I'm surprised to see that no one has yet mentioned the 50/2 Summicron DR.
In my humble opinion, the 50/1.5 Sonnar, in any of its varieties (incl. the J3), is THE 50mm for portaiits. It makes anyone look beautifull ;-)
No wonder Raid has all those 50s!! I mean, I'm just looking for a portrait lens thats sharp in the middle and soft at the edges.
Raid... you MUST stop!! You're providing so many choices, its becoming impossible to decide!