The 50mm vs 85mm Debate: How Your Lens Choice Impacts Your Post-Processing Workflow

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about one of photography’s most enduring questions: if you could only grab one prime lens for a shoot, would you reach for the 50mm or the 85mm? It’s a choice that goes beyond just technical specs—it fundamentally shapes how you’ll shoot, and more importantly for us, how you’ll edit.

Understanding the Philosophical Divide

The 50mm lens is the generalist. It captures the world roughly as your eye sees it, making it perfect for environmental storytelling and capturing context. You’re working with a wider field of view, so your scenes include more surroundings and atmosphere. The 85mm, by contrast, is the specialist. It compresses perspective, draws subjects away from backgrounds, and naturally isolates your main focus. It’s the portrait photographer’s best friend.

But here’s what I’ve realized: this choice directly impacts which presets and actions you’ll find yourself reaching for during post-production.

The Post-Processing Implications

When I’m working with 50mm files, I’m often managing busier compositions. The increased environmental context means I’m frequently making localized adjustments—dodging and burning to guide the viewer’s eye, using selective color grading to emphasize my subject within a complex scene. I’ve found that my go-to action sets tend to focus on subtle contrast enhancements and vignetting that helps anchor attention.

With 85mm files, the lens has already done much of the isolation work for me. The background separation is built in. This means my workflow shifts. I’m less concerned with compositional guidance and more focused on subject enhancement. Skin tone presets, shadow recovery actions, and subtle highlight reduction become my primary tools.

The Real-World Workflow Decision

Here’s my honest take: neither lens is “better” for editing purposes. Instead, understanding your focal length choice helps you build a more efficient preset and action library. If you’re predominantly shooting 50mm, invest in actions that handle environmental lighting correction and compositional guidance. If you’re an 85mm shooter, prioritize subject-focused presets that enhance skin tones and refine facial features.

I’ve also noticed that my 50mm work tends to benefit from more aggressive color grading—I’m using color to create separation that the lens didn’t naturally provide. My 85mm work, meanwhile, responds better to refined, subtle adjustments that enhance rather than transform.

Make Your Choice Intentionally

The best approach? Stop agonizing over which lens is objectively superior and instead choose based on your shooting style and how you want to spend your editing time. Your focal length choice is a vote for a particular editing philosophy. Make it count.