> When people talk about how a focal-length "compresses" or "exaggerates" an image, what they're really talking about is perspective. Each field of view carries with it its own perspective.

This is kind of a misconception because what creates perspective distortion is not a given field of view, but the distance to the subject. That's why short (50-100 mm) macro lenses have a lot of perspective despite a clearly tele angle of view; you get very close to the subject. Someone using a 55 mm macro lens for photography of small products tends to be pretty obvious because of the strong perspective, things look distorted and "bulging".

Of course subject size / angle of view => distance so it still kinda works.