What's your favorite focal length and why?

[gk fotografie]

I just can't get into the wider lenses lately. Even 35mm is usually too short for me! Give me at least 50mm every time. In fact every time I put the 18-55 lens on, I end up quickly swapping it out for the 60 or the 50-230. I can't remember the last time I liked anything I shot at less than 50mm! I just love the way the longer focal lengths isolate a subject.
What's your current favorite focal length? Why?

I've always been a big fan of wide angel/fish eye lenses and panorama photography.
Mid 1970's I discovered Dutch photographer Frits Rotgans, pioneer in panorama photography and builder of his own filmcameras. Short intro:



In the past 50 years every first or second lens I bought for a new reflexcamera was indeed a wide angel or a fish eye.
Through the years I've owned several Nikon superwide lenses, a 30mm Distagon for MF and a 47mm Super Angulon for LF. Never had a serious interest in telephoto lenses, but absolutely needed them as a pro.

I love to explore and experiment, this morning a 6,5mm fish eye arrived for my Fuji XE1, too bad Fuji has no real fisheye lenses for X-mount. Just a quick snapshot:

 

[Frank F.]

If I may point out that I also like my 1.4/35 Ai-S very much, esp as a "normal" lens for my D500. Why the D500? because she offers a very good ground glass, which Nikon took from the famous Nikon F6. Examples:

 

[bribrius]

No idea. I think of what i am trying to do sort through my lenses (most of which aren't that great) and think "hope this one will work". Sometimes it takes a couple trys.

 

[Derrel]

Which one is which? Nothing was done to either image, except to check the little box, to apply Adobe Lightroom's automatic Lens Correction Profile for two different lenses. No highlight recovery was applied to tame the highlights on the ship's white superstructure. LOADS of smoke was in the air from two days-long

forest fires in BC, Canada, and from two days-long forest fires raging in Oregon. Each original-sized posted image is 3,000 pixels wide, and is a straight, Lightroom conversion from a .NEF file.

Both are 180mm shots.

 

[Frank F.]

View attachment 144969

Which one is which? Nothing was done to either image, except to check the little box, to apply Adobe Lightroom's automatic Lens Correction Profile for two different lenses. No highlight recovery was applied to get the highlights on the ship's white superstructure. LOADS of smoke was in the air from two days-longView attachment 144970 forest fires in BC, Canada, and from two days-long forest fires raging in Oregon. Each original-sized posted image is 3,000 pixels wide, and is a straight, Lightroom conversion from a .NEF file.

Both are 180mm shots.

Which is what?

You have two perspectives here and two lenses you say. Did you crop?

 

[Frank F.]

No idea. I think of what i am trying to do sort through my lenses (most of which aren't that great) and think "hope this one will work". Sometimes it takes a couple trys.

My strategy from the start was: few lenses but good ones. So my first choice was a 1.4/50 Zuiko in 1984.

Life it too short to waste it planning and composing shots with a lot of effort that in the end are technically flawed in a way that is unappealing.

Of the 35, 50 and 85 lenses most are quite decent and can be had for small money. When on a budget buy a used Mercedes not a new Fiat or Renault. That is what I did in my amateur days and what I still do when I have time to wait. Very economical and pleasing. Good zooms are quite expensive, even used. With only a few exceptions In the manual focus field.

 

[Derrel]

Which is the zoom lens shot and which is the fixed focal length lens shot?

 

[SquarePeg]

Which is the zoom lens shot and which is the fixed focal length lens shot?

Purely guessing... the 2nd shot without the foliage on the left is the zoom.

 

[Frank F.]

Which is the zoom lens shot and which is the fixed focal length lens shot?

I do not think one can see the difference between Zoom and Prime. There are bad primes and great Zooms.

Primes of the same quality and speed are generally cheaper and smaller esp in the manual focus version.

I use primes because I can get them in 1.8 and 1.4 speed which is often unavailable as Zooms esp in film format 24*36 and because I like the drawing.

For subjects like sports I wish for a zoom. If I did sports professionally I would sure get a 70-210 kind of zoom.

 

[BananaRepublic]

I just can't get into the wider lenses lately.

Well you have lost weight lately

 

[zombiesniper]

500mm.
I shoot primarily wildlife and go figure birds just won't come to the studio.

Primes of the same quality and speed are generally cheaper and smaller

Only true of shorter primes.

 

[rexbobcat]

85 probably. Was my first lens and "seeing" at that focal length comes second nature compared to others focal lengths now.

 

[KmH]

I have a love for my 135mm f2, its probably my favorite lens for capturing a head shot, this probably grew out of my love of my 85mm on my 7D. The 135 has a 9.5 degree field of view, the APC equivalent of a 135mm sits at just shy of the 85mm lens length.

So - Why is important focal length?

 

[Fred von den Berg]

Assuming 35mm film or digital equivalent, I like 50mm, 35mm and 28mm prime but also enjoy using 35-70mm zoom. As well as these I also like 135mm prime, but only use this occasionally. The 50mm I like for the crispness but also there is some play possible with the DoF. The 35 and 28mm wide angle are among my favorites because of what can be included in the frame and the depth that can be achieved (these are my favoured choices for street/situational shots). The 35-70mm is a great convenience tool that affords a lot of diversity and is my first choice for family days out, birthdays, etc. The 135mm is wonderful for isolating the subject, especially in people photos.

 

[davidharmier60]

I used to do Airshows. And knew a guy who could get us onto almost any base. Usually kept a 70-210 on my AE-1 and a 28-105 on my EOS650. Never shot a heck of a lot on a 50 but in Canon I preferred the 1.8 to the 1.4. I have a real loose plan to get a Canon 40D body and an adapter to FD and one to Nikon.
Because I don't own an EF prime.

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