When light passes through the lens, it will project a picture on the focal plane in a circle called a “coverage” as shown in the picture. The diameter of the coverage is mostly as long as the focal length of the lens. For example, the diameter of the coverage from a 50 mm. lens will be 50 mm., except the retro-focus or the wide-angle lens which might be different. Any lens that the diameter of the coverage is equal to the diagonal of the sensitive material, film or image sensor, that lens is the standard lens. For 35 mm film which normally used as a reference since the size has never changed no matter what brand or what type it is, 50 mm lens is the standard lens as shown. Unfortunately, the image sensor in your digital single lens reflex (DSLR) camera which use the format of 35 mm film camera, is smaller than the 35 mm film except the FULL FRAME one. So when put the image sensor into the coverage of the 50 mm lens, you will find that the sensor cannot cover the whole area. It can cover just some part and gives you a narrower angle of view, makes the image size looks bigger and squeezed when compare to the picture area. Moreover, the sensor has different size in different camera models. Thus, you cannot tell exactly which is the standard lens for the DSLR. The only thing that will help you is the DSLR Lens Factor.
When you know the focal length of the 35 mm and you want to know what it should be for DSLR, you will divide the focal length of the 35 mm with the DSLR Lens Factor. For example, if 50 mm is the standard lens for 35 mm, your DSLR camera has the factor of 1.6, then the standard lens for your camera will be 50/1.6 = 31 mm.
In vice versa, if you know that your lens has the focal length up to 55 mm. and you need to know what lens for 35 mm. it can be referred to. You can multiply your DSLR focal length with your DSLR factor and you’ll get it! For example, to change back from 55 mm. DSLR lens to 35 mm lens, 55 x 1.6 = 88 mm.
Why do you need to know? Because the suitable focal length of the lens for specific types of photography will always use the focal length for 35 mm. of film as a reference. For example, 70 – 135 mm. lens is good for portraiture photography, 24 mm. lens is good for interior photography, etc.