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

[@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

[@FART-REPELLENT]

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]

@@FART-REPELLENT 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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@DrRaDra]

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.

[@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.

[@Adrian_Rook]

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!

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@CO8ism]

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

[@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!

[@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.

[@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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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!

[@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.

[@ManCalledMif]

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

[@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.

[@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! 😊

[@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

[@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 🙏🏽

[@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!

[@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

[@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!

[@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?

[@FART-REPELLENT]

@@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@utunnelindia]

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.

[@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.

[@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

[@christoph.schneider]

I'm actually on the 85mm spectrum. The main reason is that I'm a very abstract photographer in my day-to-day-work and often times I have to get very close to subjects when walking through Munich!

[@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.

[@DaveGroves-c2w]

I use 30mm macro lens on my Fuji for street. Sits nicely between 35 and 50mm equivalent and great for close up to.

[@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!

[@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.

[@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.

[@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 👍🏽

[@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.

[@williambrindel9364]

Your compositions are as clear as your way to speak. Thanks a lot for the video ! I pick a 35mm first, regularly next to it is a 75mm.

[@johnadams3038]

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

[@vidjoe8320]

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

[@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.

[@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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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🙏🏻

[@dccrowley]

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

[@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!

[@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!

[@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!

[@francistheo7123]

Agreed with you totally the 35mm is the idea lens.I am an urban sketcher and most of my sketches are like the 35mm focal length. Thanks for sharing.

[@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. 😂

[@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!

[@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.

[@lunisproductions]

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

[@TheMoodChasingPhotographer]

Ditto!

[@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.

[@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.

[@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!

[@DaleRoossien]

since i've been on an automotive journey with filming and photography as of late, I have almost exclusively shooting on the Zeiss Batis 40mm f/2.0 on full frame. And I absolutely love the 40mm focal length.

[@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.

[@ryanthigpen]

Excellent video describing your journey. Much appreciated. I’ve been a photographer for 24yrs and never used a prime until a year ago. I went with a 50mm and have liked it but thinking a 35mm might be best, as I often find myself scooting back. Thanks for the advice!

[@azkwest]

May I offer some heartfelt thanks. Recently retired from a (too) long career in corporate america, I'm looking forward to spreading my wings.. and capturing my journey through photography. So it is that I'm just learning the craft.. I recently got my first ILC and a couple of lenses (with a couple more on my wish list) and am learning some of the technicalities around what makes a kit wide or bright or fast and what makes a composition engaging. Still, I wanted to thank you for this video.. it brought the discussion of focal lengths down to a very human level while acknowledging the technicalities of the effect that focal length has on perspective. Through all the technical discussion I've encountered about 16mm architectural photography or 50mm portrait photography or 600mm telephoto action photography, yours made the concept of focal length real for me.. something organic and personal.. more in keeping with what I imagine photography ought to be.. and while I will likely be experimenting with different focal lengths on this journey, I wanted to thank you for your very personal perspective.. for suggesting that it's not all about the science and technicalities.. that sometimes it's about finding yourself in the craft... 🥲

[@davidharding4132]

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

[@dmytroanokhin2200]

Bought my first DSLR also with 50mm (~75mm on crop). Still love that perspective. Great video.

[@michaelp1200]

This is my photography university, thnx for the great topics and new insights.

[@bananaskin7527]

A well-developed presentation. Thanks. When I walked around doing film "street photography", ie. no set purpose, just walking, looking for a shot, I had two bodies - one with a 35mm f2 and the other with a 85mm f2. I loved it. That was with film. Don't know what I would do today. I should also mention that I began with a 50mm f1.4 and a 200mm f4.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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

[@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.

[@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.

[@SnowBran]

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

[@humanelements2]

Excellent breakdown on your journey with focal lengths. I'm honestly a 50mm guy; I just click with that field of view. Yet I found over the years that is was something...Stale about it. Clean. Straightforward. Easy to get images that I liked. But I noticed the photos that I LOVED were when I'd experiment with something wider. 35, 28, even 24mm would offer something dynamic when everything came together. So after much deliberation I got a Fuji X100V and shot with just that body for 8 months. Absolutely hated it the first month. But after that, I started loving the extra bit of context and messiness that needed to be navigated. I started doing crowd photos and came out with bangers that would have been impossible to get with how tight a 50mm is. The intimacy of wider lenses is really appealing. I love the work of others who use 28/24 but that feels a bit "much" for now. 35 is like a wide 50. Gets you the context without having to stand far - or overly distorting the subject by being close. Still working on 35mm portraiture as I keep reaching for that 50mm, haha. But I think everyone should consider how to be intentional with focal lengths in this way. Committing to 35mm for those months was one of the best things I ever did for my work.

[@mwales2112]

35 is my FL of choice for street and feel I really see that way... This past summer I challenged myself to just use the 50/2 for the entire month of June and really enjoyed it. I'm looking to pick up a Voigtlander 40/2.8 and give that a go. Thanks Sean...

[@hc3387]

The Canon 350d was my very first camera as well.!! I brought it with its standard kits lens (18-55 and 55-200?) It was the camera i grew with - and it lasted me a good 10 odd years before i fell off the wagon; and since then have owned a number of other digital cameras - all of which i've never really fallen in love with as much as I had with the 350d. My personal favourite go-to focal lens have always been 18mm (28mm full frame) and 55mm (85mm full frame). I have recently purchased the Fujifilm XT3 with their 18-55mm premium kit lens (a wonderful all-round lens indeed). But i agree - i still only use the 18mm and 55mm ends of this lens and hardly (if ever) anything in between. I just wish now i could own the 18mm f1.4 and the 56mm f1.4 lens separately. Great episode Sean, thanks for sharing.

[@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.

[@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.

[@avprt]

I went from a Leica Q2 to a Ricoh GRIIIx because I felt 28mm was too wide. 40mm is really comfortable now. Really enjoy your videos Sean. So eloquent, clear and meaningful.

[@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.

[@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

[@ianhellyer5762]

It’s take me 2/3 years to find the focal length that works for me. I like your comments about find one or two and stick with them. My focal lengths are now my loved 35 and 85mm. Covers all the areas I want. Love the video look forward always for the next one.

[@michelbigras]

Thank you Sean. A real pleasure to hear you tell your story.

[@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.

[@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.

[@jjjoooojjj]

Thank you Sean for sharing that .. Just like you said when I putt camera with 35mm lens to my eye I don't have to move and just taking a shot.. It's all about angle you see the world through.. Using different lens is good fun though ..

[@C.M.S.]

I see details (up close), but I’m a fan of wide angle lenses as well ❤

[@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.

[@hendrixraven]

Still loving that your videos go into the "why" instead of the "how"! 85mm gang here with rare trips down to 50/55 when space is limited. That's shooting mostly nature/landscape though, haven't dabbled in street yet. For me, 35mm was too wide and 50 felt too plain with my style of shooting (kudos to everyone who can make better use of those!).

[@momathew2406]

My focal length: I've moved to 40 mm ....it's a F1.2 Voigtlander Nokton... I'm loving the dreamy look when shot wide open and the sharpness of the images in the smaller aperture range.

[@MatteaMazzella]

that’s validating to hear your story. i followed a similar path. when i first switched to 35 on the x100 series, i was always cropping in. but eventually i started positioning closer to subjects cause i was missing out on bokeh

[@arvindbachoe]

Similar route here. 50mm on APSC, switched to FF body. Then went to a 35mm DSLR, bought a x100v and now hit the sweet spot with the GR3x. Only pet peeve is no weather sealing on the GR.