Favorite Focal Lengths: revisited

Peeb

Semi-automatic Mediocrity Generator
Supporting Member
Joined
Jul 16, 2015
Messages
4,026
Reaction score
4,613
Location
Oklahoma
Can others edit my Photos
Photos OK to edit
Discussed this issue awhile back.

I was recently asked to submit a folder of approximately 5o my personal favorite images. After I had them collected I decided to look at how the focal lengths broke down. Here is what I got:

Wide (less than 28mm): 30%
Mid (28-105mm): 24%
Long (over 1o5mm): 46%

The great majority of the 'long' focal lengths were 200 or longer. My (current) bias seems to be on the long end of things.

Nature/wildlife shooters will have longer lenses/landscape shooters will go wider; portrait shooters will likely hang in the 70-200 neighborhood; astro shooters want wide and light. It all depends.

What's your focal length bias?
 
50/56mm 85%
45mm 10%
35mm 4.5%
200mm 0.5%

Scientific.
 
50/56mm 85%
45mm 10%
35mm 4.5%
200mm 0.5%

Scientific.
50-56 is the most 'human-y' focal length.

Or is it human-ish?

Maybe hummis.

Not sure. Still, I find that breakdown fascinating.
 
My 35s are novelty bokeh lenses - Vivitar/Tokina 'Circular Saw' with unruley bokeh and a cheap coke bottle tilt-a-whirl C-mount from China that has a certain drunken quality to it. Both cool lenses when I want to get away from my sterile stock of 50s.

The 45 is a Konica Hexxar Pancake, feels like a modern Tessar and is very neutral. My 56 is a GAF/Chinon donated to me from Pixmedic. Nice bokeh wide open. Definitely has some character and pretty sharp at close working distance below f/2.8.

The 200 is a Super-Tak and is primarily for b/w landscapes.
 
Last edited:
I shoot a lot at 43mm, 85,90,105,120,145,200 mm.
 
Recently probably
75% with the 105mm at f/1.4
25% with 50mm also at f/1.4
 
I shoot mostly telephoto lengths, and the 43mm length just gets hit a lot, for some inexplicable reason.
 
50mm most of the time. Followed by 28/35mm. Why? Well I tend to like old glass, and most of my oldest are 5cm lenses.


Canon EOS-M, Fuji X-E2, Fuji X-E2S, Helois 44-0 Vintage, Helois 44-4, Canon FD 50mm 1.8, Jupiter 8 50mm F2, Jupiter 3 50mm F1.5, Canon Serenar 50mm 1.9, Canon 50mm 1.8 LTM, Canon Serenar 85mm F2, Leica 50mm f2 summar, E.Ludwig 50mm F2.9, Rekagon will.wetzlar 50mm 2.8,, a.schacht ulm travenar 135mm F3.5, CZJ 29mm 2.8 Hoya 28mm 2.8, CZ Tessar 50mm 2.8, MIR 37mm. 2.8, Porst Color Reflex MC 50mm 1.7, Vivitar 28mm 2.8 mc cf... and I'm out of energy... and room..
 

Most reactions

Back
Top