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58mm vs 85mm portrait comparison
Interactive side-by-side simulation at the same subject size: see how 58mm and 85mm change camera distance, perspective, depth of field and background blur.
What this comparison shows
Both images show the same portrait at the same size. For the same head size, the 85mm camera stands about 1.5 times farther back than the 58mm camera. From closer in, 58mm shows more of the room around the person. 85mm has a narrower field of view, so the background looks larger and closer and is easier to simplify.
Start at f/1.4 on the left and f/1.4 on the right. Then try f/1.4 vs f/1.4, or open both to f/1.4 and f/1.2. Match depth of field sets the right-hand aperture so the background is as blurred as on the left. Both cameras use the same sensor, so equal f-numbers give a similar depth of field.
At the face framing, 58mm stands 93 cm from the subject. At f/1.4 the sharp zone runs from 92 cm to 95 cm. 85mm stands 136 cm away, and at f/1.4 the sharp zone runs from 135 cm to 138 cm.
Questions
How far from the subject do you stand with 58mm and 85mm?
In the face framing, 58mm stands 93 cm from the subject and 85mm stands 136 cm. For the same head size, the 85mm camera stands about 1.5 times farther back than the 58mm camera.
Which blurs the background more, 58mm or 85mm?
At the same framing, a distant background blurs in proportion to the aperture opening, focal length divided by f-number. 58mm at f/1.4 opens 41.4 mm and 85mm at f/1.4 opens 60.7 mm, so 85mm blurs it about 1.5 times as much. Close behind the person, the focal length matters less and the f-number more.
Does 85mm compress the background compared with 58mm?
Compression comes from camera distance, not from the focal length itself. For the same framing, 85mm stands about 1.5 times farther back than 58mm, so the background looks larger and closer behind the person and less of it fits in the frame.
Related comparisons
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Also see: depth of field, bokeh, crop factor, lens compression.