The Great Debate: 50mm or 35mm?

[@hughhoneyman2130]

Voigtlander 40 1.2 is my lens of choice. the best of both worlds...

[@jayespinal]

@hughhoneyman2130 good point! splitting the difference. Thanks for watching!

[@JonathanRobsonPhoto]

The best thing about that lens is, it’s great quality and inexpensive relatively, I have it, don’t use it much, but won’t sell it, and to be honest, this is the best thing about M lenses, they’re generally buy it for life lenses due to the lack of electronics

[@blitzkopf7267]

same here

[@pengchenghan7383]

I have the 40 1.4 SC. The only problem I have is that my M240 does not show the 40mm frame line. Is there any trick? Or you just have compose a bit wider with the 50mm line?

[@vsevoloda.2615]

voigtlander 40 1.2 is the best leans cheaper than $4000

[@albertsmith9315]

Been shooting Leica M cameras for decades and something that I read in a Leica book years ago has made the 35mm lens very valuable for quick street type grab shots is a simple formula. With a 35mm lens, the side-to-side coverage of the capture is equal to the distance from the subject. For example, if you are ten feet from a wall, you'll get 10 feet of that wall in the frame. So with this in mind and a zone focused lens, you can move about without looking through the finder and get in the right place to raise your camera and shoot, or shoot from the hip, with a good idea of what's in the frame. This is very useful for people that wish to remain Stealthy in the street but still want to get the framing right. Soon, you get good at eyeballing the distance and then seeing that measurement across the frame, no need to actually get out a tape measure. For this reason, a 35mm (or equivalent adjusted for format) is always a first lens purchase for all my systems.

[@jayespinal]

@albertsmith9315 this is a awesome tip for those of us looking for ways to understand how to best use our rangefinders. Thank you. Appreciate you watching and adding your insight to the conversation. Happy New year!

[@chumito10]

Appreciate you going over BOTH the subjective aspects (composition, personal space, zooming with your feet, etc) AND the objective aspects (DOF, price considerations, lens size, etc) of this debate!

[@jayespinal]

@chumito10 glad you enjoyed it, appreciate you watching and acknowledging the amount of thought I put into the video. Thank you for your continued support.

[@homecareful]

Solid, Jay. I've been shooting for over 50 years and I never really thought about comparing the two on depth of field. Well done.

[@jayespinal]

@homecareful Thank you for watching. I teach high school students so I find myself breaking things down to first principals. Helps me and helps them. Thank you for taking the time to add your comment.

[@MitchWebb94]

Just wanted to say I enjoyed that you didn't jump cut the audio at every opportunity, quite enjoyed the flow! And to answer your debate from my perspective, I have a fuji with a 40mm equivalent Voigtlander F2 pancake on there (as close to a Leica manual experience as I'll get for a while) and just fell in love with that focal length.

[@jayespinal]

@MitchWebb94 glad you dig the content and the flow, I will most likely reshoot instead of using a jumpcut. I'm not gonna say I never use then but I like to leave them as a last option.

[@danielclift3068]

One trick you can use to nail the focus on a rangefinder is to preset the focus, say at your 8ft distance, and then either wait for the subject to arrive at that point, or step toward or away from them - when you see the rangefinder images coincide in the viewfinder you simply need to press the shutter.

[@jayespinal]

Thank you for that tip.

[@Erick_Traschikoff]

Great video!!! I’m on the 6300 Sony. What’s a good manual lense 35mm? I want to documents my kids childhood.

[@jayespinal]

@Erick_Traschikoff Hey Erick thank you for watching. Not sure why your comment was held for approval otherwise I would have responded sooner. For the kids I would go with a 35mm or a 28mm. I'm currently on a 28 for a full year and it's great for capturing kids running around and adding their environment into the frame. If you want to go manual you can't go wrong with a Voigtlander. All the best.

[@LensForgotten]

35mm is my everyday carry. I like the 50mm when I don’t want to be as close like street work. Great analysis Jay. This debate will never be settled anytime soon.

[@jayespinal]

@forgottenamericana lol I agree with you thats why I figured it make a good video. I was a 50mm guy for the longest but I'm fully converted to 35mm. Thank you for watching, Happy New Year!

[@Brother_TD]

@@jayespinalwhat finally converted you to 35mm

[@geoalien]

Love the clear and argumented presentation. Thanks!

[@jayespinal]

@geoalien Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the support in watching and adding a comment.

[@LadStrayer]

I helped your quest for 1000 subscribers.I own two 35mm lenses and two 50mm lenses. I have to say I reach for the 35 more often but I recently started shooting with a 40mm f2.5 Sony lens and wow what a nice focal length.

[@jayespinal]

@LadStrayer Thank you good sir! this 40mm is popular.

[@ulfjonsson2122]

Very nice video. Since my Minolta CLE days I have always preferred tho 40 mm lens though I also have 35 and 50 mm lenses.

[@jayespinal]

@ulfjonsson2122 yes I'm getting a lot or recommendations for that lens, gonna give a try. I appreciate you watching and adding your comment to the conversation. Happy New Year!

[@MrCmpunk1996]

Lovely video man! This was very helpful i recently owned the 50mm summarit-M and its one of the best out there, but i agree with its depth of field limits, 35 is the way to go for that!

[@jayespinal]

@MrCmpunk1996 Glad it was helpful! Thank you for joining the channel. Have a wonderful New Year!

[@AlainGuindon]

No doubt if you use a Leica M Rangefinder and you go out with only one lens, then it’s the 35mm, for events or street. I’ll still use and enjoy the 50mm very often, but the 35 is the more flexible focal length.😊

[@jayespinal]

@AlainGuindon I totally agree. I appreciate you watching and adding your comment to the conversation. Happy New Year!

[@Macca-95]

If I could only have one lens for the rest of my life it would likely be a 35mm. The problem is that I do not like a 35mm because it is in my opinion rather unremarkable. It doesn't give me the nice wide angle of my 28 nor does it give me the fantastic separation of my 50mm. It's a jack of all trades, master of none style lens.

[@jayespinal]

@@Macca-95 that's an interesting way of looking at it. I guess I'm still in the honeymoon phase with the 35mm.

[@xiiiconcepts]

50 mm lux is an absolute magical lens. Went from Q2 to Q2 mono to M11 mono with 50mm lux. My keeper rate went up dramatically with latter set up.

[@jayespinal]

@xiiiconcepts I rented the 50mm Lux to see it was the one for me, as you mentioned it's an amazing lens but I quickly realized I wanted a more compact lens so the Summarit fit that bill perfectly. Thank you for watching and dropping your comment. Have a wonderful new year, many blessings.

[@xiiiconcepts]

@@jayespinal on a recent trip to Tokyo I exclusively used the range finder to focus, no zone focusing . 35mm and 28mm def better for that style. Love your channel bro, happy new year to you as well.

[@InnerVids]

congrats on hitting 1K viewers.. now you have to try the vintage 40mm.. Its my fav lens.. falls right between the 35mm and 50.

[@jayespinal]

Happy New Year! Thank you for watching. @InnerVids thanks have to see if I can borrow one from someone for a week or so. Thank you for taking out the time to comment.

[@GastonShutters]

Another great Video Jay. My Leica pair is the 28 Elmarit, 50 Apo. But my one lens kit is the Voigtlander 40mm f1.4. That lens is fast, small, in between 35-50 and super affordable. I paid $399 for mine back then. Happy New Year!

[@jayespinal]

Nice, that 28 Elmarit looks like my next lens. Nice and compact. I'll give that 40mm Voigtlander a try. Happy New Year!

[@GastonShutters]

@@jayespinalI think that 40 will be my next lens review. Totally an underrated lens

[@jayespinal]

@@GastonShutters looking forward to it.

[@teal.photos]

Great video! Subscribed! I own the 50mm Summarit which is a phenomenal lens. For the 35mm I tried the Voigtlander Classic f/1.4 MC II and its dual character made me love it so much. Me too, I find my 35mm on my M10R almost all times. Great focal length it is!

[@jayespinal]

@jjjoooojjj put it best 2 hours ago in the comments: "With 35mm I take a shot from where I stand.. With 50mm I almost always have to move back"

[@jlinwinter]

great video! I've been using a Summicron-C 40mm on a Leica SL for the last year and it's a wonderful lens. I'm actually moving in the opposite direction - toward autofocusing lens next year, because I find myself shooting often in conditions where I can't get focus. I live in the pacific northwest, and hiking in the rain is 85% of my landscape photography outings. Just today, I went out, climbed a mountain, and found myself surrounded by rain and mist and wanted to get a picture. I couldn't focus because of the rain/mist and my zone focusing chops weren't so good when I can't read the camera indicators (glasses fogged up). So I think I'm going with a 35mm weatherproof autofocusing lens of some kind. I really enjoyed your video and your experiences. Sometimes it takes a lot of mistakes to come up with the right answer in the end. Best wishes for the new year!

[@jayespinal]

@jlinwinter Glad you enjoyed it. Yeah your shooting situation sounds like you need all the weather seals. At the risk of sounding cheesy: mistakes are the steeping stones to your answers. Maybe its the wine speaking. lol Thank you for watching and adding your comment, come by often maybe even subscribe. lol take care.

[@kennethwedmorelund]

There IS no right or wrong regarding focal length. I'm a 50mm guy because, for my style, eyes are everything and I like the distance I can keep to the subject. I've got my Sony A1 fixed with 50mm f1.2 and my A7 IV fixed with 135mm f1.8 and that's it.

[@jayespinal]

@fotografkennethlund nice choice, I enjoy hearing about other photographers preferences. I appreciate you watching and adding your comment to the conversation. Happy New Year!

[@GillesQuennevilleGQ]

I have exclusively shoot with different Leica 50mm lenses starting in 1967 here in Canada. I am 71 yo and still shoot my 50 mm lenses now on my M11P. I think the best way to learn and master composition in photography is using a 50 mm lens. Once you have master the 50 you will be able to master any other focal length. This is just a question of personal taste and choice with a non stop commitment to your work and creative mind set. Thank you for sharing your experience.

[@jayespinal]

@GillesQuennevilleGQ you make some great points. Thank you for watching and adding your thoughts to the conversation.

[@irenedp4947]

There has been a recent controversy in the Leica forums about zone focusing, which you might be interested in looking at. But, as everything, it depends. I never zone focus, and across cameras and formats I keep using 75% of the time the 50 or it’s equivalents. But I get your point for the type of photography you do. Hope you enjoy your M11!

[@jayespinal]

@irenedp4947 interesting whats the controversy? Happy New Year!

[@skiiizo]

Thank you for this nice video Jay. I have both of them and like them for different reasons.

[@jayespinal]

Thanks for watching!

[@garymc8956]

Very thoughtful. I still feel that the setting I’m going to be shooting in can affect my selection between the two focal lengths.

[@jayespinal]

@garymc8956 true. I find them to be so close that I think I'm gonna sell the 50mm. Thanks for watching!

[@paulsehstedt6275]

I made my decision 50 years ago, when I got my first Minolta SRT 101 with a 57/1.7 lens. Today I'm on Leica M and the LUX 50, the Elmar-M 3.8/24 and the Summarit 2.5/90. The jump down to 35 is too small. Happy New Year to you!

[@jayespinal]

@paulsehstedt6275 great selection! I appreciate you watching and adding your comment to the conversation. Happy New Year!

[@tundrusphoto4312]

Love the video, Jay. Many thanks.

[@jayespinal]

@tundrusphoto4312 Glad you enjoyed it. I appreciate you watching and adding your comment to the conversation. Happy New Year!

[@JohnPatrickWeiss]

I shoot a Fuji Xpro 3 with Fuji 35mm f2 lens (50 mm equivalent more or less on APSC). Also have the Fuji 23mm f2 but I prefer a tighter frame and bit of distance from my street subjects. However, a buddy shoots the Leica Q2 monochrome, and the lens on that is beautiful, so I may upgrade at some point. Cheers.

[@jayespinal]

@JohnPatrickWeiss same here for most of my time in photography I was always tight. At my age I now fid myself going wide.

[@Arturborzecki]

Thanks for the video! Great information to consider. It’s important to understand that what you are talking about is only one way of using the range finder - and that’s a documentary action street photography. That means you are in motion, people are in motion and action requires a quick press of a button. That’s what 35mm is perfect for and you are correct. Shooting 50mm for this type of photography doesn’t make sense - simply because of the DoF (as you said). It doesn’t mean that you can’t use this lens for street though - if you chose to switch from participator to an observer - then 50mm up to 85mm is for you - you are shooting more of architecture, and action that is happening in the distance - and with distance your DoF increases ;) so it is not that bad as with 4 feet distance. I’m doing this type of street for a while and voigtlander 50mm 2.0 APO works for me almost all the time. It’s simply a matter of your shooting style and conditions.

[@jayespinal]

@Arturborzecki you make a great point, I hope people read your comment and take it in as an addition to the video because everything you mentioned is so true. Thank you for adding your insights to the conversation. Happy New Year!

[@Arturborzecki]

@@jayespinal and you are so lucky to be able to have Leica M11 - rangefinder is my dream camera for over 15 years now :( just out of my reach.

[@jayespinal]

@Arturborzecki I hear you. There isn’t a day that goes by with me counting my blessings, the M11M being ing one of them. Not sure if you saw my video on what I had to give up to buy it. 2023 has an interesting year.

[@Arturborzecki]

@@jayespinal yes I’ve seen it :) I’m pretty sure it was worth though and much more safer ;) Your decision was brave and correct one!!!!

[@willvisuals]

For me the perfect combo is 35mm for wide shots and 85 for portraits. The compression and bokeh on the longer lenses are marvelous! I wish Leica had a Q camera with a 50mm.

[@jayespinal]

Hey Will, Thanks for watching. I agree with you on all points. 85mm was my go to lens for 3 years, but to try something new I think the 35 is my new favorite.

[@Brother_TD]

That’s my combo I’m considering This video helped and the comment hit the nail on the head. Thanks!

[@filterfreephotography]

Interestingly, I went the opposite direction. On my Nikon DSLRs, I seemed to shoot far more 35mm shots. On my M11, I did not feel as comfortable at 35mm so I went the 50mm route and have been really enjoying it. Maybe I'll try again in 2024. Do a full month with the 50mm, then a full month with the 35mm and see how I like each and how many keepers I have with one over the other. Great video and enjoyed hearing your reasoning.

[@jayespinal]

@filterfreephotography that is so interesting. I have so much respect for anyone shooting a manual 50mm using zone focusing. Before I go back to the 50mm I think I'm gonna continue going wide, 28mm is next for a full year. After that I plan to go back to the 50mm. By then I should have improved judging distances. Thank you for watching!

[@filterfreephotography]

@@jayespinal 28m on any camera was way too wide for me on the street. Maybe I don’t feel that comfortable. Maybe I did not care for the distortion (although minimal). I tried it a few times on my Nikons and even have the WCL adapter for my Fuji X100F. Not a fan, which is why the Leica Q series never interested me. Great channel, BTW! Enjoy your New Years.

[@jayespinal]

@@filterfreephotography I agree with you but I don't think I ever gave it a fair try, on top of that I want to push myself because I have seen some great results with it from other shooters. Like you, I might not like it and realize it real quick, that is why I'll try it on a borrowed/rented lens before fully committing. Appreciate you, have wonderful New Years!

[@theliftlifepl]

35 summarit-m on my leica m4-p changed my photography life for ever! 35 on nikon slr never worked for me, but on a leica it it works so well i stopped buying gear and got to photographing daily and never looked back!

[@jayespinal]

@niefotograf thats an interesting distinction. Why do you think the same lens (35mm) worked so well for you on the rangefinder vs the SLR? By the way thank you for watching and adding your comment.

[@theliftlifepl]

@@jayespinal It's hard to explain, but I'll try. So on slr cameras framing with the 35 was hard, I felt that im not seeing everything in the actual frame. A used Nikon f5 and D3 so the finder was big and bright. Another thing was that zone focusing with the slr was imposible for me, because i was seeing out of focus image if not focused perfectly. On the Leica M4p it's not an issue it being a range finder. Zone focusing and predicting distance to subject became my second nature especially photographing my 2 year old son, as he moves quite a lot and autofocus was missing a lot on the f5.

[@benbojammin]

Film photography hobbyist here. For me 50mm is great for when I want to focus on the eyes, and 35mm is when I want to get the whole picture. That being said, I choose the 50mm lens most of the time. But maybe I'll challenge myself with the 35mm more in the future!

[@jayespinal]

@benjaminbohannon4432 Thank you for watching! I like that, 50mm for the eyes, 35 for the environment. I think you would enjoy my recent video on the 35mm for a full year. Let me know what you think. Take care.

[@jeromejohnson25]

Thank you for this video. New guy to photography.

[@jayespinal]

@jeromejohnson25 That's awesome man, keep creating. Thanks for watching and leaving a comment.

[@xavierfumat7567]

35mm or 50mm? I love both! I think of them being used in different situations and having both I can choose either one when I want to feature a subject in a smaller space with out much distortion or capture more in a space where I want to feature a bigger scene! Both focal lengths are great and you can not go wrong when starting and only affording a kit lens!

[@jayespinal]

@xavierfumat7567 great points thank you for your comment.

[@gnostocrat]

There is NO DILEMMA! The choice of lens is nobody’s business but each individual. NOBODY should tell you which to use. Each life, viewpoint and preference is UNIQUE TO EACH INDIVIDUAL. You learn by shooting, assessing & deciding. That’s it. If someone can’t decide they’re not trying hard enough to be good, better or brilliant world class. Otherwise take up knitting or use a Fuji. I’ve used 28’s for nearly 50 years. Yes Leica. Oh yeah and an SWC, the kinda 2 1/4 equivalent of a 28. As a very successful pro I used every lens available from Nikon, Hasselblad & Leica. In cinematography - my real job - later in life then Producer choices of lens is dictated by the storyline. But for me, my stuff & posterity it’s only 28. So discussions of which are better is completely vacuous, no-one’s business or choice but mine and irrelevant.

[@jayespinal]

@gnostocrat are you upset? I understand your point. The video was simple shop talk, in my circles we debate things like this all the time just for fun. I appreciate you watching and adding your comment to the conversation. Happy New Year!

[@UncleDon226]

I bought an Argus C3 for $1.00 at a flea market to use for the Frugal Film Project. It came with the original 50mm lens, but I broke it. I picked up a new-in-box 35mm lens for it on ebay and fell in love with it. 50mm is fantastic for most things, but I've found sometimes you can only back up so far. Trying to capture a group of friends is way easier with a 35mm, especially indoors. It seems that people who take themselves too seriously look down their nose at 35mm (at least in online groups). I'm not trying to be an artist, I just want to capture good moments. So for me, a 35mm is terrific.

[@jayespinal]

@UncleDon226 Yeah I'm using the 28mm for a full year after doing a full year with the 35mm and I'm already missing my 35mm. The other day I almost switched but remembered my commitment.

[@dhavidcg]

Lens choices are totally subjective and personal. So many factor makes for it. Your eyes and body anatomy, what you see and watch when you're growing up, etc. You know what lens/focal length you love the moment you start to use it. You just feel it, it just feels right and it just clicks. The doubt start to kick in, when you read or watch someone else using different lens/focal length and talk about how they feels that's the best lens ever.

[@jayespinal]

@DhavidClaudiusGunawan great points, thanks for watching!

[@CaptainJonathan]

I somewhat recently grabbed a Fuji XT-4 and a TTArtisans 25mm f/2. I have been considering switching to a 30 to 35mm lens as I am a very introverted photographer in a small city and I tend to see "long*,/honing in on details. But the point you bring up about zone focusing and the smaller depth of field with the " 50", has me rethinking it. Using the 25mm has been somewhat freeing as I can mostly set the focus and forget it (although the focus ring is easy to bump on this one), but with a 50 equivalent I couldn't do that.

[@jayespinal]

@CaptainJonathan it all depends on the style of shooting you are going to be doing. In the comments I have heard great things about the 40mm. The 35mm challenges me to get closer while at the same time forces me to make sense of the wider frame in order to improve my composition skills. Look into what it is you are trying to accomplish with your frame. Hope this helps. Thank you for watching and adding your comment.

[@s.j.249]

This is some good stuff Jay, I own basically a nice range of lenses and for street shooting, I think the 35mm is mostly the way to go if you have to go one lens only. Its got a ton of advantages to the 50mm and not as many cons. The biggest pro is the wider depth of field which I feel like isnt brought up nearly as much. Most people like to talk framing differences between the two, which I'm going to say is the first consideration. The deeper thoughts I have though is on the M system, with no image stabilization, if you really need to run a slow shutter speed handheld, its much easier to steady on the wider lens, pair that with increased DoF and all the other things a slightly wider lens brings, and that makes me a strong advocate for the 35mm. With that said, I think if you can afford it, have both, I just shot almost half a wedding on a 50mm summicron and it was incredible, and an extremely strong performer, as far as blowing out the background a little and making aesthetically pleasing images, the 50mm has its merits too. Side note, if I can run two, it'd be a 28mm and a 50mm. If I had to only have one lens, 35mm. Ive found it to be quite challenging shooting a 50mm indoors in tight spaces, 35mm is manageable, but the 28mm feels good to me. Outside, I love the 50, but the 35mm basically can do both for the most part.

[@jayespinal]

@s.j.249 Right on! The 35mm is definitely a strong lens choice. It's funny you mention the 28mm because that's what I've been using for the past year. I'll share my final thoughts on it around this time next year. Thanks for watching and contributing to the conversation. All the best.

[@ForrestWest]

Using a high quality mirrorless full frame camera you can just switch to crop mode with the 35mm and you have about the equivalent of 50mm. At those low prices why not just buy both?

[@jayespinal]

@ForrestWest that totally within the realm of possibilities but not for all. I appreciate you watching and adding your comment to the conversation. Happy New Year!

[@GavinThomas-pix]

I received a camera, 35 and 50 as a 21st birthday present in 1976 which I then used until around 2000 and if I look back more than 90% was 35mm. I then bought a 24-70 when I converted to digital and upon reviewing after a few years, 90% of my images were around 40mm, so I bought 40mm and that basically lives on all subsequent cameras. Different folks for different strokes as the local saying goes.

[@jayespinal]

@gavinthomas6257 Happy New Year! Thank you for watching. Its awesome that you had all that data to figure your sweet spot in focal length. More than a few people in the comments are recommending the 40mm but I find the 35mm to be just right for me, it forces me to improve my composition. But you are right different strokes for different folks. Thank you for the comment.

[@vovabr4455]

also preferer using 35 mm over 50 for street photography at least. did you experience any freezing of your M11? i really want to but the camera, but hesitant since i read a lot of M11 freeze up.

[@jayespinal]

@vovabr4455 My M11 does freeze every one in a while, I simply turn it off and back on. I don’t freak out about it.

[@joelek110699]

Great video, I liked your thoughts although I don't agree with you. I stopped shooting 35 (and sold my 35 cron ASPH.) when I got my 50 lux asph. It takes practice, but I haven't had any issues with the depth of field on both my M10 and my M3! Granted, it is a bigger and more cumbersome lens, but still much smaller than any other system out there.

[@jayespinal]

@joelek110699 I'm totally ok with disagreements. But I agree that Leica packages are much smaller, which was one of the reasons I moved towards the M for personal work. The 50mm Lux was just too long for me. The other thing is that I mostly shoot at f.8 so the 1.4 would a wasted on me. Thanks for watching and adding your comment.

[@kennethwedmorelund]

Can I ask what app you're showing at 6:32 ?

[@ericrjennings]

PhotoPills

[@jayespinal]

Hey @fotografkennethlund I was already sleeping when you posted. @ericrjennings thanks for filling in. Its great little app. If you don't want to spend the price they have the calculator on their website.

[@kennethwedmorelund]

@@jayespinal strange - I see that it says "2 replies" but I cannot see @ericrjennings reply, only yours :)

[@jayespinal]

@fotografkennethlund my apologies I thought you saw his response the app is called Photo Pills.

[@stephanweiskorn6760]

Excellent video 😊!

[@jayespinal]

Thank you! I appreciate you watching and adding your comment to the conversation. Happy New Year!

[@bololollek9245]

I think photographers, especially beginners, should try40 mm becaus it is a really fun and forgiving focal length

[@jayespinal]

Thank you for watching and adding your comment. Yeah a lot of people recommend that focal length, I never had the pleasure since I stick to 28mm, 35mm when doing street photography. All the best.

[@kerbi0207]

May I ask what the APP you're using for calculating DoF is, thank you!

[@jayespinal]

Hey @kerbi0207 thank you for watching. That app is called photo pills

[@RayLombardi]

Hey Jay, somehow, I knew you'd choose the 35mm. It is an amazing focal length. I got a 50mm when starting photography back in 1995. It was what everyone advised. I never got on with it, ever. I wanted something more wide angle. At the time, a 24mm made more sense to me, and so, I went and got one. Never looked back! Today, nearly 3 decades on, 35mm is my go to focal length. For the Leica ecosystem, I'd go with a 21mm, a 35mm and a 75mm. Sell the 50mm and get one of those! Cheers, Ray.

[@jayespinal]

You know what I have not used the 50mm since I got the 35mm. Thanks for the continued support of watching and adding your comments.

[@kaushalkashyap4306]

Jay, WHat is the name of the app that you use to calculate the DOF?

[@jayespinal]

@kaushalkashyap4306 thanks for stopping by the app is called Photo Pills. Happy New Year!

[@haithamalmuzayan3050]

You deserve a like and a follow

[@jayespinal]

@haithamalmuzayan3050 I appreciate you watching and expressing your support.

[@fuelediowa]

DOF is the whole reason I stuck with 4/3rd cameras for much longer than I should have. But when I did finally upgrade I only went to APS-c. I know so many love that deep separation. However My most profitable photos have all deeper DOF . An out of focus nose for a sharp eye looks odd to most people. Just my thoughts.

[@jayespinal]

@fuelediowa I get it, different strokes for different folks. Thanks for watching and adding your comment. Happy new year!

[@GlobeHackers]

WOW-excellent explanation.

[@jayespinal]

@GlobeHackers thanks for watching! have a great day.

[@andreaspretali]

Hi Jay, great video, thanks for that! I have a question: which app did you use on your iPhone at 9:46 for calculating the depth of field? Have a great day and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

[@jayespinal]

Hay @andreaspretali thank you for watching. The App is called Photo Pills, great little app enjoy. Thanks for watching, Happy New Year!

[@andreaspretali]

@@jayespinal Great, thank you!!

[@hubertcole1645]

I shoot fuji … cannot afford Leica because my bride says so … my Main Street choice is x100f which has a close to 35mm ff equivalent fixed lens. Hence I understand your choice and agree but once in a while I will venture out with my xt5 with a close to 50mm equivalent (35f2 Fuji) so as to change up my thought and viewing processing plus it takes back me to my film days with the nifty 50 … it is fun not to get in a photography rut.😅

[@jayespinal]

@hubertcole1645 yeah its great to switch things up. In my video this week I address that exact thing, stay tuned. Thank you for watching and adding your thoughts to the conversation.

[@wilmergreen9480]

Subbed Jay Doing my bit to get you to 1K and Happy New Year

[@jayespinal]

@wilmergreen9480 You the best! appreciate the support! Thank you for watching Happy New Year!

[@tor2919]

I disagree with the idea of choosing either the 50 or 35. I use both, usually 35 indoors and 50 outdoors. Have been through all combinations of zooms and primes. Been on the 24/50/105, the 35/85, the 20/50, the 28/55 and so on. After 25 years of photography I’ve landed on 35/50 and nothing else. They are similar enough that it doesn’t look jarring in a sequence.

[@tor2919]

And everything you say about environment I don’t really agree with. You can take a few steps back with a 50 and have a similar frame. That’s why a 35 is great to have for indoors.

[@jayespinal]

@tor2919 Thank you for watching and leaving a comment. I agree with you, if you can swing it, own both. For me personally if I had to choose one to get my started it would be the 35mm.

[@jayespinal]

@tor2919 sure that works. Thanks for the comment.

[@Ben_Lichtfaenger]

I want to test the Brightin Star 35mm f0.95

[@jayespinal]

@Der_SchrauBaer Thats a good one, I'll see if I can get my hands on it. I appreciate you watching and adding your comment to the conversation. Happy New Year!

[@kennyiklei]

Thank you for sharing.

[@jayespinal]

My pleasure! @kennyiklei appreciate you watching and leaving me a comment.

[@illitrait]

...buy a wider focal length because my focusing game sucks? No, thanks, I'd rather work hard on improving my technique. If I had to pick just one lens, I would go for the 50mm (preferably a 1.4), because it is more of an all-round lens. My next option would be a 35mm. YMMV.

[@jayespinal]

@illitrait you might like my recent video on the 35mm if that's gonna be your next lens. Have a great day, thank you for watching.

[@illitrait]

@@jayespinal ...super stuff. Thanks.

[@luigi_monaco]

Agree with 35mm. Why not the Summicron?

[@jayespinal]

I got more lenses with the Summarit line of lenses. Besides they are really great.

[@Wurstkiste]

🤔I have 25mm, 35mm, 50mm an 75mm and and experience of 35 Years as a hobbyist. After all the 35mm is my to go lens every time. Because it most closely corresponds to natural vision. For many people, the focal length seems boring, that's wrong! 35mm places higher demands on the photographer for the image precisely because it is a focal length that is free of effects!

[@jayespinal]

@Wurstkiste I agree. I'm loving the 35mm so far. I appreciate you watching and adding your comment to the conversation. Happy New Year!

[@peterwrvideo]

40mm (43.3mm, to be precise - the diagonal of the 35mm format).

[@jayespinal]

@peterwrvideo Thanks for watching, appreciate the specificity.

[@bo_norris]

Man, this video really blew up! It really is one of the better 35 vs 50 videos on KZbin. I’m through and through a 35 over 50 guy. A 50 is nice every now and then but if I could only choose one lens, It’d definitely be a 35.. though I’d be lying if I said I haven’t recently fallin in love with the 28mm focal length as well. Which is odd.. because I tried it long ago and didn’t care for it too much. 35 is a bit more diverse I feel though.

[@jayespinal]

@bo_norris the response has been great. Thank you for the kind words. The 35mm is a gateway into wider frames I feel the 28mm calling me. Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment.

[@dominiquepierre-nina4581]

50mm for street and 35mm for travel, I own both Summarit M and they are superb.

[@jayespinal]

Hey @dominiquepierre-nina4581. Thank you for watching and adding your comment. Summarit M are lovely lenses indeed. How do you manage focus (zone focus, critical focus) on the 50mm in the streets?

[@dominiquepierre-nina4581]

@@jayespinal Hi well I use the same principals as you would for a 35mm expect I am not too worried if it is super sharp , Sharpness is over rated in my books .If I want razor sharpness images I use my AF on my Fujifilm .

[@jayespinal]

@@dominiquepierre-nina4581 I totally agree. I'm totally ok with acceptably sharp when doing personal work. Especially if I can capture a feeling. Emotion trumps sharp focus any day.

[@TitleDS]

Between 35 and 50 I choose 50 mm. Since my style of photography is less involved with moving subjects in tight space and if I have to do it I can work around with prefocusing and release the shutter when the subject moves to the coinciding image in the rangefinder patch. If the debate is solely based on depth of field, yes, 35 mm is easier on me. I still prefer the field of view from 50 mm though.

[@jayespinal]

@TitleDS Thank you for watching and adding your comments. Yeah the 50 is sweet focal length I just couldn't do it. Maybe when I get better I can visit the 50mm again.

[@anbar5675]

For the same reason, I have been using 35mm exclusively since 1985.

[@jayespinal]

@anbar5675 I hear you. Thank you for watching and adding your comment.

[@noopynnus]

So technically starting off with the 35mm and eventually adding the 90mm is probably the best way to go.

[@jayespinal]

@noopynnus honestly if you want to go that long. I'm doing the 28mm right now for a full year..

[@costascosta273]

24mm Elmar and 50mm Summilux pre asph v3 are my preferred pairing. I like wide for street/travel but when the sun goes down, I do like a 50mm as it allows me to focus on detail shots more and the older pre asph summilux is dreamy wide open for portraits but super sharp stopped down. I also live in a rural area so there is some distance between subjects, a 50mm excels here where you can slow things down and not worry too much about zone/hyperfocal focus. When I take one lens only, I pick up an old 35mm Canon ltm. It’s not my favourite focal length but it’s a good compromise and do it all option. I like it for family snaps. It’s strength is it’s true to life feel to the Images. For life documentary, it’s great. I enjoy testing myself, discovering what works and what doesn’t is part of my journey with photography. The journey and experience is as important as the final output for me, if not more so.

[@jayespinal]

@costascosta273 I like that combination its a big enough of a difference where you get different looks. Love your approach. I appreciate you watching and adding your comment to the conversation. Happy New Year!

[@vincentlafon9498]

Excellent!

[@jayespinal]

@vincentlafon9498 Glad you enjoyed the video. Thank you for watching and adding your comment, I appreciate you.

[@DAVE_WHITE]

you can have the same debate on 85mm vs 105mm for portraits

[@jayespinal]

@DAVE_WHITE This is true. I appreciate you watching and adding your comment to the conversation. Happy New Year!

[@markgarcia8253]

Separate but equal. 35mm for everyday. 50mm for portraits and art.

[@jayespinal]

@markgracia8253 that’s a really productive and sensible way of looking these two great lenses. Thanks for watching.

[@freekdeniro8623]

u need to get the TT 28mm f5.6 set it to f8 and 1/1000 and auto iso on that m11 mono and shoot anything.

[@chrisfetto9400]

Your example uses a very unforgiving distance to the subject for d.o.f. comparisons when zone focusing . I use the 50 a lot for this, shooting from the hip for candid urban people shots, but my lens is set around a nominal distance of around 4 metres at f4 or 5. I suspect your perspective comes from an interest in more intimate portrait distances.

[@jayespinal]

You are correct, but some of my favorite shots where captured this way. You can see it at work with samples in my Zone focusing failure video. Thanks for watching, Happy New Year!

[@zteefzeefje]

You passed 1k subscribers congrats

[@jayespinal]

@zteefzeefje Yes! Thank you for watching. Happy new year!

[@8snowman88]

As a beginner, this is a great video! Ty

[@jayespinal]

@8snowman88 You're so welcome! Thank you for watching and adding your comments.

[@ronstibbe]

Micro 4/3 solves the DOF issue. Usually have a 17mm on the camera and a 45mm in my pocket

[@jayespinal]

@ronstibbe you make a good point for anyone using a Micro 4/3 camera, the smaller the sensor the less you have to think about DOF. Thanks for watching, happy new year!

[@GlennSchultes]

I shoot with a selection of primes. 35 and 50 are two of them. But if I go into Lightroom and check my favourite focal lengths for my photos then 35mm easily trumps my 50mm

[@jayespinal]

@GlennSchultes yeah that it's funny how we may feel one way but the data tells us otherwise. Thanks for watching and adding your comment. Happy new year!

[@maxgiii_beach_street_photo7161]

New follower nice video. Max

[@jayespinal]

@maxgiii_beach_street_photo7161 Thank you, appreciate the support!

[@chrisreich40]

This is a perennial debate because for some reason the 40-45mm lens became a niche product instead of mainstream.

[@RS-Amsterdam]

Nice intro , love the music. Now IMO the debate between 28mm and 35mm is even bigger, especially for Street Photography . I would go for a 28mm and a 50mm and forget about the 35mm as first choice, especially with high res, you can always crop the 28mm. (yes I am not a 35mm guy hehehe) And for not breaking the bank, go for Voigtlander and later, if necessary, 'upgrade' to Leica. Than on your your calculation: a person 4 feet in front of you coming towards you is a bit ridiculous, one step and his or her nose is hitting your lens. You would be an excellent sales guy to sell 35mm but your story did not convince me. About zone focussing, the lens around 7:50 is totally off focus , so you're way out of the zone brother, not particular backing up your story . To get more subscribers, you have to get your story a bit more right. Still like your channel and I hope my comments will not offend you but make you revise. Anyways, for later, Happy New Year, thanks for sharing

[@jayespinal]

@RS-Amsterdam No offense taken, thank you for the thoughtful review of the video. The 4 feet example is not a factious one. I do it all the time, you can see me doing it on my Zone focus failure video. I find the person at 8 ft and capture them at 4 free as I pass them and they walk by me. I appreciate you watching and adding your comment to the conversation. Happy New Year!

[@MrJapanforce]

Great video of yours mate but i disagree. I am dedicated 50mm guy. Exactly for the same reason you say on video. For the short focal length. I want a fast (1.4, or 1.2) 50mm lens on streets because. 1. i am introvert. 2. i like observing the world and not participating in people's activities. 3. i want in almost every of my pics that lovely BOKEH . I like the somehow mysterious , atmospheric, dark bokhelitious street photography mood that only a fast 50mm can give (and the 85mm of course but it is too narrow most of the time 4. i like to previsualize my photos. Fisher, not hunter. 5. i like to lock on my subject (here is a person on the street) and use this as a main element of the photo. 6. I never use zone focusing. Why??? 7. I like the look of a paint that the 50mm frame is giving. Geometry. Discipline. For me, the 35mm is not wide, nor telephoto. It is in the middle of nowhere. With every respect.

[@jayespinal]

Hey @MrJapanforce no offense taken. Thank you for your comment. I totally understand what you describe with the 50mm. What you mention is why I thought the 50mm would be my first lens for the M11 but I just could not nail focus with it yet. I'm clearly not ready for a full manual 50mm for fast street photography.

[@michazapart7646]

35mm. You're welcome ;))

[@jayespinal]

@michazapart7646 Excellent choice good sir. I appreciate you watching and adding your comment to the conversation. Happy New Year!

[@JohnKrill]

The everyday lens is the 45mm (30mm.)

[@jayespinal]

@JohnKrill interesting.Thanks for that insight.

[@vanlee0831]

You would like wider lens if you live in a beautiful or more organized place. If you live in a messy shit place like me, you would like 105 or 135mm.

[@jayespinal]

@vanlee0831 you make a great point, 105 and 135 are great at isolating subjects. Thanks for watching and adding your comment.

[@Narsuitus]

The first 35mm SLR I purchased came with a 50mm lens. After using it for a year, I decided that the 50mm was too "telephoto" for my taste. After two years of using the 50mm, I decided to replace it with a 35mm. Since then, the 35mm has been my favorite focal length for one-lens/one-body situations. I now shoot with a 35mm f/1.4 Nikkor on my SLR in a 24/35/85mm kit and a 35mm f/1.4 Zeiss on my rangefinder in a 21/35/90mm kit. When I shoot live theatre, I prefer to use a 50mm f/1.4 on a full-frame body in a 28/50/105mm kit.

[@jayespinal]

@Narsuitus Thank you for watching and taking the time to add your comment to the conversation. Love your lens complications and kits.

[@MaybeTiberius]

50&28 enter the chat.

[@duncanmacleod8066]

Love the video. Suscrito 👍

[@jayespinal]

Gracias @duncanmacleod8066

[@willvisuals]

Nice intro!

[@jayespinal]

Thanks!

[@jjjoooojjj]

With 35mm I take a shot from where I stand.. With 50mm I almost always have to move back ..

[@jayespinal]

YEs! You get it. This is what I have found. Which makes a 35mm more fun and keeps me in the moment. Thanks for watching, Happy New Year!

[@jjjoooojjj]

It's just the way we see the world I guess .. Have a good one too ..!!

[@JonathanRobsonPhoto]

Easy, 28mm

[@jayespinal]

Hey @JonathanRobsonPhoto I never really gave 28mm a chance but its on my list. Why do you like it so much?

[@JonathanRobsonPhoto]

I’ve just found as I get older I get wider, more context to the photo maybe. Moved away from the perfect photo towards photos with the occasional messiness of interest around the frame. Don’t get me wrong, I still shoot 35 and 50, def less 50 though, just to narrow usually, but it has its place. Plus with the 60mp, a crop from 28 to 35 is easy with minimal consequence if you’re shooting at 5.6 and above etc

[@jayespinal]

​@@JonathanRobsonPhoto yes, thats what I'm taking about! I find myself going wider as well, welcoming the chaos or at least trying to make sense of it all. The photo at 4:38 is a perfect example of what you are saying. I would have never liked or taken that photo two years ago. Jonathan I appreciate your response and for watching, have wonderful New Years!

[@JonathanRobsonPhoto]

@@jayespinal Yep, 4.38 is exactly what I'm referring to

[@ductritran8637]

If I can only have 1 lens then not 50mm or 35mm but 28mm as you can crop . 28mm will cover most of your shooting .

[@jayespinal]

@ductritran8637 I see you point but I can't get myself to crop. It feels like shortcut I'm not willing to take. I rather use a particular lens to its full capacity. If I open the door to cropping then my composition skills go to shit. But again to each their own. Thanks for watching, Happy New Year!

[@ElecBrane]

If you try the APO 35mm, you’ll never go back

[@jayespinal]

It's that good?

[@coasttocoastphoto]

You want several lenses.

[@jayespinal]

@coasttocoastphoto if at all possible yes. I appreciate you watching and adding your comment to the conversation. Happy New Year!

[@pixelmixture3067]

50 is for shy photographers .. 35 is for more socially capable photographers

[@jayespinal]

@pixelmixture3067 interesting way of looking at it. I understand what you mean but I can see how someone would disagree if they really love the way the 50mm compresses the background and don't care for how the 35mm looks or rather not deal with so much in the frame. Thank you for watching and adding your point to the conversation. Have a wonderful 2024.

[@pixelmixture3067]

@@jayespinal never been a fan of isolating the subject too much from it's surrounding ... close portrait is the most boring kind of photography . Luc Besson movie the professional: "Léon: The rifle is the first weapon you learn how to use, because it lets you keep your distance from the client. The closer you get to being a pro, the closer you can get to the client. The knife, for example, is the last thing you learn." same thing with photography ... first you learn the 110mm than 50mm than 35mm

[@jayespinal]

@pixelmixture3067 couldn’t agree more. Love all of Luc Besson’s films.

[@prototek128]

Urban 35mm Rural 50mm

[@jayespinal]

@prototek128 excellent choice. Thank you for watching and adding your comment.

[@stayuntilforever]

I got the 50mm on the camera and a pancake 28mm in my pocket. 35mm for me is too boring

[@jayespinal]

@stayuntilforever excellent choices. I love a good pancake lens they fit anywhere. Thank you for watching.

[@reusedisland1904]

Hello, I liked the video because I think you have something constructive to say. I am looking for less ‘person-talk’ and more ‘picture-talk’. Let the pictures do the talking. Please bear in mind, this is not a radio broadcast. I’m sure your following will increase this way. Yours respectfully.

[@jayespinal]

Thanks for the tips!

[@wayneyang9733]

I am 995 , wish you can get 5 more

[@jayespinal]

@wayneyang9733 Thank you for the support! We might just make it before 2024!! its 10:37pm here.

[@EJej-z5g]

3:40 crop your 35mm shot and voila, you've compressed your background and pic contents is equal to a 50mm shot. Lenses do not compress or distort anything with their focal length, they just crop differently. Of course you couldn't get same dof with same f fully open aperture and cropped pic will have less resolution/less details but still, that ability to alter your composition later by cropping is great and sometimes you may not want to crop at all, you only know it after viewing the pic at home on a big screen.

[@jayespinal]

@user-eh8jv2em2o I have to say I'm not a fan of cropping of I could help it. Thank you for watching and adding your thoughts to the conversation.

[@storyfrontierdrive1433]

50mm - end of discussion

[@jayespinal]

@storyfrontierdrive1433 lol excellent choice. Thanks for chiming in.

[@thezeek2745]

40mm. All day. Every day. 35 or 50? Talk about not understanding photography

[@jayespinal]

@thezeek2745 interesting, can you expand on that?