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

[Vsanzbajo]

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

 

[tkamiya]

Why limit to just one? I'd carry both as they don't weigh much.

If I can only have one, I'd pick 50mm just because I like the natural look the lens provides.

If I'm traveling, I much prefer to have a zoom as some scenes are better captured wider and some require more focused approach that telephoto affords. I just bought a 24-120mm for just for that purpose.

 

[MattKing]

35mm for me - the field of view is one I'm particularly comfortable with.

And if you have just a bit more space, a 24mm, 35mm, 85mm Olympus Zuiko trio is very nice .

 

[michaelbsc]

I too prefer the 35mm lens if I'm limited to one lens. With modern film a crop to get the same field of view as a 50mm lens is easy, and of little consequence.

 

[spacer]

If I'm traveling, and not bringing my own vehicle or plane, I'd probably stick with a decent wide to tele zoom. One body, one lens...

If it were a prime, I'd take a 50/2 on my Pentax.

 

[paulrocon]

35mm. Once you start cropping down to something like an 8x10 50mm becomes too narrow to me.

 

[fstop]

50mm, actually I prefer 85mm plus for every day.

 

[shutterpuppy]

If I had to pick just one lens, it would be 20mm - the modern PJ standard. But from your choices . . . 35mm. Wide enough to introduce some interest to the perspective, but not so wide that you have to worry over much about distortions for portraits and such.

 

[eSPhotos]

I vote for 35mm.

 

[panchro-press]

Another vote for the 35mm. I just blew an opportunity because I didn't have my 35mm lens with me.

 

[semi-ambivalent]

If I had to pick just one lens, it would be 20mm - the modern PJ standard. But from your choices . . . 35mm. Wide enough to introduce some interest to the perspective, but not so wide that you have to worry over much about distortions for portraits and such.

If it's a good 20 that's not distortion but exaggerated perspective.

 

[onepuff]

24mm for me. If I had to choose from the two though it would be 35mm.

 

[perkeleellinen]

The same as onepuff, above, out of that choice it would be the 35mm but my own choice is the 24mm.

 

[2F/2F]

If only one lens, 35mm. If two, I like 28mm and 50mm.

 

[Pumalite]

35mm

 

[baachitraka]

35mm: Enough to show the detail of cityscapes and partly landscapes.

85mm: Great for portraits. I shot raising thunder clouds with this one, it was great(kind of nature portrait).

I wish 24mm zuiko, gets cheaper.

Very specials are 100 and 135mm.

 

[Frank Chambers]

Depends on what your preferred themes are. You might go with the more universal 35mm any day but I would prefer 85mm. With both you might shoot almost all daily street scenes, even the 50mm is a great classic prime you will cherish right only if you have focal lengths around it.

 

[Mustafa Umut Sarac]

It depends the quality of your lens. If it was Leica , I vote for 50 , if it is japanese , I vote for 24.

 

[frobozz]

Another vote for 24mm. For many years I didn't even own a 50 - the 24 was my "normal" lens!

Duncan

 

[benjiboy]

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.

 

[BrianL]

I guess I'd go for the 35mm as when I'm out and about my camera has a 40mm stuck on the front and the 90 is left at home or sits in a shoulder bag and is seldom attached.

 

[Ian Grant]

Always been happy with a 50mm for 35mm and an 80mm for 120.

Ian

 

[Selidor]

50mm. I used a 28 recently and kept cropping the images because so much of the frame had gone to waste. Admittedly this is less of an issue with 35mm, as well as being partly the photographers fault...

 

[Jeff Kubach]

I do like the 50mm but for everday walk I'll go for the 35mm.

Jeff

 

[CGW]

I like the Nikon 45/2.8 Ai-P for a walk-around/street lens.