Lens question

[TimMaf@xxxxxxx]

   In discussing the flash vignetting problem Dr. T quoted
someone...

>>Both flashes are rated to cover a 35mm lens on a full frame 35mm
>>camera, so a Realist format 35mm lens is really more like a full frame 50mm
>>normal lens due to the smaller format.  

   It just so happens I've been pondering the question 
of lens length lately because of some shooting frustrations.
I'm not normally a big fan of wide angle lenses and trying
to capture the lovely but frigid sites during my last couple of 
lunch hours brought this home. 

   My question is about the 35mm(more or less) lens that is 
standard on most Realist format cameras. A "normal" lens is 
usually said to approximate the angle of view of the human
eye. It is also equal to the diagonal measure of the frame size,
give or take a few millimeters. 35mm is the approx. diagonal
measure of the Realist frame so it should be "normal". But,
when I compare it to my 2D camera the view of the Realist
is closer to the wider 35mm than the normal 50mm. Why is this so?

 While I realize the wide angle has some advantages in DOF
and therefore with certain patterns of framing, it can
certainly play hell with secnics.


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