If you could only have ONE lens..35mm or 50mm???

stradibarrius · Jul 10, 2012

If you only had one lens on a 35 mm camera would you have a 35mm lens or a 50mm? I am not interested in a bunch of discussion about the minutia of details...just a simple question 35mm or 50mm as you favorite focal length?

Muihlinn · Jul 10, 2012

I lean to one or another as wind changes. Lately I have been using the 35

David Allen · Jul 10, 2012

I would go for 35mm.

As I have worked through different formats over the years I have always gravitated to the equivalent of 35mm.

For the past 11 years I have used a Mamiya 7 with 65mm lens which is roughly the equivalent of 32mm on a 35mm camera.

Best,

David
www.dsallen.de

E. von Hoegh · Jul 10, 2012

Muihlinn said:
I lean to one or another as wind changes. Lately I have been using the 35

Ditto. I use the two about equally. If I had to pick one lens only, forever, it would be the 35/2 Nikkor O.

CGW · Jul 10, 2012

Got a Nikon 45/2.8 Ai-P as a compromise.

E. von Hoegh · Jul 10, 2012

CGW said:
Got a Nikon 45/2.8 Ai-P as a compromise.

I tried that, actually, and found it too close to 50. Otherwise a great, compact lens - and I liked the GN feature.

PhotoJim · Jul 10, 2012

I just picked up a Rokinon 35/1.4 for my Nikons when I was at B&H last month. It's a lot bigger than my AF Nikkor 50/1.4D but I love it anyway. The focal length feels natural to me.

CGW · Jul 10, 2012

E. von Hoegh said:
I tried that, actually, and found it too close to 50. Otherwise a great, compact lens - and I liked the GN feature.

This isn't the old GN non-Ai 45mm but the Ai-P chipped version for matrix/flash metering on AF bodies that Nikon rolled out when the FM3A debuted. It's always looked a bit wider than 45mm to me.

segedi · Jul 10, 2012

50mm. That is all.

Chris Lange · Jul 10, 2012

I love my 35mm lenses. A 35/1.4 Ai-S is almost permanently mounted to my F3/T.

a Nikkor-O 35/2 and a Mir 24H 35/2 comprise my others.

50 feels just a touch too long...conversely the 42/1.7 on my Olympus 35SP is almost perfect.

baachitraka · Jul 10, 2012

Street Photography/Landscapes: 35mm @f/8 or @f/11.

Brac · Jul 10, 2012

I definitely would go for the 35mm. That was the first additional lens I got for my Pentax KX SLR back in 1977!

Pioneer · Jul 10, 2012

I have far too many lenses but the focal length I use at least 80% is the 50, on film.

Roger Cole · Jul 10, 2012

35mm by focal length, but I do seem to shoot 35mm a lot in low light. The fastest 35mm for my Pentax cameras that I'm aware of is f/2 and it's spendy. If I could get a 35 1.4 like you Nikon folks....but then again I imagine those aren't cheap either.

Felinik · Jul 10, 2012

Definitely 50mm!

My Pentax-A 50mm f/2 manual focus is the one lens I use the most, second my Pentax DA-35 f/2.4 (which works just perfect with 35mm film houses without any vignetting etc.).

JerryWo · Jul 10, 2012

35mm, my favourite being the f2.5 Color-Skopar for my Bessas.
A bit slow, but sharp as a tack.

Jerry
Warrenton, VA

cliveh · Jul 10, 2012

50mm only through choice.

stradibarrius · Jul 10, 2012

Great response! keep on commin'

Mainecoonmaniac · Jul 10, 2012

I got back from South East Asian and was shooting Angkor Wat with my Canon f1N and my 35mm FD lens. I also brought my 50mm, but the perspective was too tight for me. Somehow, the perspective of a 35mm lens feels natural to me.

Alan Gales · Jul 10, 2012

The only 35mm camera I shoot anymore is my Stereo Realist. It has a pair of 35mm lenses. Nice!

tron_ · Jul 10, 2012

As much as I love my 50mm I would have to say the 35mm would be the one lens I would use if I could only have one.

Peltigera · Jul 10, 2012

I usually use a slightly long lens for my cityscapes. I frequently use a 90mm, but of the choices given it has to be 50mm.

TheFlyingCamera · Jul 10, 2012

If I could afford the 35mm f1.4 for my Contax, I'd have that. Since I can't, I'm happy to stick with the 50 f1.4. I like doing portraits with shallow depth of field, and a 50 is the shortest focal length you can get that really starts to give you the spatial compression for a good portrait. Were money no object, I'd have three lenses for my Contax - the 50 1.4, 35 1.4, and 85 1.4.

PhotoJim · Jul 10, 2012

Roger Cole said:
35mm by focal length, but I do seem to shoot 35mm a lot in low light. The fastest 35mm for my Pentax cameras that I'm aware of is f/2 and it's spendy. If I could get a 35 1.4 like you Nikon folks....but then again I imagine those aren't cheap either.

You should see if the Rokinon/Samyang/Bower 35/1.4 is available in Pentax mount. It's a sweet lens. Manual focus, but at least one of the Nikon versions has all the electronic contacts to satisfy newer, simpler cameras.

CGW · Jul 10, 2012

PhotoJim said:
You should see if the Rokinon/Samyang/Bower 35/1.4 is available in Pentax mount. It's a sweet lens. Manual focus, but at least one of the Nikon versions has all the electronic contacts to satisfy newer, simpler cameras.

They're selling very strongly in most old and new mounts--very popular on MILCs and DSLRs for still and video. A friend uses the 35/1.4 on his Sony NEX 7--wow! Very nice quality for the $.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Shop-by-Brand-Rokinon/ci/4/phd/4206889901/N/4294255798

If you could only have ONE lens..35mm or 50mm???

Do you prefer 35mm or 50mm focal length in 135 format?

35mm

50mm

stradibarrius

Muihlinn

David Allen

E. von Hoegh

CGW

E. von Hoegh

PhotoJim

CGW

segedi

Chris Lange

baachitraka

Brac

Pioneer

Roger Cole

Felinik

JerryWo

cliveh

stradibarrius

Mainecoonmaniac

Alan Gales

tron_

Peltigera

TheFlyingCamera

Membership Council

PhotoJim

CGW

If you could only have ONE lens..35mm or 50mm???

Do you prefer 35mm or 50mm focal length in 135 format?

35mm

50mm

Membership Council

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