Flaşçı: 50mm vs. 85mm Lens Choice Depends on Shooting Distance

Photography resource Flaşçı has released a guide to help photographers choose between 50mm and 85mm lenses for portraiture. The article stresses that background blur alone is insufficient for selection, as shooting distance, composition, and camera settings significantly influence the outcome.

According to the guide, a 50mm lens often offers more flexible placement and a stronger connection to the environment, while an 85mm lens provides a narrower field of view. This narrower view aids in background selection and allows shooting from a slightly greater distance. However, the article notes that changes in facial proportions are not directly caused by the lens's focal length but by the distance between the camera and the subject.

Flaşçı explains that if a photographer aims to maintain the same framing when switching lenses, using an 85mm lens requires moving further back from the subject compared to a 50mm lens. This change in distance affects perspective and facial proportions. The guide advises performing comparative tests by remaining in the same shooting position or using different distances to achieve identical framing.

The text also addresses how facial proportions change. Getting too close with a 50mm lens can exaggerate the nose relative to the ears, whereas an 85mm lens allows capturing faces of the same size from further away, often resulting in more balanced proportions. Flaşçı reminds readers, however, that natural results can be achieved with a 50mm lens using a wider composition and correct distance.

The article offers practical advice for various shooting scenarios, including headshots, shoulder portraits, and full-body shots. It recommends considering the subject's comfort and communication with the photographer, influenced by the shooting distance. The guide aims to assist photographers in making informed lens selection decisions.