Reply to Best portrait lens for $500?

mtreinik posted a reply:

I have to disagree with Acesnines about wide angles. I wouldn't shoot all my portraits with a wide angle, but there isn't anything inherently bad about a more exaggerated perspective. Perspective and focal length selection depends very much on personal style and preference.



I personally almost never shoot anything longer than 70 mm, because I feel the flattening effect of a longer focal length just, well, flattens the subject.



Here is are some extreme examples with a 18-70 mm kit lens at its widest:











My walkaround lens is 17-35 mm, sometimes spiced up with a 50 mm. I do most of my portrait stuff with a 28-70 mm lens, but at higher apertures it doesn't offer much that the kit lens couldn't do.



The Tamron 17-50 mm f/2.8 has gotten some favorable reviews and feels like a smart range of focal lengths. For $500 the original poster could almost get the Tamron and a Nikon 50 mm f/1.8 lens, which should be a nice combination for almost everything.