(ish).

 

[ding76uk]

on a 1.6 crop a 50mm equates to 80mm, which is close enough to 85 to make it the choice for portraits on a crop body. I think you are asking if they have the same effect on the face as a 50mm on a full frame, and the answer is no. They work the same an 80 mm would on a full frame.

Can be had v cheap and are a great choice

 

[donut]

For a head and shoulder portrait with a 50mm lens on a full sensor you have to get close to the subject and it is the closeness which gives the "big nose effect" therefore an 85mm, or longer, is preferable.
QUOTE]

as i went to bed last night thinking about it , i realised that you would be standing back a bit with the 50 , reducing the effect , . thanks for taking the trouble to reply peoples .

 

[Raymond Lin]

on a 1.6 crop a 50mm equates to 80mm, which is close enough to 85 to make it the choice for portraits on a crop body. I think you are asking if they have the same effect on the face as a 50mm on a full frame, and the answer is no. They work the same an 80 mm would on a full frame.

Can be had v cheap and are a great choice

dont think you are getting what the OP is asking.

You are correct that a 50mm turns into 80mm for field of vision, but the focal length stays at 50mm. It'll be like using a fish eye to take portrait and to a post crop on just the center 10% of the image, you'll still get that distorted center no matter what crop camera you use.