28mm Is The Ultimate Street Lens? -Two Photographers Share Their Opinion

[@ALWH1314]

I just went to Australia two weeks with one backpack. In order to save space I bought only a Leica Q2 (28mm f1.7 lens), my regular travel lens is either Sony 24-105 f4 or Tamron 28-200 f2.8/f5.6 plus couple other size lenses and two bodies. I missed some shots this time without zooming out far, but absolutely no problem with landscape, street and people. 28mm is very versatile and easy to master. Thank you for the video. Peak Design sling is great, my favorite is 3L. I also use A7C often, it’s small and capable, I’m planning to buy an A7C ii only wish the LCD screen can tilt like Fujifilm TX5 or Nikon Z9.

[@christophergrundy5307]

28mm is a focal length I grew into and now enjoy in many situations. I prefer old school mechanical manual focus lenses generally, even more so in this focal length as it is also good for zone focusing. My preferred trio of lenses is 28mm-50(ish)mm-85mm (or equivalent) for general use.

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks for sharing!

[@robinwong]

I recently bought a 28mm lens and it is not for Micro Four Thirds! So much fun wide angle for street. But 50mm is still my go to lens.

[@mattisulanto]

I know you are a nifty fifty😀 We should do a 50mm walk in KL in November.

[@IanHobday]

20mm, 28mm, 40mm, 65mm... These are all such interesting focal lengths and give different perspectives to the "standard" primes that seem to be all that is available. I look forward to Sigma further filling out their i-series lineup, and their ART lineup.

[@wriggly]

Matti and Aleksi photowalks are the best photowalks.

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks!

[@Aleksilausti]

Thank you! Hopefully more to come.

[@danncorbit3623]

Nice images, and interesting banter. A carry bag is one of those things that are more important than people think. A bad design will cost you every day that you use it and a good design makes you wish it could last forever.

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks so much. I was almost depressed when I had to ditch my long serving bag😀

[@cw7422]

Great video. I had a Leica CL with 4 lenses and a X100V. I got tired of trying to figure out what to bring. So I sold them and got a Leica Q2. I think it’s the last camera I will ever buy. Keep up the good work guys!

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks. The Q2 is a nice camera, enjoy it😀

[@shardanette1]

I used to think that. But then I got a gx9 with a 20mm 1.7, and now I love 40mm.

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks for sharing. A 40mm (or EQV) is nice, who wouldn't love it😀

[@Aleksilausti]

Actually on MFT that is one of my all time favorite lenses.

[@ankerwiedemann]

Great video, your connection and companionship is contagious and the message very inspiring too. Though I'm into rangefinder with manual focus, I can still very much relate to everything you said about the 28 mm. But I am happy the size of my lenses are extremely compact compared to yours. But there are advantages and disadvantages about every solution - basically the sum of compromises + personal preference.

[@berndschimpf89]

You both took nice colors! 28 (18)mm is an important focal length for me, also 50 (33)mm when I use my Fujifilm cam. When I leave the house I take one of my GR3´s. I take completely different photos with 28 (18) mm than with 40 (26) mm - it depends on my mood.

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks for watching and glad to hear you liked the photos too.

[@LuigiL75]

Nicely done Gentlemen...Fantastic photos from the both you! The 28mm is MY favorite focal length and if I were to only have ONE lens for the rest of my life, it would be the Canon RF 28-70mm F/2! ☺

[@mattisulanto]

Thank you so much.

[@mikejankowski6321]

Pleasant and interesting conversations, lovely images, and great music! I too like the 28 for wide applications more than 35. Your pairing it with a 50 is also my first expansion. 85 f1.8 is my first choice for tele, although I have a 105 that I should take out more. All good options. Primes CAN be fun!

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks for watching and good to hear we were entertaining.

[@philmtx3fr]

Interesting video and thx for it. In my youth I used to think the 28mm was bastard : not large enough as the 24mm and not narrow enough as the 35mm. So my trinity was 24-35-85mm. Then as I was a little fed up with my heavy carry bags I tried the Leica Q and I completely changed my mind about the 28mm and I now consider it as the most versatile lens. Note also that with the Q due to the quality of the Leica lens I can also crop to 35mm easily. So I can t imagine going for walk without it now. For portraits I do love thé 85 (56mm in apsc) or the 75 which permits a larger background but usually , always to save my back which is old now, I choose one focal for a walk, wide angle or short telephoto, and I do prefer staying light. I still don t like the 50mm but who knows… perhaps when I will be very old :).

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks so much. I guess we can or will change our opinions or preferences over time, if we keep an open mind🙂

[@MortAllachie]

Good to see Aleksi again. Great video as usual 😊

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks!

[@Aleksilausti]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it 😊

[@krustychannel6786]

I got same combo like Alek. A7C and 28mmF2..but I pair it with 55mm Zeiss.

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks.

[@Aleksilausti]

Great combo too! I could go with that also.

[@chrisbrown6432]

Lovely photographs as usual and interesting to hear your thoughts on the 28mm and other focal length lenses.

[@jostmibach]

Lumix GX85 + PL 1.7/15mm or FF (!) Leica M6 + Summicron 2.0/28mm are my favourites for street

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks for sharing. Both excellent choices, by the way.

[@borderlands6606]

Interesting hearing Aleksi speak about short telephotos. I'm also a fan, and would include the Canon 40mm 2.8 pancake lens (64mm equiv. on Canon aps-c), various 50mm lenses on Fuji (75mm), and the Lumix S 20-60 at 60mm. Combined with a 24mm or 28mm angle of view it covers most walk around subjects.

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks for sharing your favorites.

[@Aleksilausti]

I should give the canon 40mm a try also.

[@TristanColgate]

I didn't "understand" 28mm until I started getting closer. You get a different kind of subject separation when everything else is "physically pushed back".

[@Narsuitus]

On a full-frame camera, the 28mm focal length, with its 65 degree horizontal angle-of-view, is a great street lens for street photography: 28mm f/2 Zeiss Distagon ZF 50mm f/1.4 Nikkor 135mm f/2 Zeiss Sonnar ZF On a full-frame camera, the 28mm focal length is my personal favorite for scenics, landscapes, and nature photography: 14mm f/2.8 Nikkor 28mm f/2.8 Nikkor 55mm f/3.5 Nikkor macro

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks for sharing your favorite lenses.

[@TuomoZed]

Olipa kiva ja kesäinen video 🙂

[@mattisulanto]

Kiitos.

[@randallbrander8157]

I have 28mm focal length on Sony A7c Kit lens, Canon RF 28mm f/2.8 prime pancake lens and Nikkor 28mm f/2.8 prime lens. the Nikkor 26mm f/2.8 pancake lens and the DX/APSC 24mm f/1.7 I recommend are better lenses. Canon R8 and the Nikon Z6II by cropping and leaving at full frame the 28mm are great. Cheers!

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks. That's a lot of 28mm😀

[@devroombagchus7460]

Thanks Matti. I firmly believe that Finns share a secret. They only speak Finnish when there are foreigners around. In private, when there is no foreigner within hearing distance, they speak in their native tongue, English. I find that with age, I prefer wider angle more and more. If I go out with my Leica, standard is 35mm. If I can take a second lens, it’s the 28mm. I recently discovered that for a rapportage of a summer gathering of friends outside with large tables, the combination of a 24 and 75mm worked very will. So far, I don’t miss a 50mm for my Leica. First comes 35, second is 28. Great depth of field, so no autofocus and the built-in motor needed.

[@mattisulanto]

You have discovered our secret😀

[@twoblink]

28mm is my most used lens by a long shot. It's the perfect travel lens. @Nikon, why is there no 28mm F1.8Z?

[@johnyutzey6504]

Welcome back Aleksi! Also want to add that I really enjoyed the many great images in this video. You'll get a variety of opinions on the Ultimate Street Lens: 28, 35, 40 (more recently), 50, 85 (!) ?. All depends on your subject matter. I've changed over time. 28 originally (in film days when the prime trio was 28, 50, and 85 or 135), then 35. But after shooting with nothing but a 40 on holiday in the UK for two weeks several years ago, I am quite comfortable with the 40 as an alternative to the 35. Look forward to more photowalks with Aleksi. Cheers!

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks so much for watching and sharing your lens preferences.

[@Aleksilausti]

Thank you! Glad to hear you enjoyed the images in the video. Yes, you are right there are of course as many options as there are photographers and situations, regarding the best street lens. In the film days I used to love my Canonet QL17 with its great 45mm f/1.7 lens. On MFT one of my favorite lenses has often actually been the 20mm f/1.7 so I certainly get why you like the 40mm field of view. Thanks again.

[@user-pg5rt7ju4f]

The 40 f/2 & 28 f/2.8 were the most used on a m-body since the 80's. The 40 used is not just the 43mm diagonal nor fact I had a 35 summicron whose f/2 was absolutely unusable. The 40 is more often "raised" to eye at whatever level than the 28 which is more freely shot from "hip". Both are still being used on E-mt bodies. From time to time I feel a loss after acquiring AF (film) bodies since 1994, & then digital. Have had a number of 28's over the years { a rokkor since 66(til'18). leica & angenieux m-mts, 24-35, 24-50AF, very briefly 25-50 tokina lost in robbery in 82, etc. and the recent most "outrageous" at the long end of the 17-28 f/2.8 . Still have at least 4 of them. } Manual focus is good for the soul ! Recently have had so much fun w/ some Chinese aps-c lenses. my 25 f/2 is close to 38. Will look for a 18 or there about to mimic a28 . The FE 40 f/2.5 M is great, get it if u r using a7 series (60 on aps-c) I make-do w/ my old friend, the excellent 40 f/2. Still have to "tame" the 17-28, not an easy lens at all. Sorry not getting the 20-70 G ? Good luck to all. Don't spend/waste on stuff u do not really need.

[@aengusmacnaughton1375]

Sorry if I missed it -- was that all in Helsinki? Great architecture, colors and dramatic sky. Nice street photos -- but not as gritty as those say from New York City -- your shots and the people seem pretty laid back.... Cheers!

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks. Yes, this is Helsinki. We were in a relatively new area and it looks clean and nice.

[@ruuddirks5565]

I'm tempted to buy the Pana 15 mm. But then again, there are no streets here. 😀

[@mattisulanto]

Yeah, the nearest streets are few and far between over there😀

[@rfriday9532]

Glad to see you also have bag issues. I have never found the right one. They are generally too narrow and too deep and the flap on the top... Drives me nuts if I want to get the camera out fast.

[@mattisulanto]

I actually would like a flap, because then I could keep the zipper open and still have some cover for my gear. In certain situations it works for me nicely. Anyway, a bag is one of the most difficult accessories to buy😀

[@user-pg5rt7ju4f]

Everybody has bag issues. Too shallow for 70-200, too thin, too thick, too tight for camera w/ vertical grip , etc. Still have this bag w/ zippered compartment at the bottom, which was used for carrying more than dozen rolls of film & filters. Now I have no intention of going back to expensive film, but don't want to carry fragile stuff like lenses in bottom; water, food & sandwiches to fill the empty bottom? foam, crumpled up paper, $$ ? (I still have few film camera bodies. 3 30m bulk loaders just for 3 diff b&w films are gone for good too ?) Nowadays every store is selling mostly backpacks, the most stupid thing to carry stuff in in a city. The one bag I tried to repair had a side pocket for papers & newspapers. I measured off an exact length of good nylon strap, enough to go around the bottom for strength, to replace the cotton strap which was wearing apart due to almost daily use. Before I (finally) take the job to a shoe-repair, the bag w/new strap inside was "lost". It was a Billingham type but w/ a plastic top flap. Miss it. But not the newspapers I no longer buy every day; nyt incl. Fake is all over the world! Got a bag for that?

[@zotols]

Hi Matti, what do you use to record these talking shots with? They are looking great. Interesting video btw!

[@mattisulanto]

The Sony a6700 + Sony 11mm F1.8. Good to hear you like it.

[@StuartBrodsky]

I felt you could have better articulated some reasons why shooting with a 28 has benefits or different impacts on the results. Didn’t hear much of that.

[@vandalton4948]

I wish nikon or canon or sony could bring a couple of totally manual focus lens ( with precise distance scales of course) + a corresponding camera as an alternative to leica M system for us not rich prosumers.

[@user-pg5rt7ju4f]

volunteers ? sony (like minolta + leica before? ), yashica contax ? revive those zeiss lenses .

[@ZakWilson]

I don't like 28 much, and the reason might be a little silly: for over a decade, smartphones have been around 28mm equivalent. I like for my dedicated camera shots to look obviously different from a phone even to a casual observer.

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks. That's not a silly reason at all and it makes sense to me at least.

[@angeloplayforone]

Nice photos made with a 28mm FF lens.

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks! 👍

[@janvirtanen9110]

It does if your are not shy and shoot street photography under 2m from subjects.

[@mattisulanto]

Well, not all street photographs are close ups😀 Under 2m you can hardly fit a whole person in the photo. When it comes to shyness, it's generally speaking beneficial for a photographer not to be shy. If you are shy, do your best to get over it.

[@datapro007]

Fun video - Is distortion an issue at 28mm?

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks. The distortion has never been a problem for me.

[@professionalpotato4764]

Distortion is useful to exaggerate and create interesting compositions.

[@kemerthomson]

I envy so-called “street photographers,” and aspire to improve in this area. I find these videos, especially with your guests, to be a great inspiration. BTW, Fujifilm has a screw-on adapter lens for the X100? cameras that produce the equivalent of 28 mm, while preserving the wide aperture of f2. I find it is overall more flexible for me than the native equivalent 35 mm.

[@mattisulanto]

@@kemerthomson Thanks. I'm aware of the Fuji converter and have actually used it too😀

[@冉楚-t9q]

ep7+dg15 good experience

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks. That sounds good.

[@bigrobotnewstoday1436]

Well M43 14mm 14+14=28 is kind of the real thing but different ratio. Crop sensors like Fuji 18mm comes out to 27mm so 1mm off. LOL

[@mattisulanto]

You are absolutely right, but we wanted 28mm on full frame for this video.

[@professionalpotato4764]

Just cos lenses are labelled that focal length doesn't mean that it is exactly x mm. Leica Q is 26mm, but labelled as 28mm, and shoots like a 26mm (it's much wider than Fujifilm 18mm). Sony 35mm f1.4 GM is basically a 35mm - 45mm zoom lens due to focus breathing, but it's still a 35mm lens. Telephoto lenses may be labelled 600mm, but in reality it could be 580mm or something.

[@harryniedecken5321]

Fantastic photos as usual 👏

[@TechnikMeister2]

Too big. Here in Australia if you point a big lens like those at someone, you will lose the camera. IMO the 20mm f1.7 gives you the best natural field of view in an unobtrusive package.

[@mattisulanto]

I think it's a bit the same in every Western city, also in Helsinki. You have to read the situation and act accordingly not to get into trouble. People tend to be suspicious when it comes to photography. Thanks for sharing your choice of lens.

[@Aleksilausti]

The 20mm 1.7 is an amazing lens!

[@henseleric]

Your still holding a big camera -either way. I'll stick with the 28/2 Sony.

[@cryptobyt2403]

Thats not street. Thats landmark.

[@emptyandseephotos7858]

It seems even video s are taken 28 mm wide

[@mattisulanto]

This video was filmed on the Sony A6700 and the Sony 11mm F1.8 lens.

[@cameraprepper7938]

No, the 28mm focal length is not for me, neither is the 50mm focal length, both of those is for me too short and too long at the same time. I like any focal length shorter and longer than 28 and 50mm. My last one day trip to a big city, I used a 21mm on one camera and a 55mm on another camera, if I only had one Lens, it would be 35mm. But some times I also use fx 14mm, or 24mm, 65mm or 135mm... I have 61 megapixel, so I can crop a lot if needed.

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks for sharing. Fortunately there are lenses for everyone😀 I like 35mm too and would happily shoot on that.

[@cameraprepper7938]

@@mattisulanto Yes, I think the 35mm will be the best overall Lens for street photography for most people, there is a reason why there are millions of compact cameras with a 35/38/40mm Lens ☺