35mm or 50mm, which is your main lens?

Alexander Ghaffari · Nov 30, 2008

I have been rather addicted to my 35mm f/2 lens, as of late. Sometimes, I still use my 50mm f/1.4.

Chaplain Jeff · Nov 30, 2008

My favorite prime was my 28mm, f/3.5 Rokkor. My guess is it will soon become my 28mm, f/2.0 Rokkor.

My favorite all-around lens on 35mm SLR (film) is the Rokkor 35-70mm, f/3.5 Macro.

Jeff M

IloveTLRs · Nov 30, 2008

Almost always 50mm. 35mm is too wide for me.

In Boston over the summer I used a CS21/4 mostly. It's really good for architectural subject matter, though it does tend to flatten things.

rosey · Nov 30, 2008

My favorite all-around lens on 35mm SLR (film) is the Rokkor 35-70mm said:
I second your remarks about this lens. I own two of them, both mint. After I bought the first and saw how good it is, I added a second just in case a tragedy befell the first one. An excellent piece of glass on my Minoltas.

rossawilson1 · Nov 30, 2008

50mm used to be mine, then my girlfriend bought me a 35mm summicron F2 and I sold my 50.

I'd seen so many amazing 35 shots from great photographers I just thought I was missing something.. I'm still learning to like 35, not all the way there yet. Certainly it is more versatile, especially when it comes to hyperfocal focusing.

Samuel Hotton · Dec 1, 2008

When I'm on the street in the city, I find that 35mm is just right and 50mm is too long / too tight. When I'm out in the country I prefer the 50mm. For 6cm X 6cm roll film cameras, my choice is 60mm city, 80mm country.
All the best,
Sam H.

jgjbowen · Dec 1, 2008

3 Nikon bodies. One has a 85mm attached and is always loaded with Tri-x for portraits, etc. One has a 35mm attached and is always loaded with Provia for landscapes. The third is usually loaded with Tri-X and is without a lens attached so I can use whatever strikes my fancy. I have lenses from 24mm - 300mm including a 50mm, 55 mm macro, 105mm.

My main lens on 4x5 is a Schneider 210 Symmar S. My main lens for 8x10 and 7x17 is a 450 Nikkor M.

My main "walking around" lens for 35mm is the 85mm.

ChrisPlatt · Dec 20, 2008

35mm. Who needs a 50mm, anyway?

Chris

Ralph Javins · Dec 21, 2008

Good morning;

On my Minoltas, the main one I use is a 58 mm f 1.4 or 58 mm f 1.2 Rokkor. It helps these old eyes with a brighter viewfinder and easier focusing. The same on the Nikon F and F2, but 58 mm f 1.4 Nikkor instead of Rokkor.

I like the fact that the 58 mm lenses give me the same perspective as my own eyes do. When I look through the viewfinder, or with my eyes, everything stays in the same place; nothing moves.

ssloansjca · Dec 21, 2008

My favorite setup is two bodies one with a 24 the other with a 105. When it comes to photography, when I get close it feels right. So I guess the short answer is neither.

Alex Bishop-Thorpe · Dec 21, 2008

50mm. If there's not enough in the shot, move a few steps back. If you need a closer shot - zoom with your feet. I've just never worked well with a 35, as unimaginative as I feel using a boring ol' 50mm for my mainstay, I find it works perfectly for me.

mikebarger · Dec 21, 2008

I haven't shot hardly any 35mm the last two years, all 120 and 4x5.

But when it was my only format I used the 105mm as my standard lens, and the nikkkor 18mm f4 as my wide angle. I used the 50mm so little I sold it years ago.

If I was really serious I'd the 105 on the F3 and the 18 on a EL2.

My tenba is packed with an F3, 18mm, 35mm, 105mm and a 200mm setting ready to go. It really is a shame it doesn't get more exercise.

Mike

mamiya_madman · Dec 27, 2008

I love 50's. I hardly ever use anything else. It makes me frame my shots alot more creatively, without my brain just saying "i'll stick the 135 on". I was sort of brought up like that on my A level course, and i just love using simplicity to take some complex shots both in technique and personal inspiratory messages. (if you know what i mean cos even i sometimes don't!)

gr82bart · Dec 27, 2008

Markok765 said:
I was wondering what APUGers use as their carry around lens?

If I had to choose only one of my lenses, I would choose the AFS-D 28-70mm f2.8 Zoom. I have 'archived' all my old lenses to my parent's basement and haven't used a fixed focal length lens since highschool.

That said and knowing you are in highschool, stick with a 50mm.

Regards, Art.

nufe · Dec 27, 2008

It was 50mm until this past week. I now have and plan to keep it this way for a while, my new Nikkor AF-S 24-70mm ED f2.8. Awesome lens.

Prest_400 · Jan 1, 2009

I just leave the Zuiko 50 f1.8 most of the time, don't have a 35mm; though I've used dad's Nikon F401s once with a 35-70 and I used more at 50-70mm.

RMP-NikonPro · Jan 1, 2009

Loads of advice here!!

My advice is lug all your lenses around with you, It'll not take long before you see which one you don't use the most!

It all depends on your style of Photography!

Chuck_P · Jan 1, 2009

a 28-105mm stays on my Canon A2 and most frames are shot between 35 and 80mm

funkpilz · Jan 1, 2009

always 50mm, I hate 35mm. It's not standard and it's not wideangle. I'd love a nice 85 or 100 though. I mostly do portraiture when walking around anyway, so a short telephoto would be my best bet. I'd be in heaven with a Zuiko 100/2.

ibraz · Jan 7, 2009

Love the pentax A 50/1.7, really compact lens with great definition, it's always on mu super-A, but these days, i want to experiment a short telephoto, my zooms go from 28 to 200mm, but they aren't as compact as a smc-m 100mm F2.8 and the 70~210 scares people...

2F/2F · Jan 7, 2009

My main lens for 35mm is usually a 55mm, or a 50mm. I probably use one of these lenses 80% of the time. I like the angle of view very much, and they are fast and sharp. They are the easiest with which I can compose and previsualize. I also like the 80 - 90mm range very much (usually realized by putting a 50mm lens onto my 1.6x digital sensor). 35mm is a great AOV as well, but often a little bit too wide for a general purpose lens. When I have to get really close, I like a 28. A have the FD 17mm because it came in a kit. I have only taken a couple of pix with it that I really love, though. I would like to trade it for the FD 24mm f/2.0. I find wides to be challenging lenses with which to compose. I especially dislike them for landscapes, usually. I am really uncomfortable with lenses in the 40 - 45mm range for some reason...and I *do* like using the 55mm slightly more than I like using the 50mm, even though it is heavier.

Here is one with the 17 that I like. Yet again, uploading to APUG totally mushes up the image, even though it is sized to 600px across prior to upload. Oh well.

Sirius Glass · Jan 8, 2009

For 35mm I have a 28mm to 200mm, 28mm to 300mm*, and 20mm to 35mm Nikon zooms.

Steve
*Nikon mount Tameron

clayne · Jan 19, 2009

35mm by far. 50mm feels a bit flat and heading towards telephoto land - whereas 35mm gives the feeling of dimension. I shoot mostly documentary photography and general street. Typically I carry a 20/2.8 on my F3 and a the 35/2 on my M4:

20mm (Nikkor 20mm f/2.8 AIS):

35mm (Summicron-M 35mm f/2.0):

50mm (Pentax SMC 50mm f/1.4):

Sirius Glass · Jan 19, 2009

Has anybody noticed that there is no one right answer?

Steve

archphoto · Jan 19, 2009

There is a right answer, but that answer is different for each person.

35mm or 50mm, which is your main lens?

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