This is what I consider proper for 35mm (I could easly get by with just the focal length on either side):
Big heads; 135mm Head shots: 100mm Head and Shoulder: 85mm Head and Torso: 70mm 3/4 shots: 50mm Full: 35mm Groups would be shot with the 35-50mm moving farther away for bigger groups.
Note how nicely a 35mm-100mm zoom fits in there.
The characteristic all of those have in common is they are used at about 5-6 feet which gives the expected perspective for most North Americans of Northern European extraction (Interaction distances very in other cultures). Intimate portraits can be shot nicely from 3 feet or so. People shots from a distance can not, in my personal opinion, properly be called portraits.
Since this thread asked about digital portrait lenses, just move down one focal length for APS sized sensors. Once again, it is the distance that important, just select the focal length that minimizes cropping. The old view camera rule of thumb (for head and torso shots) was for a focal length equal to the short side of the negative plus the long side of the negative; with 35mm that would be a 60mm lens, and with an istD it would be 40mm (much shorter than most folks think they need.
So, as I asked, what do you consider a portrait?
graywolf http://www.graywolfphoto.com "Idiot Proof" <==> "Expert Proof" -----------------------------------
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