Why I Love 50mm for Street Photography (and a look at Elliott Erwitts new book)

[@ForeverBrooklynNYC]

RIP Elliott Erwitt -- passed away today :(

[@Stone1108]

Thank you for so much Elliot, RIP.

[@snapsbyfox]

The 50 is my go to too. 35 is great for documenting and 85 for details but the 50 just hits the spot at least for street stuff. great vid as always lads

[@frame-lines]

Right? I only run into problems with 50 if I want to take a landscape/cityscape and it can be a bit boring on 50. Much prefer 35 or 28 for that.

[@theren8311]

Hmm, what is meant by documenting? As in getting enough information into a shot?

[@dansuzukiphotography]

@@frame-lines when shooting landscapes, I think the 50mm is a great focal length for taking multiple shots and stitching them together to form a panorama.

[@jameshummel7349]

@@DessieTots you should probably read it again before trying to correct his spelling .. he said it’s his “go to too” … as in also .. “ffs”

[@swancoffeehouse5983]

Crossover episode

[@carlashcroft6652]

I haven't taken any pictures for some time now, depression has had me beat for the last few years. After watching your video Shane, I feel reinvigorated, and want to get outdoors again with my camera. THANK YOU!👍

[@nickdaliet206]

Same here ,getting out and taking pictures again has definitely helped me !

[@dadabiu7399]

@Carl Ashcroft I hear you... I think introverts can find a safe spot behind the camera and still express themselves. I wish you all the best ✨

[@carlashcroft6652]

@@dadabiu7399 Thanks, God bless 🙏

[@sarfaraz.hosseini]

@@carlashcroft6652 Same boat, COVID exacerbated it. Getting out there you may find out what your missing. My best!

[@carlashcroft6652]

@@sarfaraz.hosseini Thanks mate 👍

[@timpenner7858]

I find it interesting how so many street photographers greatly prefer a particular focal length. Some even advocate absolutely sticking to single focal length permanently. Shane here is hooked on 50mm. Others can only really see what they want through 35mm. Then there are the 28mm users. I go through phases and find myself wanting to change things up. I've worked with all three that I mention, bringing only one lens on several forays in a row. And then I discovered 15mm - not a fisheye, but the Laowa 7.5mm for MFT. You can't get too close if you want to see that people have ears, so you stand back and take it all in. It's excellent for streetscapes, but still lets you make people the subject with a huge context surrounding them. It's like not being able to settle on a single pair of shoes you like best, or a hat, or choosing which familiar place you want to visit on a particular day or food you want. It's not that I'm conflicted; it's more like wanting to recall old feelings, of which there are a great many.

[@danrosenphotos]

The part discussing 'being loud' vs 'listening' to a scene is what I needed to hear. Ive been feeling so un-creative these days (as many of us are) but that's the exact mindset I need to focus on right now. Subbed, can't wait for more content from you. Cheers!

[@jamiej.tilleyphotographyar5177]

A decade ago I was still happily shooting with an 18-105 kit lens, when a stranger in a bookstore struck up a conversation and insisted that I needed to buy a 50mm. He said it would improve my photography and I wouldn't regret it. The next day I bought a $100 nifty fifty and was blown away. It was a look that I didn't even know I was looking for. Being able to use 1.8 to isolate a subject gave a whole new dimension to my shooting. I have shot at least 90% with just the 50mm ever since. I wish I could find that stranger and thank him!

[@robbykidman]

i like 50mm as well but i find it very challenging because you have to be extremely far from the subject. i hope i could appreciate it more :(

[@jamiej.tilleyphotographyar5177]

@@robbykidman I suppose it depends on what you are shooting and what you mean by "Extremely Far". If you are trying to do macro photography, this is not your lens, although I have made some beautiful shots of flowers with it. But for just everyday, walking the streets waiting to see something to shoot, it is perfect. (For me) Whether across the street, or right in front of me, it just does what I want. Just my opinion and taste, of course. I think being aware of your own likes and dislikes is important, and maybe you are better off focusing on the lens you like? That's certainly worked for me! Take care.

[@robbykidman]

Thanks for the reply. I guess indeed it depends on your purpose. I once shot a couple for a prenup using the 50 and i had to shout most of the time so they can hear my instructions cause with this lens, u have to be distant from them. 😅

[@jamiej.tilleyphotographyar5177]

@@robbykidman Oh, I understand what kind of shooting your doing now. I personally love the 50 for portraits, but if you want to get full body shots of multiple people, I guess you'd have to step back a bit. What is your favorite lens for that? 35? 24?

[@ikaros4203]

@@robbykidman lots of people use 85 for portraits, brings the backgrounds closer, looks better in my opinionnn but yeah have to be farther

[@user-ti9zc1xv2b]

My new favorite KZbin channel, no pretentious rambling.

[@ebreckpo6563]

From a technical standpoint the most "natural" focal length on a camera is the diagonal of the film plane, sensor. This is around 43mm fl. on a 24x36mm sensor. When Leitz introduced the Leica small format (FF) they took the nearest fl out of the drawer they had a 5cm f/3.5. This became the standard focal for the 24x36mm format. The current trend is using wider lenses. As most smart phones have a approx 26-28mm FF field of view most younger photographers are accustomed to this wider field of view. When I bought my first film camera it came included with a 50mm lens. I learned to view at the world through a 50mm frame-line, viewfinder (I am in the late 50ies). It is still my most used fl. to date as I can anticipate what will or not be in the picture before framing. The next lens I bought was a 90mm followed by a 35mm. On reportage, street I take my photographs as a spectator of the scene. Wider lenses are when you are photographing in the scene.

[@TaipeiGeek]

It wasn't Leitz that introduced the 5 cm focal lenght, but Zeiss.

[@albertsmith9315]

When I was shooting film, I used 35mm as my street lens, usually on a Leica M6. For some reason now, I use a 35mm f/1.4 on my Fujifilm cameras, giving an equivalent of about 50mm. It just works for me now. I also have the new Erwitt book (plus most of his other books).

[@julietetlours]

the sad, depressing, melancholic pictures are my favourite. they kick you where it hurts and make you feel so strongly it turns into poetry.

[@ShandytheAce22]

As an amateur street photographer who actually loves shooting in 50mm, I've been contemplating purchasing a 28mm or 35mm lens to achieve a different look to my photos. But like a sign from God, this video pops up and makes me reconsider the entire idea 🤔 I do agree that the 50mm is a more aesthetically pleasing focal length and it's nice to know that a few other photogs did not stray from the "nifty fifty."

[@markvisser7208]

I think there's still a ton you can learn from using other focal lengths. Even if you don't share work that you shoot with other lengths you might discover more clearly what 50mm can do by using other focal lengths.

[@marekward6202]

I been doing street stuff with a 50 but recently bought an old 28 which has a very cool look but I'm taking longer to get the hang of than I thought. It's nice to not have ones back against the wall, literally and it's great for city architecture; one can more often get the whole thingy in frame, but other shots I ended up cropping and wished I'd used the 50 with that classic look. . I like to have a street portrait in context without excessive background blur with the 28 I must admit, but one doesn't have to use a 50 wide open all the time either :)

[@alfabravo80]

It took me years to try the 35mm & 28mm lenses. This was because I had an almost visceral reaction to distortion in pictures.

[@HeleneOl-os3uq]

@@marekward6202so in general 50mm is better for street?

[@thomaslevine405]

I've found a lot of images I passed by on my original edits after a shoot. I believe I grow as a photographer and as I do I find that my original intention when I took the photo was right now, but when I was editing I just didn't see it then. Now going back, I'm floored by images I missed. I have thousands of image, but nothing near what Erwitt has. Elliott Erwitt was one of the first photographers I bought from and I'm talking about the 1970's. I picked up a camera in 1974 and I went pro in the 80's and I still love shooting! Erwitt influenced me in a big way long ago and it's great to see more of his work on Framelines. Thank you for presenting his work here!!

[@mynameistrd6841]

so glad to see a photography youtube channel that brings real photographer, that we can learn so much from, not a content creator

[@jazzyx95]

As someone who has been using exclusively the xf35 1.4 for the last couple of years, I would like to point out that with 50mm I have encountered plenty of situations where there's simply not enough room for me to just step back and re-frame the photo. Eg, a narrow street in a small town, interior a small train station, a church in the city center etc... However I do like the intimacy of the 50mm very much.

[@mahakalax108]

the same !

[@brenoaragon]

50mm feels super compressed, i feel like we have two 50mm lenses that's what gives us our depth perception. But yeah it is a great starting point to grow from :)

[@1550592535]

are you using a crop sensor?

[@alfabravo80]

For me, the 50mm on a Leica M camera felt very natural. On an SLR, it felt often confined.

[@miguelortiz5270]

It's a relief to find a video were someone speaks about photograph and not about latest gear. 1st time around. Greetings from Chile!

[@carmenfissenden2530]

I grew up with 55mm as the kit lens and now use a 30mm on a MFT camera as I need a bit more compression than 25mm on MFT , which gives 50 mm equivalent. I often wondered why I chose the length I did and discovered that since I wear specs that often slip down my nose , my perspective of normal was closer to something between 55 - 60. Sure, I have wide and telephoto lens choices to fall upon , but using what I describe as my standard lens gives me what others at 50 can achieve . The other often overlooked advantage of having a single prime lens glued to the camera will enable more to be captured , as well as an appreciation of what the image will look like as soon as the camera is raised . As you demonstrated , standing a little back or moving in a little closer , you can achieve the wider and telephoto take on the image . 50 mm or its equivalent in my case , gives maximum flexibility and a good trained eye without playing with a zoom or switching lenses when there is no need to do so. We often overthink what is needed and should learn to be more intuitive when on the lookout for images . For all other times the phone can double as your second body for a wider view when in a hurry to get the shot because you cannot more back to frame the shot . Thank for sharing your thoughts with us and encouraging us all to consider a truly versatile and often overlooked prime lens. Take a look at Jane Brown’s work . Here was another photographer who used the 50mm quite a bit for her pictures .

[@TheBigNegative-PhotoChannel]

people always look at you strangely when you say that you do streetphotograhy with 50mm. I LOVE 50MM! Glad somehow that you also like this focal length! Your pictures are really amazing. 😀

[@Legoman1352]

I do street with 90mm cause I'm broke

[@sauravrisal1316]

@@Legoman1352 same lol, 50mm on an aps-c, 80mm equivalent

[@juna61]

Heck I love to do street photography even with 300 mm. There is no rule to use what every one else uses. 50 mm is my favorite still.

[@benasbaranovskis639]

Well thank you and thanks to KZbin recommendations they brought me here. I was searching for some kind of street photography channel.

[@ianjohnstone1061]

Started with a 50m 44yrs ago.. Now have four 50's in various systems, Just so reliable in every way.

[@erwinc.9117]

The 50mm is the perfect focal length for me. It gives a very natural compression that feels close to human eye. It's narrow enough to give focus on your subjects but wide enough to include sufficient amounts of background. It puts you close enough from the subjects to not feel like a creep/stalker but far enough to not disturb them or make them feel threatened. Edit: wrote the comment before I watched the vid, glad to see that people have the same appreciations on the focal length.

[@blekfut5763]

Not true. Natural focal length is 43mm - the hypotenuse of the 36x24mm frame. So 50mm is as far from natural as 35mm.

[@senyang2260]

I received Found Not Lost as my birthday present this year.... Enjoyed so so much. 50mm is my everyday lens on the street... I am very glad that you have shared so much insightful experience about using 50mm lens. Thank you !!!

[@afnerhernandez]

50mm has always been my natural go-to for all types of pics, sometimes even landscape when I need light and sharpness. It's so versatile in my view.

[@kronkite1530]

The introduction made me chuckle. Who doesn’t like depressing, sad images!

[@frame-lines]

Everyone loves a bit of ennui

[@da009999]

@@frame-lines Do you come from a poor, working class family background when you were a child?

[@sommelierofstench]

50mm is magical. i bought my lens without knowing much about it and their properties when i was just getting started. best decision i’ve made as far as camera gear. completely changed how i shoot. awesome video as always.

[@kangzau1006]

That's a great point relating focus length of lens to the amount of intrusive potential of the subject.

[@larbgai75]

When Erwitt and even more so Cartier Bresson used the 50 it never looked too tight and the frame was filled with meaning and beauty or irony. When I see most modern day Street Shooters see a 50 I mostly think it looks too far away or too tight and little boring. It was different times and they were masters so the focal length simply did not matter so much.

[@thomasepping8637]

great video! intended to run this alongside some work that allows it, but stopped, rewinded and pushed play all the time, cause there is so much gold in it!

[@PhilKnall]

I recently switched to 50mm after noticing i was cropping a lot of my 40mm and 35mm shots. 50 and longer is just so nice to get a nice frame of the scene and not the surrounding environment. I liked your analysis!

[@FaizalWestcott]

I share a lot of the same sentiment. I am a lot more experimental and creative with a 50mm than I am with my 28mm

[@frame-lines]

I feel the same way, because I can get wide(ish) and tele(ish) style shots with a 50 so I tend to try a lot more angles.

[@troyphillips1077]

I have so many dang 28mm lenses purposely bought. I love the focal length . And at the same time have struggled to like the 50 . I sold my Sigma Art 50mm and bought the Art 40 mil . I haven’t used it much for photography as I’d like to have . But a ton for video. After selling the 50 I felt like I missed it and struggled with the 40 . Odd but true . Now I just bought a Sigma 65mm and it feels just right . I have an old Nikkor S 55mm f/1.2 coming and plan on using it a lot until I get this 50 thing down .

[@andrewwarden9434]

Seems from the examples only Gilden does 28mm..

[@Packiechu]

"If you find yourself too close... Just step back a little." Oof the wisdom behind that line in both photography and life. 👏🏻👏🏻

[@egeilicak]

One correction regarding the visual fields and lenses: The central field of vision for most people covers an angle of between 50° and 60°. Therefore, both 35mm and 50mm lenses are close to the central field of vision of people. Actually, if we also consider the peripheral vision of people, 35mm is closer to our daily vision than the 50mm. Other side note is that although Bresson and Erwitt used 50mm mainly, they did also remarkable work with 35mm lenses. As a source of information, one can check the following books: "Henri Cartier‑Bresson, Interviews and Conversations" and "Elliott Erwitt: Home Around the World" (Elliott's Biography) from Aperture publishing. If you check those books, reader will see that both masters used 35mm lenses in the past. Great video, and book intro. Thanks!

[@EnjoiRom1]

I just discovered your channel, a consequence of exploring KZbin channels starting with a Reddit post about Dante Sisofo's channel. I used to use a 50mm about 90% of the time when I was using a SLR but when I switched to my M6 9 years ago I felt that it wasn't the right focal for me anymore. Probably due to the fact that on a SLR the whole viewfinder is filled with your image. In a rangefinder viewfinder, you get so much more of what's going on around your frame, and the 50mm frame is so small. I needed something wider. And nowadays, I still mostly use my 35mm on my M6 (with a little bit of 21mm) and when I (rarely) pick up my FM2, it's with a 50mm.

[@ikorroki4695]

I used to like 50 mm a lot, but I preffer 40 mm now. It gives more volume to the picture and some round lines. 40 mm 2.8 pancake, I love it. Interesting to see Erwitt's new book, totally different photos, chosen from different time, different perspective and "senior" vision. By the way, I alway look photos in silence, at least the one I admire. Nice portfolio you have.

[@Mr-S.C.]

I only have my 50mm lens on my Canon and it doesn't come off, the best street photos ever is the result - pure style and drama in a photograph.

[@jpm74]

Art is the sincere and elegant (aka Truth & Beauty) expression of the Human experience. 50mm assists photographers to compose an image with the human being and their expressions/emotions/eyes in the frame far better than a 35mm or a 28mm. 35mm and 28mm are "story telling" even "cinematic" focal lengths which capture a lot of context in a scene. But the 50mm...that's the one that reveals the humanity in the subjects.

[@katielowen]

I’ve never heard anyone explain these mm lengths like this before, and you’re so spot on. 👏

[@ghw7192]

50/1.8 pancake Series E lens on a Nikon EM. Hyper focus for infinity and tape the lens so focus doesn't shift. Tri-X has been my film of choice since the late 60s.

[@mvw5721]

I thought Home Around The World (which I could read a million times and not get bored) would be his last, so happy to catch up, what a treasure trove he/it is!

[@TheLiamGordon]

Thanks for featuring my photo! Sorry it wasn’t very new. I wondered if I’d get in trouble for that. I did go out and shoot one on purpose but it was kinda crap 💩

[@frame-lines]

Lovely shot man. I like how you arranged it all :)

[@jbaxter007]

I love my Manual Nikon ais F2.8 55 mm macro lens, it`s been welded to my Nikon F3 HP for more than 3 years, simply brilliant, great vid.

[@Irishstew6969]

I often return to 'throw-away' photos years later and see them differently and appreciate them. Never throw them away

[@trix-4656]

Agree, agree, agree. The 50 (and the 80 in 2-1/4" format) still rock, as they did in 1959.

[@absolute1020]

When I first started film photography I thought I'm about to use 35mm my whole life, then roll after roll , I started to love 50mm more.

[@dba00]

Same here! 35mm is great but 50mm just suits me better

[@sniper_shot_photography]

Like many photographers, 50mm is the only lens that I have with my full frame. I have rented the 70-200 and my best weapon, the 200-500mm, but I'm never disappointed to go back to my 50 once those rentals are up. I'm lost in this video, Elliot is so talented and I think you're really far up there as well.

[@simonkeslake2782]

I feel 50mm gives the distance perspective of the human eye to the subject but not the peripheral vision, which I think the 28mm does that best and gives the viewer the feeling they are in the scene. That said I like to shoot scenes which take in more like Henry Wessel or Stephen Shore's work, but Elliot Erwitt is an absolute legend!

[@barneyarthur4615]

Loving this one!

[@frame-lines]

cheers barney - great to see you back!

[@jaceksnaturblicke5278]

I start with street and my to go is the nikkor 50mm f1.4, i love it at the moment. Mostly in black and white.

[@jpadicecoffee9812]

Around 50mm is my preferred too and learning to use it in the months to come. I like to shoot what I see without much distortion.

[@ShawnPBruce]

I absolutely love the 50mm. I go back and forth between the 50 and the 35. It feels so good to come back to the 50mm.

[@bill3117]

Thank you for your observations on the 50mm and the ability not to invade people's "personal space". You've changed my usual thoughts on my own street photography!

[@stephenconnolly602]

Great video, I have only just discovered Framelines and I'm so glad I have. I haven't taken a real camera photo since August last year, and I only know that because I dug my camera out last night after watching your interview with Sage Sohier, which was another brilliant video. Thank you.😎

[@robertdavis1255]

Thanks for sharing... Enjoyed your video & comments regarding the 50mm lens....cheers

[@jklphoto]

Great thoughts Shane. Your images are thoughtful, not somber, sad, and melancholy. Composition with a 50mm is more challenging, but the resulting images will be stronger. As to "the look" of a 50...it doesn't have one. That's the point. Just a normal perspective, devoid of personality. It's up to the photographer to make a strong image. My Sigma 45mm f/2.8 DG DN might as well be welded onto my Leica SL. BTW, as a historical reference, all cameras sold in the 1970s and 80s came with a 50mm. I imagine the same was true of the 50s and 1960s (but that was before my time). They were inexpensive to produce, due to sheer volume, and relatively fast during films heydey. I believe that's why we see so many used by the Godfathers of street photography. P.S. love the intro. Do you have Sally O'Brien's digits? Irish nonsense, LOL.

[@ryanbailey112]

Great video keep them coming. I bought the book today and can't wait until it shows up in the mail.

[@linjicakonikon7666]

I have a photo of Elliot Erwitt with a couple Rangefinders around his neck as well as a Blackbody Nikon F. On the Nikon was a 200mm f4 pre ai lens (one of my favorites). I've also seen photos of Erwitt using Canon F1 cameras with short telephoto lenses.

[@davidking1765]

Me too 50mm, thanks for assuring that, it does take nice photos

[@SimbiusStreet]

I have been shooting 35 since I started using my fuji 4 years ago, but I have always loved 50mm on my film cameras.

[@borderlands6606]

Modern street photographers are obsessed by front to back sharpness. This is easier to achieve on a wide lens, for a given aperture. The reasons are various, including the fashion for "layers" in street photography, the availability of wide focal lengths from starter kit zooms, and the way film grain introduces texture to out of focus areas in a way digital does not (without manipulation). Some of my favourite images going back decades were shot on 50mm. They have a serenity that is rarely achieved in punch-in-the-gut 28mm photos. Erwitt shows the importance of getting close whatever focal length people choose.

[@Gmakamian]

I used to shoot a lot with 35/85 until I tried a 50. Now all I shoot is 50 on both my sony and fuji. I love 50! I feel like I can do anything I want in the street with a 50. It feels comfortable yet experimental, and like you said it’s easier to make it look good. Anyway great video and thoughts yet again ☺️

[@TheArtist441]

I'm exactly in the same place. Always shot with a 35 and 85 but always felt they were either too wide or too narrow but never thought of getting a 50 because many say it's so close to 35. Then I got a 50 on my Fuji and INSTANTLY fell in love with the perspective. It's perfect. Now to get one for my Sony too

[@PeterGallagher1]

The niffy-fifty is a super lens, inexpensive,fast and small. Love it.

[@hurleygreen927]

I'm a Chicago photojournalist and I LOVE my nifty 50mm 1.8 on my Nikon DSLRs....thanks for this video!-

[@jcking1997]

Always been slightly confused by the whole '50mm equal to human perspective' thing. Our experience is just wider. I've always leaned to 35mm - this feels way more natural to me, and it places you more IN that space and scene imo. 50 is great for certain things and is definitely better for wanting to be noticed less though!

[@caloster7664]

If you have a 28-70mm lens, I recommend looking through the camera with your other eye open. Zoom from 28 all the way to 70mm and stop when the camera image seems to line up with your current perspective. It will probably be almost exactly at the 50mm mark. I didn't understand until I did this and was very surprised how it pretty perfectly fit my vision.

[@Clint_the_Audio-Photo_Guy]

Agreed. I believe that 50mm (In 35mm or FF terms) is the shortest telephoto. I prefer 35mm as well. When I shot exclusively primes, I had them in every focal length, and the 35mm stayed on my camera for the most time. Close one eye, and you might see in 50mm, but I agree we see wider given both eyes open.

[@acrapid7845]

@@caloster7664 So, if you look at the picture from 50mm lens, you have to close one eye to see it like it was shooted

[@tonywu5571]

IMO it is because the magnification rate in viewfinder fits the 50mm fov the easiest given a 3:2 aspect ratio, to generate a near 1:1 magnification view. The view from our eyes is a panoramic with central sharpness. If we have a panoramic sensor and build the matching viewfinder, I think it is also possible to fit the 35mm fov with a bigger magnification rate.

[@johnthorburn1913]

Another top video lads! Particularly enjoying the book segments.

[@EdJimenezPhoto]

Hi, Shane. I found myself revisiting this video after seeing it last year for the first time and I'm glad I did. I've been struggling to go back to the streets for personal reasons (mostly motivation) but also due to a sort of "decision paralysis" coming from questioning my preference for the 50mm look; however, your point about personal space absolutely resonates with me. In fact, I might even mix it up with some 75mm (50mm on APSC) for those days when I'm extra averse to making contact with people. I think it will not only be more comfortable when I'm moody but also reflect that mood and separation from the rest of the world in a more accurate way. Anyway, chances are you won't read this after 2 years of posting the video, but I guess this little rant is just a result of the type of motivation I usually find in your content. Thank you.

[@frame-lines]

Dude. I'm very happy that something I said 2 years ago has resonated with you and in some way helped you to develop your perspective on street. I wish you all the luck in the world. -Shane

[@EdJimenezPhoto]

@@frame-lines Thank you so much for the kind words :)

[@gyommr]

Everyone is dressed so dapper in the photos.. Australia could never.

[@paulsehstedt6275]

80 % of my photography is with a 50 mm. Been my number one ever since I started with photography more than 50 years ago!

[@frame-lines]

let me ask you a question so-- what's your favourite 50mm lens? :)

[@paulsehstedt6275]

@@frame-lines Summilux 50/1.4

[@The1985JAM]

This is fantastic, my wife picked up the Found Not Lost for me as a gift and I love it. Thank you.

[@robertleidner9703]

His work is fantastic.

[@jasongold6751]

I love Elliot Erwitt ! I mostly use a 50mm, my Leica M3 is now 55 years old, the 50mm slightly older 65 years.. My standard lens. sadly as there are More people everywhere, i use 35mm a lot now!

[@willdrew287]

So glad I found this channel, big fan of Josh, look forward to your next video!

[@UrbanoModa]

Nice channel as always, very deep 50m chat as its a tough lens to get right over 28 and 35. btw i did check out Café Royal books.

[@JjackVideo]

I've gotten use to my 40mm over the years, and it might all me in my head, but I feel more trapped and constrained with a 50 now. It's pretty wild that small differences like 40-50 or 28-35 can affect your shooting that much.

[@TheArtist441]

Totally agree with the feeling trapped part with a 50mm. My view is that a 50 is probably very close to human perspective but it only lacks viewing room. I think a pano with a 50 would be a win

[@tonywu5571]

@@TheArtist441XPan for the rescue but demolition of bank savings 😂

[@ananomiac5556]

This was such a banger, thank yee for the wee bit of fun

[@dreamarchist]

After I had used several focal lengths I always come back to a nifty fifty and feel most comfortable with. I shot a long time with 35mm because I thought 50 might be boring... Well, turns out that 35 is almost the most boring to me. I like 28 as well but 50... I don't know. It always feels so special and cozy to me and I can't even explain it now but I guess what I you explained was just what I felt all the time. :)

[@frame-lines]

I feel exactly the same way. That's the only reason I ever stop shooting 50mm. I convince myself it's a bit boring.

[@Jerry10939]

I also love the 50mm lens.

[@samboncoin9498]

Hi there, I think that one important thing to take into account when shooting 50mm (which is my favorite lens too...), is the difference between SLR and rangefinder. Using 50mm on rangefinder is easier to frame than SLR as you see what is going in and out of the frame. On SLR, I would perhaps like a 35mm...have you notice that too? Anyway thanks for your videos. Good job. Sam

[@frame-lines]

I want to talk about that in another video. I think ‘seeing outside the frame’ with a rangefinder is possibly all hype. If you take Erwitt for example, he used an m3 and 50mm. The 50mm framelines on an m3 are right at the edge so you can’t really see what’s happening outside of the frame. Same for Bresson. So they’re effectively using SLRs in a way. Just a thought

[@samboncoin9498]

​@@frame-lines A good thought. And to make things a little bit more "intimate", I believe that all photographers have their favorite lens frame in mind. It's the 50mm for me on 35mm film. I do not really need the camera to frame and in a way I noticed that I am constantly taking pictures without having any camera...😉😅. I think it's the same with you... and others.

[@irenedp4947]

I am a documentary photographer, so not the same field; but I use to scout with a Leica M9 with a 50mm summicron and a Q1 with the 28. I love the 28, but three quarters of what I end with are shot with the 50. On Erwitt’s book, I’ll look it up. I was fascinated by the beauty of some of the images.

[@DennisMathias]

Causes me to rethink my early 35mm days when the 50mm 1.4 was the typical kit lens. But when you get a kit lens you always pine for a wider angle. And that usually turned out to be 35mmFL. Something magic I thought about a 35 mm film and 35mm focal length. But the f1.4 50mm was so FAST! So then you dreamt of a 50mm f1.2 for those DOF backgrounds..faster! But then you realized you had to be spot on with focus unless you stopped down--so what was the point. And then there were portraits with the 135mm lens which was sweet. But oh so formal. And you needed a fast shutter speed if you were going to use it like it was meant to be used. So now I'm digital. And the focal lengths seem to be a jumble. Anymore I just shoot wide and crop in post. Cameras have the resolution so why not. But the perspective isn't quite the same. Especially in tight quarters. But at my age I don't want to miss anything. So it was nostalgic for me to express your thoughts on this subject. Strange about Irish english. It sounds for the life of me like american english. Except for the way you pronounced LITTLE..I never would have know 🙂

[@hfvhf987]

When you talk about perspective, human eye IS roughly 50mm in perspective. Field of view however is winder in our vision but field of view and perspective are very different things!

[@ianlewis8086]

I was just browsing and came across this. Nice one.

[@SummersSnaps]

Oh man, you speak my language. The Takumar 50/1.4(8E) is my favourite lens, period... all for the reasons you mention. So much so I am working on my first book with nothing but images taken with that lens.

[@hfranke07]

If you are looking for a great and cheep 50mm lens.... go for the Helios 44-2. I love it

[@KeAiFu]

I am using the 40/2.5 G on my A7C for Street and People-photography, for me the best choice.

[@benindaplace]

Quite easy to guess whether it will be a Shane or Josh video only from the title or the video to be honest

[@frame-lines]

What gives it away? :)

[@benindaplace]

@@frame-lines the 50mm lens, Josh usally prefers wide angles; having attended to his workshop yesterday I would have been surprised if he came out today with a video to promote 50mm lenses :)

[@gerryphilpott9766]

Thanks, I needed this! Just ordered the M11 after wanting one for decades. Only getting one lens and tough decision between 35 and 50 and this helped me narrow it down. To help me see it in practice, I went out with a 24-120 the other day and shot at both focal lengths and the 50 won out most of the time. I know not exactly the same, but when I needed wider than the 50, I took about 7 steps back and got the same framing as the 35. In today's hyper paranoid world, not sure if walking 7 steps closer to a person is going to make them feel very good. And thanks for the suggestions on the photo books.

[@bigdavewilsonfishingandout3777]

Nice look at Elliot’s book! I will look for a copy. I love using the 50 but more recently have gravitated to the 35 more and more, especially since going to my new mirrorless kit. All the best for 2022!

[@Daniel_Zalman]

Your voice, coupled with your Irish accent, makes you sound like Colin Farrell. Yeah, I basically like the 50 for similar reasons, Shane. I don't want to affect the scene (or is that a photography euphemism for "I'm timid"), I like a tidy image (shooting in NYC is tough), and the image just feels natural (minimal optical distortion). First time viewer here, btw.

[@fergusfitzgerald977]

50 mm is a great lens after that I tend to short teles like 70mm or 85 mm. Everybody is different 35 is a simple lens to use as well that has many fans ! I use 50 and 28 on my film camera but never do street on that camera ! Try what you can and go with the photos you like - everybody is an individual ! Good luck !

[@zollieuncle9647]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I like the 50mm ish focal length, but I do not think it is the closets to how I see the world with my naked eyes. I think it is more like the 28mm focal length which is probably why some of the brands which still carry cameras with a fixed focal length lens is chosing the 28mm for that purpose. That is the most versatile focal length, the widest with an acceptable level of distorsion for capturing portraits. Nevertheless, I fully agree with your other arguments for the 50mm focal length and hence now I am trying to further improve my photography by forcing myself to use my 55mm AF and 65mm MF lenses. Will see.

[@MCA_Lives]

I got a 7d mark ii to get myself back into the hobby and I didn’t know about the crop sensor conversion. It Came with a 50mm yet on the crop sensor it’s 80mm equivalent so I actually have a pretty decent portrait lens to start out with. I may go for a sigma 30mm 1.4 as a Xmas gift to my self.

[@obzockyphotography7682]

Some of my best work is with a nifty 50mm 1.8 plastic lens from canon with a 450d ….by the way great videos …straight to the point ….well done gentlemen on creating a good series of videos …..

[@learningsafehouse]

I've always loved my nifty fifty. Great starter and pro lense!

[@frame-lines]

Absolutely. I always recommend it for starting out

[@greentothebone]

Great video Shane. I recently purchased a TT Artisans 50mm for my M2 and can’t wait to try it out.

[@davidhollenback3345]

Thanks for the heads up on Erwitt's book! And also thanks for the discussion about the 50mm. I've been more comfortable with such a lens than the wider say 35mm but could never quite put my finger on why. This helped a lot.

[@joeschlicht]

50mm is my favorite too, also a big fan of Eliott, in fact, I have met him and had a nice long chat with him. And Hey, I just realized I follow you on IG (for a long time now).

[@frame-lines]

i'm incredibly jealous :) I've heard he's very generous with his time

[@krienmineel]

I love the 50mm prime. Its small, sharp and always get a nice focus and bokeh. I mostly put that one on my camera when iam just walking around the city

[@camhan1151]

Love 50mm. Natural and serene

[@leedeleon2745]

Liked, subscribed, and here to tell you and Josh that you are great. Keep up the good work!

[@frame-lines]

Thanks for subscribing lee - glad you like it :)

[@erichstocker8358]

I used to use 50mm quite a bit. To be truthful I still use it a bunch. However, I've fallen in love with my 35mm and find that it usually matches how I view the scene.

[@HermannKerr]

I like the 35mm but as it well suits my style which has more to do with shape and form that it does people. For people I tend to lean toward longer focal lengths in the 75-90mm range. I like your thought about not being a reactant in the scene. One of my favourite street photographers was Fred Herzog. He had the uncanny ability to capture scenes like a long lost memories. I can see the magic in Elliott Erwitt's prints. Thank you.

[@CentaurusRelax314]

[How do you get your colors? Very Kodachrome-ish. And what are those Canon lenses mounted to?] Yeah, 50mm is my comfort zone. Always has been, probably because i started out wanting to shoot fashion, and my heroes were Avedon and Penn, and later a bunch of guys who used either Pentax 67s or Mamiya RZs with 'normal' lenses. I didn't begin to appreciate "street" until much later, and even though 28-35mm were the more often used focal lengths for that genre, living in Manhattan with all of that 'stuff,' i still preferred to be able to isolate with a narrower frame, and then there was the _more plentiful bokeh_ aspect.