Street Photography: Choosing your Focal Length (85mm, 50mm, 35mm, 28mm)

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In this video I share some thoughts around choosing your focal length in street photography. My focal length journey took me from 85mm, to 50mm, to 35mm, to 28mm, and each had something to teach me as I worked to take better images on the street. Hopefully some of the advice I offer here will help you find your own focal length of choice.
Share it on if you found it helpful.
#streetphotography #focallength #photography

[@coffeepyros]

I shot with a 50mm for over 15 years. As a way of self improvement I set myself a "1 year only 35mm + f8" challenge. As you, I learned a lot about composition / framing. Now I shoot mainly with a 40mm lens, which has been my ideal focal length for the last 5+ years.

[@johnhoey4605]

For my street photography, which is all I do now, I’ve whittled my kit down to the Canon R5 and Ricoh GR II, the 35mm and 100mm (macro).

[@bngr_bngr]

I use a 70-200 zoom. I prefer a longer lens for all my photography.

[@bogdan.g6403]

Hello, what setup you use for street? thanks

[@johnhoey4605]

@@bogdan.g6403 Canon R5 with Canon EF 35mm f1.4L USM II lens for most of my work. Also carry a 100mm macro for tighter shots. Also use a Ricoh GR III (Street Edition).

[@danielfulop]

what's the reason behind F8 only?

[@jeroenzuidland132]

I like 85 mm. To show the small things that no one sees, but tell a story is what I love most at all the moment.

[@cryptobyt2403]

For me i prefer 100 macro

[@PSYCHIC_PSYCHO]

I find it hard to believe how a photo taken with a 85mm lens can tell a story, for context one would need a 28-35mm focal-length.

[@cryptobyt2403]

@@PSYCHIC_PSYCHO 85 can. But more personal. Try it.

[@daveericson8447]

​@PSYCHIC_PSYCHO 28-35 is completely wrong for me, 85mm can have all the context if you have the imagination

[@minorimaius7807]

This is by far the best video on this topic for me. Very simply explained, it can only be done by someone with great experience and talent. Perfect guidelines and it made it a lot easier for me personally to find my way around, helping any of us who have not yet clearly established our photographic techniques and preferences. A big thank you

[@myblackboxrocks]

This is such a balanced approach to discussing focal length. I shoot 75% at 50mm and the rest at 35mm but I keep a 28-80mm zoom handy just in case. If I had to have just one lens it would be 50mm, it’s just so versatile for portraits, documentary, street, family and even landscape with some stitching in lightroom.

[@martynsmithson7533]

If you're not sure which focal length you choose, first look to your lightroom catalogue. You may be surprised what you use the most. As ever a great video, Sean.

[@jrwojick]

For the last few years I have been around the 24mm area. I love the flexibility that it provides in street shots allowing a bit of openness and give things a sense of scale as well as the ability to move closer to subjects in order to get something more intimate.

[@Mcguppy]

Last year my mother died, at the respectable age of 92, and she left me some money. I wanted to buy something that would last and would be special to me. She liked my photography and bought me my first full frame camera years ago. I decided to buy a Zeiss lens, they last a lifetime and feel so nice when used. I was struggling a bit to decide on the focal length, 85 or 35 , in the end I decided on 35 and I’m very happy I did. It is such a nice focal length and so versatile. When I go on my daily walk I always take the 35. If I had to live with just one lens, that Zeiss 35 would be it.

[@bijosn]

Which zeiss is it?

[@PSYCHIC_PSYCHO]

@@bijosnThe one made by Carl.....Carl Zeiss 😉

[@utomotjipto5294]

@@bijosna Distagon 35mm f2 might be the lens this person loves, or a Biogon 35mm f2. Both renders beautiful pictures. When an artist photographer loves a lens its mainly due to the rendering, color, contrast this lens gives, regardles of MTF charts sharpness etc.

[@jasonwrites9186]

Sean, your content is so rich and meaningful. Been following your channel for years. Oh, and I'm a 24mm weirdo. I've always been a 24 to 35 sort of guy. I like the environmental context, I like the distortion, I like getting in close and interacting with my subject.

[@jaredgotcher]

I believe Alan Schaller is also a 24mm guy! His work is really interesting.

[@dicekolev5360]

It definitely depends on the architecture of your place and what you want to show. Sadly I feel bored shooting with one focal lenght all the time which makes the hobby really costly... haha

[@MelonAMango]

I love 24mm too. I can't get along with 35 or 50 unless I'm doing street portraits but I'm always on 24mm.

[@spaezpes]

@@jaredgotcher I just bought a 16mm (24mm eq) after shooting a lot on 18mm (28mm eq). Thanks for the insight

[@johnvienna3422]

"wrangle all the elements together" - what a great way to describe the almost frenzied effort of keeping everything under control in a 28mm composition.

[@bob-rogers]

I use a 16-35 zoom on a full frame camera. I probably use it around 24mm the most. I like taking photos of buildings, and I like photos where I have small things in the foreground. Like a flower up close, with a mountain in the background.

[@havanejp]

120-300mm equivalent was a revelation! Living in Japan, I was quite conscious about respecting people's privacy here, it allows me to be further away without disturbing the scene. I also love being able to pick out details of the daily life that people might not have seen. You don't need to travel to a famous IG spot to find beauty :)

[@jsaproductions5]

Yes, I shoot video and I find that at times, a bigger focal lens allows me to shoot people without them getting uptight [as we all do when the cameras come out]

[@jsaproductions5]

35 mm was at one time a standard…when people differentiated from a point and shoot 50 years ago they would say “I shot that on a 35mm”- just some history from an old guy

[@JiminSC]

@@jsaproductions5That's funny. In my era when people said, "I shot that on a 35mm" they were actually referring to the 35mm film they were shooting with not the focal length.

[@jsaproductions5]

@@JiminSC yeah. It was both actually. Strange

[@jsaproductions5]

@@JiminSC strangely: In motion pictures that record on film, 35 mm is the most commonly used gauge. The name of the gauge is not a direct measurement, and refers to the nominal width of the 35 mm format photographic film, which consists of strips 1.377 ± 0.001 inches (34.976 ± 0.025 mm) wide.

[@user-vl4hx7jd5f]

This was the most helpful video for figuring out what lens I want. The way you described the focus on a subject vs the context made so much more sense than any other video or review of focal lengths I have seen or read. Thank you.

[@burnhard.]

I’m in love with the focal length 85mm f/1.4 ❤ It gives me the possibility to take ownership over what I want to draw attention to, and just that. I’m moving a lot around if I want more in the frame though, and that’s just fine! If it’s in the frame, it’s there because I put it there.

[@truejungli8507]

Hi. I’ve just invested in an 85mm lens being a 35mm guy. I’d love to see how you use it for things other than portraits. Are you on instagram?

[@teagueshoup]

Same!!!! I want to be deliberate and specific with what I’m conveying to the audience and using my composition and subject matter to bring the abstraction and uniqueness.

[@timothylinn]

This is really the best how-to-choose-a-focal-length video I've seen. Your approach to making a choice is very helpful. I thought the phrase "I went from looking for subjects to looking for scenes" was very well put when comparing something like an 85mm with a 35mm.

[@TheCourtaud]

My most used for well over a year now are 50mm and 40mm. I have 40mm fixed on a rangefinder film camera that I feel I appreciate more because of it being that slight bit wider than 50 without completely altering my perspective. I plan to get 40 on my mirrorless and stick with that. I also love how compact 40 is. I'm more likely to use it instead of my phone, which I appreciate

[@keithmcevoy9520]

I have three focal-length sweet spots: 135, 70, and 35mm. Today, I am learning my way around 45mm. It is stretching me. But, my composition skills have been steadily improving along the way. Sean, your videos and approach to photography are such a breath of fresh air! Thank you!

[@marchaine7617]

50mm here, for almost everything. It's just the perfect fit for me. I'm kind of a shy guy, I realized recently that it unconsciously forces me to stay halfway from my subject, without getting too far away neither, at least for the kind of compositions I like... Thanks for the great content, as usual ;)

[@tonygreenwoodN10]

33mm has been almost glued onto my X-T4 for over a year - that's how I see the world!

[@MulliganAl]

This is great, really confirmed why I like the 35mm focal length. I went through the work by these and many others and then looked to see what focal length they used and it was the 35mm almost every time that caught my eye, not too impersonal, and not too personal yet gives the sense of being involved with the subject just enough. It also includes enough of the surrounding environment to complete the story without the subject being lost in it.

[@johnjacob7287]

I've recently started using a 11 to 16 for street photography in crowded streets in small town India during my travels.. hugely rewarding in capturing the large canvas .. some distortion does add charm.. depending on the composition. Loved your talk and sharing.. more power to you brother 🙏🏽

[@DharmaOcean108]

Out walking, I use a 30mm macro lens on a Micro Four Thirds camera (60mm equivalent). I like how it both constrains the view a bit and also brings in more context than I initially expected. It's my go-to for urban landscapes. Since it's a macro lens, I can get very close when that's what has my attention. ... Sean's journey with the different lenses and cameras is a good reminder of how I've learned what works for me through the circumstances of particular cameras, their default lenses, and purposeful experimentation. I enjoy the combination of personal, philosophical and practical in the videos. Thanks!

[@nicolasburgeff4022]

Great video, as always it's truly enriching to hear about your experience and your point of view Sean. For me my favorite lengths are the 85mm and the 35mm, as for the 50mm it's a bit of a love hate relationship. For the 85mm, I love how it allows me to isolate a subject, to make it stand out, to bring it closer to the "eye", to only focus on details and to be more creative with the depth of field. For instance, the video you've done featuring Maarten Rots inspired me to try to keep an eye out for any smaller details or "narrower" abstract compositions in the urban landscapes. Then the 35mm, is my sweet spot for when I want to focus in larger scenes, to get more of the context in my picture, to capture crowd movements... Anything wider than that feels awkward and only works for me on a case to case basis. While the bigger frame is great to use in some instances, it feel more often like I'm facing a discrepancy between the frame that I have and the picture I want to frame. But that may also be originate from the fact that I'm more drawn to telephoto lengths than wide ones, as I love how those lengths can the things that are far closer to the eye and make them keep their immensity. Finally, the 50mm, is a lenght I keep on trying to get more comfortable with. While some of my own favorite shots were taken with it, more than often I feel like I'm stuck in an awkward position, somewhere halfway between having a field of view that's to wide for me to isolate or get as close as I'd like, but at the same time too narrow to capture the scene.

[@FlyFreeFilm]

35mm is my favorite, I used to shoot a lot of wider focal lengths, but 35 resonated so true to my heart in this beautiful craft =)

[@justincole690]

Can I ask what you use your 35mm for ? I also have one, but I find myself STUCK trying to shooting anything lol

[@j2thebee]

I quite like an 18-55mm lens, I'm not on the streets everyday and don't like to be limited to a certain perspective or be messing around changing lenses so this works for me when the light is good and I dont need a fast prime.

[@Salt9696]

This is by far, without a doubt the best video I have seen that illustrates the different focal lengths for full-frame and crop-sensors cameras. I just purchased my Sony FX30 (APS-C) and plan to do a ton of street videography with it. I've yet to purchase a lens because there are so many out there that it has become slightly overwhelming. Watching this video has allowed me to narrow my options down to a 35mm lens and a 50mm lens after days of deliberation. I've been stuck in a state of analysis paralysis, neglecting to explore my videography style. Your video allowed me to recognize the importance of experimenting for myself and purchase a damn lens already.

[@LetiB76]

I could so associate with your story, as I underwent almost the exact same process from first camera to present day. Truly Love your genuine and honest advice, love your channel! thank You!

[@georgegmulala3746]

For close to 35 years I reported news throughout Africa with 17-35mm f2.8 and 70-200 f2.8. I am no longer working as a news photographer but as caregiver in Seattle. I am struggling to "unlearn" photojournalism and to learn to shoot "for myself". I am using Nikon D610 with 28mm f2.8 and 35mm f2.8. For years, the focus had to be sharp, exposure correct with details clear in all the photo. I worked to show faces and emotions, I worked hard for action photos, tight without wasting frame space...now I have to purge that off my photography. its an exciting journey and glad Seattle is the take off point. Does anyone here any know how I can go about this? or anyone who has done this in the past?

[@corinagul612]

I loved my Nikkor 35mm when I used to shoot Nikon. It is still my most favourite lens in my memory. I don’t know how to unlearn photojournalism but maybe you can join a camera club and I’ll explain why. My husband I joined a camera club last year. Apart from the social activities, workshops and presentations to grow our techniques and skills, there’s the monthly competition with set subjects. One year ago I was just happily photographing my garden and roses. That was the limit of my skills 😂. Being in the club challenged me to try other genre, develop new skills and crank up my creativity. The most challenging for me was the subject “Stairs/Staircase/Escalator” how do I go from shooting pretty roses to ugly industrial looking stairwells? It was a huge leap for me if you know what I mean. In the end I was lucky enough to find a pretty set of stairs in a public place that I could shoot with some creative flair 😜 So in my humble opinion, joining a club which sets you monthly challenge will in a way force you to move out of your comfort zone, seek genre outside of photojournalism and provide you with a platform to showcase your work. Good luck! 😊 P.S. We have recently signed up with a second club as social members, meaning we go in for the gatherings to learn, socialise and shoot together but we just don’t compete there. I explain to everyone that asked “Why two clubs?” that we have fun in one club while we compete in the other club, the best of both worlds. 😂

[@MrMWhitham]

As an ex press photographer I can totally relate to your comment. I decided to start posting to Instagram as my scrapbook. This may puzzle some viewers as my images don't necessarily follow any theme or style. It's just a collection of ideas and moods of how I feel on a given day or time. The rules are no rules. Have fun.

[@anthonyisensee]

I'd say it's like increasing your skill in any other area of photography. The best way is to do some learning, shoot frame after frame with intentionality, review your images to see how close you got to what you were looking for, and then repeat. Eventually, your images will get to the place you want them to be!

[@davidmiley1286]

I needed to hear this, so thanks for the episode Sean. When I started in 1972 ( I know scary isn’t it), 50mm is what my Minolta SRT101 came with. It was a while before I could afford anything else. A new photo mag came out in about 1976 called “Photo Technique”. An early edition featured Henri CB and his 50mm theory. So, I was addicted, but saved up and bought a 28mm. Frightened the life out of me and ran back to my 50 ( can’t believe I’m revealing this). Anyway, I’m still there it’s 50 all the way, but it would seem, for neither artistic nor technical reasons.

[@c.a.mcmullen7674]

A friend turned me on to your channel and I have to say it's wonderful. I'm a semi-pro/serious amateur photog (meaning I shoot anything interesting -- except weddings -- and periodically exhibit and sell prints) but don't shoot a lot of street despite its being my favorite genre to look at. My focal length is 24mm, colored by my primary genres of architecture, cityscapes, and travel. That said my 24s aren't great so primewise I shoot 28 more, with 50 and 24 next. Even with people I gravitate to wides, influenced heavily by cinema. I really enjoy space and context, but even when I push in I like the 3-d feel that wides bring. Tricky on close-up portraits, but wonderful when you nail it. Happy shooting!

[@spaezpes]

This might be the smoothest and clear video I've seen on focal lengths. I've been shooting in a zoom lens on digital and started shooting film with my moms old pentax camera that I found on my grandpa's house. I found a 50mm and a 28mm that both were in good shape still and decided to start with the 50mm. That was my first experience with a prime lens, making each shot worth it. When I switched to the 28mm I realized it felt really good for me. This made me start shooting even more in this focal length and practicing it by keeping my zoom lens wide open at 18mm (27mm eq.). I really enjoy shooting wide open because composition is what attracts me to photography. I had been doing this for a while now, exploring the wide view and getting better at balancing, composing and getting the feeling of the 28 images. Recently I bought the Sigma 16mm 1.4 (24mm eq, slightly wider than what I got used to) in a effort of getting sharper images and more light. I'm excited and grateful for this way of approaching focal lengths that you just described here: how do you actually see the world and which focal lengths represents that more accurately for you. I'll have that more present in mind whenever switching lenses. Thank you, Sean. PS. This is the first video I have seen from you. New subscriber here

[@CO8ism]

One of the most well articulated and well explained videos I have seen on photography.

[@merricfoley6481]

This is a fantastic video! You have really explained the differences very clearly. I especially like the comparison to other photographers and their own work.

[@baker2niner]

“Scene” (35) and “Subject” (50); perfect definition. Better than “environmental” and “portrait”. After decades and review my pics, 35 & 50 do, or could, cover nearly everything on the street and travel.

[@retropixer]

May I suggest, when and if you start doing merch, use the scribbled diagram at 6:30 on a t-shirt! 😊 My most used focal lengths, in descending order, are 35, 50, 24, and 85.

[@TeddyCavachon]

I started doing photojournalism in college back in 1970 with a pair of Nikon F bodies equipped with 35mm f/2 and 85mm f/1.8 Nikon lenses, purchased with money earned working the summer before college in a steel mill. I selected those lenses based on advice in a photojournalism textbook I’d purchased on my own which suggested approaching telling a story with stills in the same way cinematographers transition from one scene to the next with a sequence of wide establishing shot, medium crops to put the actors/subjects in the context of the surroundings, then close-ups of that subjects and their actions, also taking “over the shoulder” cut-away views from the subject’s point of view. The 35mm and 85mm were ideal choices for that approach. I would have loved to also have a 28mm or 24mm but I couldn’t afford them back then. One of the most important things I learned from the photojournalism book was that camera-subject distance, not focal length, affects near-far perspective. The reason that wide- and ultra-wide angle lenses distort perspective - from the baseline of our normal perception with eyes - is their ability to focus very close to the subject. This can be seen by shooting the same subject from a distance of ten feet with different focal lengths then enlarging the images so the subject is the same size. The near-far size relationships will be the same. If shooting portraits and wanting the facial features to be rendered with the same size of nose relative to ears in full-length and head and shoulders crops you’ll want to shoot both from the same distance and change focal length of the lens to change the in camera crop. Between shooting with the Nikons and buying my first DSLR in 2004 I used a 2.1 Kodak DC290 which had very sharp 3x zoom and a 5 MP Minolta D7Hi which had an EVF and 28-200mm equivalent zoom. I found having the longer focal length allowed me to capture close-ups of action ‘candidly’ as the first step in building a story around it. For example one morning I had to drive in to Washington, DC to drop my wife off at a class and decided to stop and take some photos of the Vietnam Memorial in the morning light. When I arrived with my Minolta D7Hi I saw a lone figure crouched down and making a rubbing of the names on the wall with a piece of paper and crayon and without disturbing him shot both wide establishing shots with the 28mm and medium crops with the 200mm. I then approached him and asked if I could take additional photos of what he was doing and got the story of why he was doing it. He was a tourist visiting DC and his father, who had served in Nam and made it back home, had asked him to find the name of one of his squad members who did and make a rubbing. When I offered to send him all the photos I took he cooperated and I was able to capture them by posing him so he was in good light with flattering facial angles, something I’d learned to do assisting top wedding photographer Monte Zucker as my first job in the early 1970s. When I bought a Canon 20D in 2004 I equipped it with a 10-22mm, 24-70 f/2.8, 70-200mm f/2.8 and a pair of 580ex flashes, one I mounted on a Strobframe camera flip bracket for Fill with the other used off axis as Key light, a technique I learned shooting weddings with Monte. Everything fit into my shoulder bag and it allowed capture full range, noise free images indoors and out. When on vacation walking around I usually had the 10-22mm on the camera because is was great for taking photos indoor in tight quarters and distorting perspective by shooting very close to objects. I later bought 50mm and 85mm primes for shooting studio portraits but when outside prefer the convenience of the zooms. I’m still using those same lenses on a 50D body and a pair of R6mkII bodies with EF-RF adapters for stills and video but have switched to mostly shooting wildlife with RF 100-500mm and 800mm f/11. For wildlife the RF100-500mm is a great “walking around” lens allowing both close-ups and wider shots with environmental context. When shooting portraits my favorite lens is my 24-70mm f/2.8 because as mentioned above it allows me to capture different crops from the same shooting distance of 8-10 feet so the facial perspective in all of them matches what typically seen in a mirror. But one of the things I’ve noticed since the advent of camera phones and selfies taken at arms length is that faces with distorted perspective (bigger noses / smaller ears ) has become the ‘new normal’ for how people expect faces to look in photos. 😂

[@martingreenberg870]

I am a street photography. I vary between 35 & 50mm. There isn’t much of a difference between them. If I want the subject larger in my frame I take a step or two closer. If I want more background I reverse the process. I focus with my feet. This is so different from using 28 or 85mm field of view. They are both so extreme the simple process of focusing with my feet simply doesn’t work. Sometimes I simply use a zoom lens to deal with the difference in perspective. Other times I carry two bodies. One with an 85mm lens and the other with a 35mm lens. It is faster to switch bodies than switch lenses. Things happen so fast on the street I can’t be bothered switching lenses all the time. Unlike you Sean, I haven’t committed to one focal length. Committing to one focal length means carrying less weight and spending less money on lenses I use occationally. Thank you for highlighting Ernst Hass and Saul Leiter. Two of my photography heros. I didn’t realize those images were taken at 85mm. Mask On Nurse Marty (Ret)

[@jochlebowski7682]

After my camera was stolen, I took on the challenge to use my phone as my main camera. It was quite frustrating at the begging, I was so used to my 35mm lens on my Fuji X T1. And after 5 years I was able to see the photos in my head, I got used to my phone’s limitations and found a way around them. I loved the 2X zoom it offered as I also love street photography. Now I have a new phone and I’ve lost that 2X zoom, I’m faced with the endeavour to work with a wide and super wide angle lens. Looking forward to the photos! Thank you for your videos, I always come back to your channel when I’m losing inspiration! 😊

[@corinagul612]

Thank you for detailing your journey in such a crisp and succinct summary. I shoot with an aps-c camera Canon 200Dii. Lately I’ve been using the 50mm for children portraiture project at my place of work. When photographing children, I realised very quickly that it’s better if I were playing with them, and constantly chatting with them, esp toddlers. Using a longer lens is useless when they are sitting within arms length. So the nifty fifty became my lens of choice in this project. It is light enough for me to hold with one hand, and its focal length is just wide enough for me to get the details on the child’s face even when only an arms length away. It’s also my favourite street photography lens nowadays because of its lightweight. I can walk and shoot for 2-3 hrs with this lens. I’ve used the 24mm in nightscape and I love the simplicity it projects. The Nikkor 35mm remained my most loved lens of all time when I used to own a Nikon aps-c. It was so easy to “see” with that lens what I wanted to shoot and how I wanted to shoot even back in those days when I didn’t know anything about photography. I thought that lens was magic. 😂

[@glennsak]

40mm for me. It is wide enough for context and narrow enough for isolation. It's closest to a "normal" view for me. Your method for determining which focal length is a good and practical one. As always your content and images are first rate.

[@tashihishey34]

At 65, It's easy to seperate wheat from the chaff. I've retired all my gear. Now, it's the vintage Nikon 50mm 1.2 AIs that stays glued to my Nikon DSLR. This vintage lens with the nikon D600 renders colours that are easy to tweak in post to mimick grainy Kodkchrome colours. My old brain seems to connect with the lens. It has a reassuring heft of metal with a clickable aperture ring and it's all manual. The f1.2 helps with the out of focus, portraits and low light. Step back, it's a 35mm, crop and it's an 85 while still maintaining the 50mm depth of field which for me is the key to the 50. Sean, thank you. Choice!

[@robertschlomann776]

Kind of late to the conversation, I guess, but I more and more I just use a 50mm equivalent for my camera format. It's limited, often not wide enough or long enough in any given situation. But it seems like when I get it right with that focal length, it really nails it. I do a lot of landscape photography and use other focal lengths too, but the flexibility of a the field of view you get with a 50-mil or its equivalent is worth the frustration of its limitations. Also, the size, weight simplicity of using a simpler kit is increasingly worth it to me. As I think about this, it strikes me that an informative exercise might be to find 25 or 50 of the most satisfying photographs I've made in the last five or ten years and see if they've been made with a consistent focal length. Anyway, really enjoy your videos.

[@tedmanasa907]

I absolutely love that you talk about what lens choice does for one’s visual communication as opposed to meaningless specs like sharpness and speed. Poor photos shot with an ultra sharp lens are still poor photos. Thanks for talking about what matters.

[@rajdeepchakraborty3259]

I wish I had a teacher like you during my school days. The way you explain things explains so much and so nicely. Thanks. I like 105mm, it's let me concentrate on lesser details and focus more on singular objects.

[@gedav1234]

I normally use 2.8 zooms for my work and always been a telephoto guy. But on my recent trip to Rome, I could not bring my big full frame kit, so I challenged myself with a 28 mm equivalent compact. I struggled in the start but found comfort in Sean’s old gr videos where I learned to look for scenes with interesting lighting instead of only subjects.

[@Graveltongue]

Nice vid Sean. There’s something, as you said, about your proximity to the subject; a tangible intimacy if you do a head shot at 35-50mm. Portrait sessions with a 135 can be anodyne and unobtrusive. Which is fine with corporate stuff. But if you need to get inside your subject’s head or to at least be more present as an observer, you need to get into their ‘space’. I’m using the Sigma 35 1.2 on a Sony FF so I get the opportunity, if I shoot wide open, to isolate my subject or to close down and include the environment. It’s bloody heavy though!

[@DD-sv7tg]

I find myself returning to the Fuji 55-200mm over and over. I had always shot on primes and I still use the Fuji 35mm for it's lovely softness. But, the 55-200mm just gives my what I need every time because I shoot various styles whenever I go out. The thing is, I bought one because it was a good deal rather than really wanting it.

[@duschbrauser]

Same for me. 35mm and 50mm is all I need. If I could only keep one, it would be 35mm. Most versatile focal length.

[@steve-4045]

My first 35mm camera was a Yashica rangefinder camera with a fixed 45mm lens. Since it was all I had, I soon learned to see the world that way, composing pictures in my head even without the camera. A theoretical “normal” lens on that negative size would be about 43mm (the film, and now the sensor, diagonal). Then in graduate school I bought a Canon SLR with a 55mm lens and gradually added other lenses. Zooms were heavy, expensive, and generally pretty bad on those days, so I stuck with primes. One day during summer school, my 28mm lens was delivered, and the next day my class was called off. So I took the camera and just that lens and hopped on a bus to downtown in Dallas, and spent the day taking pictures and getting used to using a wide angle lens for the first time. I realize now I did a lot of what is now called street photography. Yes, I did shoot big buildings, but also a lot of folks wanted me to take their pictures, either silently posing, or in one case just out and saying “Take my picture.” I got a lot of good shots. I hope to scan in negatives from that day and post some of them on line. Fast forward to December, 2022. I had just got a Fujifilm 100S and had just the 35-70mm zoom, as I waited for the 20-35mm that was back ordered. I took pictures at our small town’s holiday event, food, shops, music, various kinds of entertainment at night. That was essentially street photography, with the additional challenge of a lit up street at night. I shot video of jugglers as I learned how to use the camera. I got a lot of good stills, too. The lens is roughly equivalent to 28-55mm on full frame. My guess is that most shots were in the 35-45mm equivalent range. So I’d say that is about where I am in terms of street photography.

[@tHaH4x0r]

I think a point you glossed over, which can be very relevant (maybe more so in landscape photography as compared to street), is the phenomena of compression. A wider lens might take in more if you don't move and just change your lens, but often you can take a few steps back and still get the same view of the subject in the camera. However, you cannot compensate for the effect of compression with a lens change. If you'd frame the same subject, such that it is the same size in your frame, with different lenses, you would need to stand further away with longer lenses. The effect of this is that you will include less foreground, and that the background will look comparatively larger. This can have a huge effect on your composition and what is possible. You might for example have a famous building in the background of a portrait, which could look too small with a wide angle, or too large and indistinguishable with a telephoto. Although more important for the 'slower' types of photography and not so much for capturing short moments as is most street photography, I feel that being able to accurately guess the relationship between foreground, background and subject and choose a lens accordingly to the compression that is desired, is a super important skill for all photographers. At the very least being aware of this relationship is important. For myself, it really depends on the subject matter what kind of lens I prefer. For busy chaotic scenes such as forests, I tend to prefer longer lenses to get a sense of calm, order and isolation otherwise not possible. I also tend to be able to get little isolated scenes that really tell a story by themselves. For indoor and tight street photography I tend to go for 35 or even 24mm. Any wider and you will really need a clear foreground subject and be very close to it, otherwise all pictures will seem empty or 'missing something'. For most general purpose, I tend to agree with you, 50mm is probably the most versatile lens. Some days I feel like 40mm might be better, sometimes 60mm. Still I often just fall back to 50.

[@dccrowley]

Sean, seriously what an incredibly good video. You have explained this so well... love the scenery and your storytelling style ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[@ManCalledMif]

85mm is great for giving some subject isolation in an otherwise busy shot. 250mm is great for squirrel photos 😊

[@dhcho4473]

I really liked how to understand and untangle the angle of view. Best acknowledged!!! On the contrary, I've used 28mm for over 10 years, from Rico GRD to GXR to GR2, and it's expanded to 35mm, 50mm, 75mm, and 90mm order. My favorite angles of view right now are 50mm and 35mm. I don't have a zoom lens, thank you.

[@forneverarrow]

Interesting topic, Sean! The 85mm was also my starting point in photography but I moved very soon to wider lenses. My most used focal (about 75% of my photos) is the 50mm (equivalent), and that’s because is the normal. In my eyes, 50mm is the only area that renders totally uncompressed and without exaggeration. Going to 35mm things starts to look smaller than life (it includes some of our peripheral vision in the field of view), while anything narrower than 60mm includes compression and things are looking bigger. As for the lenses, I was a prime lens person during my early days in photography but today I am using only one lens: Sony E PZ 18-105 f4 G OSS. it has the flexibility I want for any shooting situation, it’s a quality lens and it’s first party (no AF issues at all). In the end, what matters is the ability to take the photo the way you want, not to adjust yourself to a single focal length for a bit more sharpness or a wider aperture.

[@marximus4]

I generally prefer longer focal lengths. I don't like to be up in people's business. I like 85, but if I had to choose an all-around focal length, it'd probably be 50.

[@Narsuitus]

Over the decades, I have tried 21, 24, 28, 35, 40, 45, 50, and 55mm for one lens/one body street photography. All worked well. I rarely use the 35mm and the 50mm in the same lens kit. My favorite street three-lens kit for my Leica rangefinder is: 21/35/90mm. My favorite street three-lens kit for my SLR is: 24/50/105mm.

[@ruudmaas2480]

My favourite focal length is 35mm on APSC. My passion is woodland photography and that 35mm (50mm full frame equivalent) is somehow the way I see those woodland scenes in front of me. Now and then I use the 50mm (75mm full frame equivalent) when I do not have the possibilty to get close enough when composing the scene. Both focal length do give me the feel that I can create a image of a woodland scene that can give the viewer the sense to being in the scene.

[@stan_sabev108]

I shoot with all focal lengths from 16 to 200 on different cameras and lenses from canon and Nikons and today I only shoot 28 with Leica Q2. I think it’s not the focal length, but what you choose to use, that teaches you the most. Coming further or closer will solve most of the problems with how you see it, but sticking with one lens whatever it is will teach you to just keep focusing on what’s matter, the images that you’ll be able to produce. Great worrier will fight equally well with sword, arrows, fist and bad one will aways be afraid to fight. Great tips of how you tell if you like the distance, thank you Sean🙏🏻

[@OliverReinhard]

As mostly a travel photographer, I use 16-35, 55 and 100-400. The great mosque or the opera house in Muscat, Oman, are so rich and have that spatial feel I can only capture at 20mm. Insects and plants (macro) and birds (far away) come out just great at 300-400mm. But for almost anything else, I trust my 55mm. This focal length forces me to make a clear choice of what I want in my picture, more than a 35. Yet let’s me connect to my subjects more closely than an 85.

[@SteveSSBB]

The reason I got into photography is because I became fascinated at how photographs show us things in a different way than we normally see them. That's why I prefer focal lengths that are wider or narrower than the standard 35-50mm FOV.

[@HalloweenEye]

Great video as I'm considering between primes and zooms and focal lengths. I have a really nice 24mm 1.4 but considering a 35mm 1.4 to add

[@tomsharman]

always a great day when another sean tucker video comes up. oh, and I'm a nifty fifty kinda guy - I find it always works for me in numerous situations and it's been my go-to for years now.

[@Eliaspraciano]

I like the 50mm. The 46° viewing angle is almost always ideal for me. It's easy to step back or forward to adjust the framing from there.

[@b3arodactyl]

Anyone struggling with gear acquisition syndrome (new lens addiction) needs to watch this video. Such good points about the gut feeling of how you see the world and considering if you always back up vs have to crop images

[@wylie_photo]

I shot street for around 6 years with a 50mm lens, but I wanted to change my style and approach to the work. I use a rangefinder system and found that I needed to focus the 50mm, which slowed me down. I then picked up a 35mm lens so that I could learn to zone focus. I found it difficult initially, both being confident with the zone focusing but also composing images. However, it's the only lens type I now have for my camera. It works well for me and allows me to get the images with a lot of context and interaction in them. It was a learning curve, but my photography is much more enjoyable for it.

[@adriansandry2783]

My absolute favourite lens on my crop-sensor Sony is a Voigtlander 15mm (equivalent to 24mm) That focal length makes it easy to compose scenes with a strong geometric feel. It also allows me to get super close to my subjects. 85mm is my favourite for posed street portraits of strangers. And for night street work I use a Voigtlander 35mm or 50mm Zeus's. Great video. Thanks

[@RockWILK]

As a filmmaker, because I don't really do much still photography, I always have a 28mm and a 50mm in my bag. Those two focal lengths cover the way I see the world, and although sometimes I can't get the exact shot that I might want because I don't have an extreme focal length, if I'm working on a film, I can always rent an extreme lens, maybe a 12mm, or 400mm if I need something like that for a moment, whatever I might need, but 99% of the time I can do everything that I want to do with 28mm and 50mm. I personally believe that once you find the focal lengths that you're comfortable with, that's when you can really begin to become creative. Your soul enters the equation when you already know what the images are going to look like before you get back to your computer. Your camera literally becomes a part of your body. And now you can truly Express Yourself in this visual language. I think it's a great idea to begin with a zoom lens first, and stick to one focal length for about a month, and then move on to the next focal length, and at the end of six months or so, I think you would have a pretty good idea of how you see the world through your camera. Great video as always. Really enjoy your channel. Your storytelling.

[@luisarroyo2873]

Thanks for another outstanding thought-provoking video. I don't have a favorite focal length. I favor using a zoom lens, i.e. 16-50 or an 18-135 on an APS-C camera, so that I can choose the focal length appropriate to how I am seeing the scene before me.

[@chryseass.5143]

Lots to think about here. I am on the same journey to finding my comfort zone. I suspect that I ,too, am a 35 to 55ish photographer. I have noticed that when using zooms I am using them more like a prime and not really zooming in and out. A fun ( but expensive) voyage of discovery!

[@ChristopherRusanowsky]

24mm on the street and 35mm for most of my journalism. I use the 24mm because not only dose it challenge me to get closer and get out of my comfort zone, it makes me see more around the one thing I focus on. 24mm is the perfect scene in a photograph and 35mm is the best for everything.

[@marcoscaio.imoveis]

I love the classic 50mm… but i’m learning to love 28mm as well. I used to do real state shots… love the 16mm for that… and wider lenses. I really want a tele to play now.

[@boltonpd0719]

I love the 28mm for street photography. 28mm allows me to capture more in the frame and often some unexpected surprises. I live in Tokyo and the streets and public transportation is usually packed with people so 28mm allows me to capture more in the scene.

[@chryseass.5143]

Yes, I think the density of a place would have a lot to do with what feels "right."

[@Hingaflips]

I’ve been visiting Japan and will be back in Tokyo tomorrow for another week. Do you have any suggested spots for photography outside the super mainstream ones?

[@danlightened]

I had the 18-55mm kit lens for ages and I felt like 35-50mm is what the eyes see anyway. And as you mentioned, a lot of Photographers swear by it. I guess I got bored of similar looking vistas. And I went on the opposite journey. I realised that I love finding beauty in insignificant random things and a telephoto zoom is great for creating abstract compositions of nature or on the street.

[@gnuhapi]

Back in the film days I did street and race track photography. I carried a Nikon F2 with 105 and a Nikkormat F with a 28. Now I find myself swapping mostly between a Q2Monochrom (28) and an X-Pro2 with a 16-80, giving me essentially the same focal lengths. Must be the way I see the world. Thank you for your excellent content!

[@MichaelVincentMagic]

It’s great to watch this video again Sean. I recently acquired the Viltrox 27mm 1.2. That Lens feels so perfect for my eyes. 40mm is a beautiful frame. Great video 👍🏽

[@swedesrus25]

35mm lens because that is how I see the world...50mm too narrow. I do have a 28mm that I use from time to time when I want wider inclusive photographs. But my 95% go-to lens is the 35mm on my rangefinder full frame camera. Love the book, The Meaning in the Making, and the videos. Well done!

[@azadbejou6607]

Maaan the way you tell the story is incredible ❤

[@benharris3949]

50mm does most of my work, I love the stories I can create by getting up close and emphasising a subject.

[@miguelosvaldo]

Thanks for sharing your journey, I'm in love with the 35 mm APSC right now. Once I realize how close it is as "real vision" I found myself composing pictures even without my camera. As always, and inspiring joy watching your video.

[@acrummey85]

I was a 50mm shooter on film, I didn’t get value from 35mm and struggled with 28mm. I rarely used my longer lenses. Now with digital I find that lenses equivalent to the 35 to 50mm range are usually best for me. Wider is a novelty just for fun, and occasionally a 75mm equivalent is used for my shots of a jam session at a local pub (although the vast majority are at 50mm). Thank you for being a voice of artistic reason in a constantly gear obsessed stream.

[@RichardNZ68]

An outstanding video, delivered so eloquently. Thank you. I started in the 1980s with my father’s SLR and a 50mm. It’s all we had. Looking back at those shots, I was clearly drawn to shooting portraits, as they seem to make up most of my early portfolio. Later adding a 35mm my portfolio started to move towards landscapes and urban scenes. Now, like yourself I’m in the 35-50 range and my pocket cameras in both film 35mm film and digital tend to be 38mm and 40mm.

[@linjicakonikon7666]

Since 1979 my primary lens has been the Nikkor 20 f 3.5 UD and it's AIS successor. I have two for my D3/D700 and D300. When I picked up a couple Canon VT Deluxe rangefinders for black and white film, I bought a couple Voightlander 21mmf4 Color Skopar and 25mm f4 Snapshot Skopar ltm lenses. I LOVE the opportunities for Foreground/Background relationship compositions. I love bringing in more elements to incorporate into my field of view. I love trees and love clouds. Expansive joy.

[@thekeywitness]

It really depends on subject matter. I often shoot ultra-wide 20mm to shoot cityscapes/landscapes, but I always carry a 24-240mm telephoto lens too for flexibility.

[@royce3859]

I'm a bit old school. I shoot mostly film with a Pentax Spotmatic and an Olympus MJUii (before you all call me a bandwagon jumping hipster I've had them since the 1990's) and I also have a great Nikon D700 for digital work. I tend to stick with my Spotmatic and 50mm Takumar for 90% of my photography. I only own one lens for my Nikon D700, the Nikon 50mm f1.8D lens and it works beautifully on the D700. It's a pretty manageable set up when I want to go out shooting, I just stick one of the slr's (either the Spotmatic or D700) over my shoulder and stick my MJUii in my pocket. For me, a good slr with a 50mm lens and a decent point and shoot is all the kit I'll ever really need....that and I'm too lazy to carry other lenses.....

[@DrakeAlexanderKnight]

I personally love shooting portraits with my 85mm 1.4 lens for the sharpness in the eyes while my 50mm 1.2 is my favorite for street photography to add a bit of romanticism in the shot.

[@vidjoe8320]

Wow, cool straight talking no BS guy. So refreshing.

[@Elysander]

40mm, it is just the right balance between the 35mm's setting and the 50mm's focus on the subject, allowing me to mostly carry a single lens with me.

[@davidharding4132]

Thanks Sean. Interesting topic. I thought you'd want to know - the final shot credited to Daido is in fact by William Klein.

[@reeshmalms6686]

I have only started my photographic journey with a 24-64 eq. kit lens. And am finding myself getting more keepers from around 50 mm most of the time and 35 in tighter spaces. I think that the space available affects a lot on focal lens suiting at that particular place. Am a shy guy and am not comfortable going closer to people but am trying to wirk on it. Hence 40 to 50mm makes be much comfortable. Am planing to follow the method of leaving my zoom lens on one focal length at the tighter end and work with for a while and understand hiw it works and gradually widen it to 28 and analyse how all of that is affecting my shooting style and results i get. Then only am gonna get a prime. That the plan now😂 And this video was really helpfull for me. Really appreciate what you are doing. Thank you

[@DVoss]

Very good video! For decades I only took analog photos with 50mm because it didn't distort and the quality was very good with cheap lenses. The lens determines how you see the world, that's really true. For me today it's 45mm or 85mm.

[@janfrancis2583]

I bought an 85mm lens mainly because I was asked to photograph a friend’s wedding, after the wedding I realised quickly it was a lens I wasn’t going to use as it was so limiting, I think I’ve always seen life around me in scenes, I love 28mm, it seems you’re better able to tell a story.

[@jumpingjohn280459]

I really wanted to be a 35mm street photographer - after all, what has worked for so many established photographers must be right for me! So, I stuck to my 23mm lens on my Fujifilm X-Pro2. However, I was using my 85mm lens on my SLR film cameras for portraits, and I would occasionally go out onto the street with the same setup and I would often get more shots that I was happy with. So, I learned that it really has nothing to do with what is considered ‘the norm’ and, as Sean said, it’s about what works for you. So a 50mm lens has replaced my 23mm on my X-Pro2. I do also carry a Ricoh GR IIIX everywhere in my pocket so, if I want something a bit wider, I have it. But being able to isolate my subjects and pick out detail is what I enjoy.

[@kennygo8300]

When I got my first camera in 1976, it came with 50mm 1.9 and a 135mm 2.8 lenses. I never felt right using the 135mm, so I shot for over 40 years with the 50mm being my primary focal length. I still have the camera and lenses, but now that digital photography is here, I shoot at 40mm in the street. Landscape is my new passion, and I'm still searching for my comfortable focal length.

[@SnowBran]

Your photos combine with your choice of music gives me goosebump. You are special.

[@johnadams3038]

I love using my GM 70-200mm II for street photography

[@OktoberFilms]

Like you, I went with Fujifilm back in the day. Still there. The 35f1.4 (50mm full frame) quickly became my favourite. I haven’t used it since early Covid, but as I took the kid to a museum today, I grabbed the proper camera (as opposed to the iPhone) and the 35mm. As I was shooting, I found myself taking a step forward or back to frame, before I put the camera to my eye. I just knew what would fit into the frame and where I needed to be to get the perfect composition. That’s what you get from using a single focal length for some time. You instinctively know what it looks like. Moral of the story (and that’s pretty munch what you’re saying) is, live with a single lens for a while and learn to understand the focal length.

[@nato_Rodriguez]

I'm a new shooter. I had purchased a camera back in 2017 which came with a 12-32 that translated to a 24 to 64 mm since it as MFT. I didn't understand much back then and shot at that 24mm equivalent because I wanted the fastest aperture possible but I was never fully satisfied. I sold the camera 3 years ago and only purchased a new one a couple of weeks ago. That one came with a 24 to 120 equivalent, and I find myself shooting at 120 most of the time. Not only because of the compression I get, but because it allows me to remain mostly unnoticed, and it makes the shooting experience more comfortable for me in a country where street photography is not that common. I might change in the future but for now I really enjoy finding a location, sitting and waiting for someone to come across without noticing

[@lunisproductions3614]

35 and 85. Rest is redundant for most of my photography. For video 24, 35 and 50. Great video!

[@JamesHinesPhoto]

Ditto!

[@tstana]

I'd say I'm a 35 mm person, especially since getting the X100V. It quite often matches what I see, it offers great versatility for street, portraits and landscapes, and I don't usually need to crop. All that said, I can't say it would be my *only* focal length. I'm becoming quite happy with the fact that I have different preferences (or self-assigned projects) at different times and I'm always looking for different ways of seeing things. Turning to the video, great job as always; intriguing -- and unlike you -- to invite people to jump to the comments section -- but so like you for the purpose it serves, to inspire others and try to get people to learn from one another. Hope you'll be able to keep up the good work -- all the best!

[@floam51]

After you said: "You walk around and start to see in that focal length." I just subscribed instantly. This phrase is SO true and it really helps you, especially for my case with street photography.

[@devinpense]

Hey Sean - always enjoy your content. This one is especially valuable and well said. You did such a great job articulating your focal length journey. I think we all have to cross this bridge when we need some peace when it comes to not carrying 100lbs of gear. I to have concluded I’m a 35mm~50mm person and to your point, it took a journey to get here and I learned so much along the way. But there’s no greater feeling than knowing when you go out to shoot, you know in your head how you’re going to see things, not what you’re going to see and that’s the exciting part. Keep up the great work.

[@corinagul612]

That’s it, the last bit you wrote “how you’re going to see things, not what you’re going to see”. You’ve summed it up for me. Thanks, bro! 😅