Street photographers have had a ton of great lenses on a variety of systems to choose from over the years. Two of the most popular lenses available are the 28mm and 35mm lenses, which are often the go-to tool for many people. But which one is better?
The answer is, as is often the case in photography, “it depends.” Coming to you from street photographer and Youtuber Doriyan Coleman, he looks at the 28mm and 35mm focal lengths and how they have influenced his street photography.
Much of what he talks about comes down to your comfort level as a photographer. The wider the lens, the closer you’ll have to get to your subject, and sometimes that means that with a 28mm lens you’re actually invading someone’s personal space, whereas with a 35mm lens you’re actually invading someone’s personal space. , that may not be true. Coleman talks about how you can easily compose a scene with a 28mm lens, but it also makes things difficult to compose. He notes that he himself often crops up wider images taken with a 35mm lens because an inherently wide lens like that can be difficult to create a clear composition, let alone when you’re shooting wide. more than 7mm. Furthermore, if you are in an area that is not a densely populated city, getting interesting backgrounds and compositions can be very difficult with such a wide focal length. There’s also some value to owning a lens that people might not notice you as compared to one that they certainly will, depending on your goals.
We know where I stand on this matter. Give me, 40mm is the “Goldilocks” focal lengthwhether that can be achieved through an equivalent focal length on a Micro Four Thirds camera (via Panasonic’s excellent Lumix G 20mm f/1.7 II ASPH. lens or on a full frame with something like sadly discontinued Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM . Lens). Over the years, I’ve forced myself to love my 50mm, but it’s a bit too tight, even on a full frame body.
Coleman doesn’t make a firm recommendation, because for each person, lens choice is a very personal choice. What lens do you prefer to use for street photography? Leave your thoughts and photos in the comments section below.
