For an everyday lens, would you go with 35mm or 50mm?

Rol_Lei Nut · Jul 4, 2011

In order of preference (usually) and depending on what I can carry:

1: 35mm
2: Short tele (80-105mm)
3. Ultrawide (18-21mm)
4: Longer tele (180-200mm)

Lenses beyond those will usually depend on special needs or subjects

Thingy · Jul 4, 2011

It really depends what you intend to photograph. If you are planning lots of images with people or a companion in it, then a 50mm would make sense as it will not cause the sort of distortion that makes people looks slightly wierd! If your main interest is photographing the buildings and landscapes, then the 35mm would obviously be the better choice and would offer moreflexibility both for exterior and interior shots.

dnjl · Jul 4, 2011

35mm is the perfect focal length for me.

narsuitus · Jul 5, 2011

When I am limited to one lens for general shooting on a 35mm camera, here are my choices in order of priority:

35mm f/1.4
50mm f/1.4
40mm f/1.7
35-85mm f/2.8
55mm f/3.5 macro

moki · Jul 5, 2011

Minolta 40mm/2,0... It's a tiny bit wider than 50mm but not quite wide-angle while still having decently large DoF which can be useful for hyperfocal focusing. On the other hand, with f/2, it's good enough for portraits. It's the best universal lens I ever had. Not the sharpest of all, but great focal length and handling.

36cm2 · Jul 5, 2011

Environmental portraits with a 50mm are instant classics. They just feel right.
Urban grabs and landscapes get the 24.

Leo

jphendren · Jul 5, 2011

A few years ago I decided to see what it would be like to use only my AI-s Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 on my F6. I had never really used a fixed focal length lens before, but had read that using only a 50mm would make you be more creative. I found that you can do darn near anything with a 50mm, you just need to zoom with your feet so to speak LOL. I normally use a 28-70mm zoom, but found the little 50mm to be quite flexible, that and it is very sharp, FAST, and small compared to a zoom.

Sorry if this does not answer your question

Jared

mopar_guy · Jul 5, 2011

"For an everyday lens, would you go with35mm or 50mm?"

Yes. Sometimes.

2F/2F · Jul 5, 2011

jphendren said:
A few years ago I decided to see what it would be like to use only my AI-s Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 on my F6. I had never really used a fixed focal length lens before, but had read that using only a 50mm would make you be more creative. I found that you can do darn near anything with a 50mm, you just need to zoom with your feet so to speak LOL. I normally use a 28-70mm zoom, but found the little 50mm to be quite flexible, that and it is very sharp, FAST, and small compared to a zoom.

Sorry if this does not answer your question

Jared

I can definitely agree with the "zooming with your feet" and "a 50 can do darned near anything" in regards to replacing the longer focal lengths on a mid-range zoom lens. But it is often quite a bit harder when you want to go wider, IMO.

A 50 or 55 is my main lens most of the time. But I do think that nothing can really do the job of a wide well, except a wide. I carry 28 and 50 lenses pretty much every time I go out. If not both, then I take a 35, which is a good compromise.

brucemuir · Jul 5, 2011

Problem with "zooming with your feet" is perspective is not the same as using different focal lengths.

KrankyKraut · Jul 5, 2011

For my kind of shooting, mostly street and people, and the occasional close-up, it's the 50. About 75% of my shots are made with it. The 35 is probably my least-used lens.

artonpaper · Jul 6, 2011

Those two focal lengths are certainly great at framing what is in front of one. A 50 or 55, makes things appear very close to human sight. Not larger, smaller, nearer, or further away. Cartier-Bresson used a 50 mm exclusively. A 35 mm lens has the interesting effect of including, left to right in a horizontal frame, about the same dimensions as the the camera to subject distance. Meaning if you stand 10 feet from a wall, you will get about 10 ft left to right. I never go out with more than lens, and, although I've used very good zoom lenses for commercial assignments, I've never wanted to use them for personal work. This is of course is just me.

alanrockwood · Jul 6, 2011

I would pick 50mm. I like 58mm even better.

PeteD · Jul 11, 2011

If it's not too silly a suggestion why not carry a 35-70 zoom lens and get the best of both worlds? Or are the zuiko zooms not as good as the fixed lenses?

Pete

Thomas Bertilsson · Jul 11, 2011

The 35mm is usually what I bring. But if what's on the camera is either the 50mm or even the 100mm, I don't usually stop in my tracks to change it.

I just shoot with whatever's on the camera, and I find that liberating. The zoom suggestion is good.

removed account4 · Jul 11, 2011

puptent · Jul 11, 2011

I've been doing most of photography with my Zuiko 35-105mm zoom with close focus. It's not humongous, and it covers a very nice range of focal lengths for me. Soooo, I guess my answer would be "yes".

Jeff Kubach · Jul 11, 2011

In a previous post I said the 35mm but know I think the 85mm!

Jeff

A Sabai · Jul 11, 2011

I'd go with 35mm unless I was expecting to photograph a lot of people then I would chose the 50. If you are taking a lot of images in low light a 50mm may be better since they usually faster.

Clay2 · Jul 11, 2011

benjiboy said:
My favourite walk about street shooting lens is a Canon FD 35mm f2. with the focus set at around 10ft at round about f8 using the hyperfocal distance there's little o need to focus for grab shots.

As much as I love my 50mm f/1.4 Nikkor, I would go with the 35mm with less need
for critical focus as above, and also If I use a flash. (F2AS film camera).

Best regards,

/Clay

Aristophanes · Jul 11, 2011

FA 31 Limited

jbbooks · Jul 11, 2011

Vsanzbajo said:
Which one would you choose for carrying only one lens? Just as a tourist around for travel and sightseeing.

Geeez, not only must I agree to carry only one lens, but it has to be one of two that you pick? Thanks, but I pass. If I have to travel so light that I cannot have but one lens, then I would choose between one of these two cameras:

1) Hasselblad XPan with 45mm lens.

2) Contax TVS III with Zeiss 30-60mm zoom.

The fact is, the Contax is so compact and has so much capability that I usually have it with me no matter what else I am carrying.

For an everyday lens, would you go with 35mm or 50mm?

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